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Upcoming Turkey Season Recommendations

I have never shot 4 birds in a season myself, I have never 'tagged out' since the limit was raised from 2. In fact, I've never shot more than 2 myself until last year when I shot 3 and shot 3 this year. I'm just not that greedy, and would rather see others kill birds. Now that being said, I'm usually personally responsible for 8-10 birds each year being killed (mine, plus the others I call in for friends and family). I only hunted twice the entire season in TN by myself, and those were 2 of my 3 I killed. My 3rd bird was a double after I let my friend shoot his bird first.

I suppose you could argue that I'm in favor of a limit reduction because it won't affect me personally...
 
I think we limit the spring season to 2 birds and eliminate fall season. Do this for a couple of years and reassess. Hens should be off limits permantly. Historically resource protection acts have been more reactive than proactive. With declines in birds we need to act now not in 5 years because sales went down. I know alot of guys who get to own and hunt only private land and many of them are seeing declines as well. We have to look at this problem as a whole and not from judging from our personal parcels or land. Not being greedy or selfish because we want to hunt. If the birds disappear then hunting is gone forever so why not pump the brakes and conserve a bit temporarily? Because if numbers in general decrease then inherently eventually that decrease will influence your private land as well.

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I haven't been in TN for a long time so I don't have the full breath of knowledge many of you do. But I do have a question.

I grew up in Virginia and still hunt there every year. They allow up to 3 Gobblers in the Spring and you can kill up to 2 hens in the Fall. (one tag is Spring only) It's been that way as long as I can remember. Turkey numbers seem to be steady and the hunting is still really good in my opinion.

In looking at turkey populations by state really quickly, TN and VA have about the same amount of birds. Why are so many opposed to a fall season on hens? It seems to me that it would be the same as eliminating does from deer season.
 
paboom":35aqvvng said:
I haven't been in TN for a long time so I don't have the full breath of knowledge many of you do. But I do have a question.

I grew up in Virginia and still hunt there every year. They allow up to 3 Gobblers in the Spring and you can kill up to 2 hens in the Fall. (one tag is Spring only) It's been that way as long as I can remember. Turkey numbers seem to be steady and the hunting is still really good in my opinion.

In looking at turkey populations by state really quickly, TN and VA have about the same amount of birds. Why are so many opposed to a fall season on hens? It seems to me that it would be the same as eliminating does from deer season.
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Because turkey numbers are in decline here. More hens equals more turkeys. Another issue is probably our growing population of varmints and coyotes. Especially in middle TN where the human population is exploding this forces the wildlife into smaller and smaller areas so that hurts the situation too.

I have no knowledge of VA birds, but in TN the turkey population dipped before and was restored, now it's showing signs it's dipping again so most of us want to take ALL efforts to preserve the presence of the species.

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Coldfusion":2tmlsvh0 said:
Because turkey numbers are in decline here. More hens equals more turkeys. Another issue is probably our growing population of varmints and coyotes. Especially in middle TN where the human population is exploding this forces the wildlife into smaller and smaller areas so that hurts the situation too.

I have no knowledge of VA birds, but in TN the turkey population dipped before and was restored, now it's showing signs it's dipping again so most of us want to take ALL efforts to preserve the presence of the species.

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I understand they are shrinking, but are they at dangerous levels? That's what I'm trying to understand. Is it that people don't like they they can't hear 10 birds gobbling every morning or that they can't find ANY birds?

If human population is exploding as you stated and habitat is shrinking, then do the numbers need to stay at the same level?

Again, I'm new here so I'm not trying to cause trouble. Just curious.
 
paboom":1et0e7ln said:
Coldfusion":1et0e7ln said:
Because turkey numbers are in decline here. More hens equals more turkeys. Another issue is probably our growing population of varmints and coyotes. Especially in middle TN where the human population is exploding this forces the wildlife into smaller and smaller areas so that hurts the situation too.

I have no knowledge of VA birds, but in TN the turkey population dipped before and was restored, now it's showing signs it's dipping again so most of us want to take ALL efforts to preserve the presence of the species.

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I understand they are shrinking, but are they at dangerous levels? That's what I'm trying to understand. Is it that people don't like they they can't hear 10 birds gobbling every morning or that they can't find ANY birds?

If human population is exploding as you stated and habitat is shrinking, then do the numbers need to stay at the same level?

Again, I'm new here so I'm not trying to cause trouble. Just curious.
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Excellent questions! I will only speak about what I have seen on my properties that I hunt. I have 11 farms that total a little over 1200 acres, most of which are within a 3 miles radius. I moved here in 2013 and was shocked at the number of birds I saw. They were everywhere! Up until this year that is. I get out nearly every day to at least listen to roost gobbling, and my sightings and hearing gobblers is down I'd say 90% from last year. I haven't heard a gobble since last Friday and since April 14 a gobble after flydown. Something happened overnight and it wasn't overkilling since I'm the only one who hunts these farms. There are plenty of areas that are doing just fine in Tennessee, but there are pockets like mine being reported at an increasing rate.
 
Just a side note, but I'm pretty sure that the regs will be set for 2yrs now instead of every (1) year. Fishing regs will be set the same, every 2yrs. Hunting regs set on even years while fishing regs set on odd years. Could be wrong but believe that is right. So, what isn't changed in the turkey regs this year......will be 2020 until new regs can be implemented???

https://www.tn.gov/twra/news/2018/4/20/ ... eview.html
 
TheLBLman":1u43bi8u said:
I can assure you SCN's attendance and comments did not fall on deaf ears.
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You misunderstood, I was talking about those wanting change on here had the deaf ears.

SCN told everyone a few weeks ago that the only real way to get anything accomplished is to SHOW UP at the meeting and make your voice heard . They didn't go!

BTW, Steve didn't mention if he addressed the commission.
 
I would love to show up at a meeting, especially for yesterday's. It's kind of difficult to do it when the meeting is 3 hours away and during the middle of the week.

I wish there was a better way to make a positive influence other than showing up. I send emails to Commissioners but often times I feel that is ineffective.
 
RobbyW":4riljr1o said:
Not trying to be in the "drama", but how many guys that are demanding changed tagged out this year?
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I'm wanting change but demanding is a little strong.

I've never shot more than two birds in a season. I killed bird #2 fairly early last year and hunted again. I called in bird #3 and couldn't make myself pull the trigger as it went against my views on what the limit should be. I didn't go again after that.

This year has been tough. I passed up a 2 yr old bird on an early hunt because I had seen his big brother a minute or so before. Of course, the big bird never reappeared. I've passed on two jakes, and an iffy shot on another longbeard. I haven't heard a single gobble on my last five days of hunting over the past couple of weeks. I hope to go tomorrow, and if there is no gobbling, I may call it a season. There are some green fields holding some birds where I could deer hunt one, but that does zero for me at this stage of the games for me.
 
I guess i'm a little different than most on here. Even if i wasn't going to shoot anymore, which i'm not this season, i would still be going with anyone i could find to go with. i would not quit by any means. Since April 11th i've been out 6 days and 13 of those days i worked. Some days with a video camera and when it was snowing or raining i was just tagging along since my camera isn't waterproof. And yes i tagged along all day in the snow just so i could be in the turkey woods, truth is i wanted to be there more than the hunter.


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Goodtimekiller":zr177wn1 said:
I guess i'm a little different than most on here. Even if i wasn't going to shoot anymore, which i'm not this season, i would still be going with anyone i could find to go with. i would not quit by any means. Since April 11th i've been out 6 days and 13 of those days i worked. Some days with a video camera and when it was snowing or raining i was just tagging along since my camera isn't waterproof. And yes i tagged along all day in the snow just so i could be in the turkey woods, truth is i wanted to be there more than the hunter.


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I really don't think what you described is much different than a lot of guys on here.
 
It just sounds like many are going fishing or just throwing in the towel. I can't even imagine. My friends are getting tired of me hounding them to go. Gobbling or not i just want the chance to hear or see one. Saw one guy post that he wasted a vacation day because he didn't hear any gobbles, poor guy, either he has a great job or just doesn't truly enjoy the turkey woods. I've never had a day in the woods i thought was a waste. By the way, anyone need a filmer tomorrow?


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Shanman":2eqwhumo said:
Just a side note, but I'm pretty sure that the regs will be set for 2yrs now instead of every (1) year. Fishing regs will be set the same, every 2yrs. Hunting regs set on even years while fishing regs set on odd years. Could be wrong but believe that is right. So, what isn't changed in the turkey regs this year......will be 2020 until new regs can be implemented???

https://www.tn.gov/twra/news/2018/4/20/ ... eview.html
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I foresee a change in 2020 but I'll be too little too late even if implemented today wouldn't change much..

My observations hunting what I think are some of the best property's in TN to average ground. Where there are great populations they are still great with no change, good populations are now average and poor populations are now gone...

I don't know much about armadillos raiding nest but it's hard to not break your leg every 10 feet from there holes... They have exploded and just showed up 10'years ago...

It's hugely disappointing there are not more hunters speaking at the commission meeting. I feel I always here about these after they are over..


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As of today 22,481 birds have been checked in. We may not reach the 30,000 mark this year but since 2001 we have killed 30,000 per year or more in the state of TN I do believe. So I would think the TWRA has some people that do know what they are doing. Our state has had it good for years so I think its unfair to say people do not care about the turkey population. TN has been one of the best around! I do believe if you looked at the weather on the weekends no matter what you say most people will not hunt in the rain and cold. I know we have had bad weather in the past but not like the every weekend trend we had going. I have killed 2 birds and promise you this if I was for a two bird limit and was not hearing the birds I normally do I would be done this season and practice what I preach. I am not an authority by no means so I will go with whatever decisions are made and wait on the final numbers for the year.
 

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