Yea. I knew it would happen and it did. I was hoping thought it would be a fad that didn't last long, but so far it's been about 9-10 seasons and getting worse since THP guys.
He is legit, but has went "all in" so to say on this theory. He's so deep at this point, he can't back out. Especially since state agencies are now changing seasons based on his theory. I know how academia works. He will try to twist any data and results they gather to try to fit his narrative. He can't be wrong at this point.
Plz explain what you guys are referring to, I haven't read the changes to any of the wma rules.
If the weather gets hot by mid May moving those 2 weeks from the front to the back will eliminate them for me. Not going after them when it's 85+ degrees. If others follow suit maybe that'll save a few more. I think maybe they didn't eliminate days but are counting on guys not hunting when it gets so hot.
I hate to sound like a setter, catmando, mega, whoever, but if youre not done in 2 weeks with a 2 bird limit something is bad wrong with your approach.
I don't think it was as much as 'counting on guys not hunting' as it was the decision to give toms a chance to breed hens before they are killed while not taking any hunting days away from the general public.
and God forbid they actually catch a few poachers a season!!
I have to disagree with you on that, sometimes it takes me a season to kill two birds. I have a job and family that demands a lot of my time. Some weeks I get to go 1 day, Also have to count the crappy weather we get sometimes in the spring. Not everyone has the same opportunity a self employed logger has to hunt. I should know I really enjoyed it when I did. I miss it!
How did you come to that conclusion? Very curious on where you got that information that it's a statewide decline? I can't even plant a food plot there are so many turkeys in my area now, I used to not even hunt around here for lack of turkey. My son and I killed 3 in places last year that you couldn't have forced me to hunt just 5 years ago. I believe some think that because turkeys have declined in their area or farm that means a statewide decline had to be and anyone who disagrees simply doesn't care about turkeys or turkey hunting. That is not the case at all it just simply means we disagree. That is fine, it's okay not to agree on every aspect of the new regulations or other things about turkey hunting. The limit of two doesn't bother me however the mid April start date I would have to question. We based that off what? Was it a glance of the great work it's done for Arkansas and LBL? I believe someone posted a UT study that showed around 80 percent of hens were initiating nest currently( figure could be wrong or off slightly just going off memory), that would seem pretty good to me or normal but maybe it's not. I have seen poults all over this year and been sent pictures from buddies in neighboring counties of numerous poults . I think poult survival runs in cycles according to predators , weather and other factors. I do not believe it has anything to do with our opening dates or hens not being bred as to loss of poults, just an opinion . Again I am just a hunter and no means a biologist or expert. Do I think the Mid April start date will hurt anything? Nope, Just my sanity waiting on the season to open! One other thing I will question is why no bonus bird on the quota WMA hunts? These are controlled hunts with limited people , these WMA are not open statewide? There is absolutely 0 reason especially with a two bird limit for those hunts not to be a bonus bird like they were for years. This doesn't make me against turkeys or turkey hunting I am simply expressing my thoughts and I do not buy everything Chamberlain has put out. In the end I hope he is right because states have fallen in line to change everything they have done for years based on his theory. I hope two , three years from now we all have turkeys running all over the place and they are thriving from one end of the state to the other! If the Lord allows I will be up and after them come mid April as there is absolutely nothing like turkey hunting!
Great point.
