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Your Thoughts On Season Start Date!

prstide said:
Keep everything where it is and there should be no compromise from the standpoint of changes in the near future unless it's moving the end date back to where it was historically(mid-May). Compromise and changes from hunters whining is exactly what got us into the situation we're in to begin with.
Those of you who love Mississippi, the season structure, and their turkey coordinator should go hunt Mississippi. "Chamberlain's dominant gobbler talk is just a theory"— the same could be said about Einstein's theories and a plethora of others. Until it's disproven there is no grounds to disregard.
If you care about conserving the resource then you should be understanding to any changes made that might limit opportunity in the short term for the sustained opportunity in the future. If you are more concerned about "tagging out" or posting your hash-tagged kill pics on social media, you're part of the problem.
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This! We need to let this play out. What we were doing wasn't working. Sadly, people are so greedy that they will discount sound research, make any excuse they can come up with, and happily destroy the resource just to kill their 4 turkeys, hunt the days they prefer, and # tag out.

As far as Chamberlain goes, If I have the option to believe a man that has dedicated his life to wild turkey research and has no agenda except helping the wild turkey thrive, or a TNDeer know-it-all that has an agenda of killing as many turkeys as possible, the resource be damned, I'll take my chances with Chamberlain.

Speaking of Mississippi, I hunt in MS, and overall their turkeys are in more trouble than ours. While everybody else is pushing their opening days back more and more people are flocking to MS. If I had to bet I would say they will have to make changes soon and it will already be way late.
 
Spurhunter said:
Speaking of Mississippi, I hunt in MS, and overall their turkeys are in more trouble than ours. While everybody else is pushing their opening days back more and more people are flocking to MS. If I had to bet I would say they will have to make changes soon and it will already be way late.
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Particularly agree with you about this!

When our TN season's opening was delayed 2 weeks last year (2023), even though our total harvest (at least total legally reported) increased, two differences:

1) More of those birds killed were via more average TN turkey hunters;
2) Fewer of those birds killed were via over decoys & illegal bait.

Because there wasn't as large an early-season non-resident slaughter of TN turkeys (more of those non-residents went to Mississippi in 2023), TN residents simply had more birds available. And because spring green-up was farther along 2 weeks later, decoys & illegal bait were simply less effective, providing more available living birds for the legal and/or traditional turkey hunters.
 
I'll do like last year and will fish a couple weeks longer. When I can I'll go listen to where some are roosting then listen to where they're going after fly down. It's not that big of a deal. I'll just be better prepared when I'm able to carry a gun. I have a neighbor boy who should be ready to hunt this year. It'll definitely make the juvenile hunt better being later. I was against it at first but, I'm ok and even embracing it now.
However!! lol, the last couple weeks of the season is a bit ridiculous.
 
deerhunter10 said:
A major something. We had a farm in giles County that went to a good place to turkeys to absolutely no turkeys anywhere around within miles within just a couple years. Our place on Hickman maury line is in the middle of the samething happening. Went from one of a heck of a place to turkey hunt to not turkey hunting it at all for 3 year this year the 4th to try to save the few turkeys we have on it.
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Yep I had a smaller lease around the maury/giles line. Went from 4 gobblers, to 2 to zero last year... Barely even heard any birds around. Neighbor said it was the best place to turkey hunt around back in the day...
 
scn said:
As it usually is, it is easy in this thread to see the folks that care about the state's turkey flock versus the whiners that primarily care about killing turkeys.
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I don't see it at "whining" when their is no concrete evidence that hunting is the cause.. Its more about lost opportunity but is it right?
No conclusive evidence yet. They could eliminate the quail hunting season tomorrow it wouldn't make a lick of difference...
 
Bgoodman30 said:
I don't see it at "whining" when their is no concrete evidence that hunting is the cause.. Its more about lost opportunity but is it right?
No conclusive evidence yet. They could eliminate the quail hunting season tomorrow it wouldn't make a lick of difference...
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What concrete evidence is there that hunting isn't the cause?

Just more whining. I'll put the turkeys over my "hunter opportunity". We saw what "hunter opportunity" got us in the duck blind debacle.
 
scn said:
What concrete evidence is there that hunting isn't the cause?

Just more whining. I'll put the turkeys over my "hunter opportunity". We saw what "hunter opportunity" got us in the duck blind debacle.
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There is no concrete evidence for either. Really more evidence that hunting is NOT the cause of decline. I'll bring up southern middle again hunting is not the cause for the rapid decline. That's pretty conclusive but everywhere else it is? I am not totally against the late start I believe it will have some benefit but some is not nearly enough….

The duck deal is apples to oranges. Still duck season and limits are the same no change. They will be the same next year as well even with the obvious decline in population. IMO would do more good to change duck season or limits because of the slaughter of hens.
 
Here is what I am getting from this thread if you are against the delayed opener you are a" grip/ grinner/ whiner". Even though there is a study and evidence that it makes no difference whatsoever in reproductive success here in TN for our turkeys done by Dr. Harper involving numerous hens ? You must believe Chamberlains theory that has zero evidence to support it or you are a grip/grin/ whiner and you are simply in it for the kills, even though everyone in TN can only kill 2 birds? If you kill more than two you are not a grip/ grinner /whiner you would actually be a poacher. If you talk to a turkey director from another state asking a question as a non resident and say he was a great guy, you must now hunt in that state. We should set our season around Non residents ( numerous options have been given to curb non residents)and corn baiting poachers as this will stop them from poaching. Even though we had a great hatch in 21 , record breaking hatch in 22 , only the hatch in 23 counts as it was the only one during a delay , it couldn't possibly have been that the dry weather was the common denominator in all three of these years. Also you can get out in the woods and listen the first two weeks of April if they keep the delayed opener, so I would assume if they move it back a week in 2025 the guys that are passionate about the theory will sit out the opener just listening so the hens can get bred and start in mid April ( just an assumption, so as not to be a grip/grinner). What we all need to realize is having a different opinion is okay, it doesn't make you against turkeys if you want to move the season back one week towards our normal opener. Simply means with absolutely zero evidence that it helps the turkeys at all, some people would rather hunt another week in April as opposed to another in May. Seems like a legitimate compromise for all involved to me. Again you could always open private a week earlier and public mid April solves it for everyone the guys that want the mid April opener have it on public thus curbing non residents, the guys that have private simply sit out and let hens get bred if they choose to do so or you go hunt the opener on private land and enjoy another week of April hunting!
 
deerfever said:
there is a study and evidence that it makes no difference whatsoever in reproductive success here in TN for our turkeys done by Dr. Harper involving numerous hens ?
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You can't really believe that opening season 2 weeks later has zero effect on reproductive success. 2 weeks of turkeys to breed unmolested by hunters. 2 weeks of thousands more gobblers in the woods to breed hens. It simply defies logic to say those things have no effect. I get everyone wants to hunt those 2 weeks but a little common sense goes a long way.
 
deerfever said:
Here is what I am getting from this thread if you are against the delayed opener you are a" grip/ grinner/ whiner". Even though there is a study and evidence that it makes no difference whatsoever in reproductive success here in TN for our turkeys done by Dr. Harper involving numerous hens ? You must believe Chamberlains theory that has zero evidence to support it or you are a grip/grin/ whiner and you are simply in it for the kills, even though everyone in TN can only kill 2 birds? If you kill more than two you are not a grip/ grinner /whiner you would actually be a poacher. If you talk to a turkey director from another state asking a question as a non resident and say he was a great guy, you must now hunt in that state. We should set our season around Non residents ( numerous options have been given to curb non residents)and corn baiting poachers as this will stop them from poaching. Even though we had a great hatch in 21 , record breaking hatch in 22 , only the hatch in 23 counts as it was the only one during a delay , it couldn't possibly have been that the dry weather was the common denominator in all three of these years. Also you can get out in the woods and listen the first two weeks of April if they keep the delayed opener, so I would assume if they move it back a week in 2025 the guys that are passionate about the theory will sit out the opener just listening so the hens can get bred and start in mid April ( just an assumption, so as not to be a grip/grinner). What we all need to realize is having a different opinion is okay, it doesn't make you against turkeys if you want to move the season back one week towards our normal opener. Simply means with absolutely zero evidence that it helps the turkeys at all, some people would rather hunt another week in April as opposed to another in May. Seems like a legitimate compromise for all involved to me. Again you could always open private a week earlier and public mid April solves it for everyone the guys that want the mid April opener have it on public thus curbing non residents, the guys that have private simply sit out and let hens get bred if they choose to do so or you go hunt the opener on private land and enjoy another week of April hunting!
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One study, that really wasn't anywhere near long enough and eventually ran out of funding, is not enough to base the proper management of the wild turkey in our state. It's perfectly fine to have a differing opinion but everything you're offering is nothing. I read all the butthurt threads last year too of how the delay ruined people's seasons blah blah blah—how bad would your season be ruined if there wasn't a huntable population in our state and you were forced to go to another state to even have the opportunity? This needs to be the way we form our opinions and understand it will take patience in the short term to continue doing what we all love to do every spring for the long term.

There should be absolutely no compromise because of:
A) butthurt people
B) there were good hatches the past couple of years and you're seeing more turkeys
 
Spurhunter said:
You can't really believe that opening season 2 weeks later has zero effect on reproductive success. 2 weeks of turkeys to breed unmolested by hunters. 2 weeks of thousands more gobblers in the woods to breed hens. It simply defies logic to say those things have no effect. I get everyone wants to hunt those 2 weeks but a little common sense goes a long way.
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I am.not.the one who said it a study involving hundreds of hens in delayed and non delayed areas of TN said it. Here it is for you to read. Surely you can't believe that the dates TN had for all those years and even in the Turkey explosion didn't allow hens to be bred? Again just a matter of opinion, here is my evidence. Along with the great hatches TN has had over the last 42 years I have turkey hunted. Hatches go up and down based of weather predators and habitat. Again it's okay for me to say I would like the season moved back 1 week as a compromise. What about all the people stomping around in May blowing hems off the nest? I absolutely respect your opinion and others on this site, this is as a matter of fact the only social media I even do. If they leave it mid April, I will not complain just simply hunt when allowed.
 

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deerfever said:
Again it's okay for me to say I would like the season moved back 1 week as a compromise. What about all the people stomping around in May blowing hems off the nest?
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Maybe they will move it back a week in a year or two if we see the numbers have rebounded or determined it did no good. I don't know. I agree on late May. I would rather see the old Mid May closing date. I've hunted Missouri 3 different years and the hunting was incredible. I feel like their 3 week season and 2 bird limit contribute to excellent hunting. I'm all about quality over quantity.
 
Spurhunter said:
Maybe they will move it back a week in a year or two if we see the numbers have rebounded or determined it did no good. I don't know. I agree on late May. I would rather see the old Mid May closing date. I've hunted Missouri 3 different years and the hunting was incredible. I feel like their 3 week season and 2 bird limit contribute to excellent hunting. I'm all about quality over quantity.
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Yes Sir! I wish they had just ended it with the old dates. Even if they move it back a week in 2025 just end it under the old date. Again if they don't move it back a week , no problem. I am an old diehard and will hunt them no matter what . If someone post up something or over time evidence shows the delay is what best for our turkeys, I wil admit I was wrong and be on board. No problem at all.
 
prstide said:
One study, that really wasn't anywhere near long enough and eventually ran out of funding, is not enough to base the proper management of the wild turkey in our state. It's perfectly fine to have a differing opinion but everything you're offering is nothing. I read all the butthurt threads last year too of how the delay ruined people's seasons blah blah blah—how bad would your season be ruined if there wasn't a huntable population in our state and you were forced to go to another state to even have the opportunity? This needs to be the way we form our opinions and understand it will take patience in the short term to continue doing what we all love to do every spring for the long term.

There should be absolutely no compromise because of:
A) butthurt people
B) there were good hatches the past couple of years and you're seeing more turkeys
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C. Good hatch before any delays began
D. Adult gobblers hunted this season hatched before the delay
 

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