Limit of 2 worked really well before they moved it up. There is no reason it won't wotk again. I also think the season used to open on the last Saturday in March. I could be wrong on that but that sticks in my mind and hunting was unreal then. I would hear double digit gobblers a morning.
Regulation hypo (poll)
- Thread starter Southern Sportsman
- Start date
I hunt some days during the first 14 days, but unless there are several gobblers sounding off (not typical), and there is a satellite gobbler willing to work, my hands are usually tied, especially with the lack of foliage. The dominant birds usually (not always) have a harem of hens with him, and unless my setup is perfect off the limb, or my calling is good enough to pull them to me (better odds of winning the lottery), it is usually an exercise in futility, with him going silent while he struts, looks at and breeds the 10-15 hens around him. Furthermore, if I do luck into some satellite gobblers, I spread my kills out over several counties. Hunters have to be okay with letting the dominant male bird live to see another day, especially if he is courting a harem of hens. Hunters also have to be okay with leaving some seed (male turkeys) for next year, as well as growing the hen population if we want the resource to remain stable and sustainable throughout the future for us, our kids and grand kids.deerfever":knsurcy9 said:
County your blessings, you are very fortunate IMO.deerfever":knsurcy9 said:
Exactly, the state is too diverse to paint with a single broad brush.deerfever":knsurcy9 said:
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Most of us avid turkey hunter/managers try to "spread" our kills over a wide area, so as not to do too much harm in a small area.Andy S.":177gjyk9 said:
Unfortunately, I'm thinking there are simply so many accomplished hunters doing the same, that even this may be more a "feel good" exercise in futility.
Avid, accomplished turkey hunters are going to kill or approach the limit each year.
It doesn't matter if you outlaw decoys or anything else.
Doesn't matter if you cut the season days in half.
Regarding the hunters (as a group) who are consistently killing the most turkeys annually,
the one thing that significantly reduces their kill is a lower bag limit.
Make the bag limit 2 annually,
and most accomplished turkey hunters will kill 1 or 2 annually,
instead of 3 or 4 annually.
Maybe I should say "avid" accomplished turkey hunters,
as I do know there are many accomplished turkey hunters like Andy
who may only hunt a couple weekends and only kill 1 or 2 birds annually regardless.
Still, this group of hunters annual kill is little effected by anything other than a reduced bag limit.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
May be more coincidental, than cause & effect,muddyboots":1dp6r65x said:
but I sure experienced higher quality turkey hunting myself when we had a 2-bird limit.
There were relatively more gobblers, and more gobblers being vocal on an average day afield.
Some will draw parallels between our once having an 11-buck annual deer limit
and how much the quality of deer hunting has improved under a 2-buck annual deer limit.
Limits do matter.
Levee Jumper
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2015
- Messages
- 818
I wouldn't care if it were all three personally. Selfishly Option 1 or 2 would probably would be best for me, although I gag at the sight of a "Good Turkey Hunter :rotf:" in a double bull blind, a flock of turkey decoys and a "70 yard Turkey Gun". I would hate to only have three weeks to kill turkeys but being that I hunt 99% public land, I believe it would reduce the amount of out of state hunters which has gotten completely out of control with all of the "Look at Me" social media crap that everyone is in to now. That being said, I believe lowering the limit to 2 would be fine but think it would have a limited impact of the amount of non-staters or the kill numbers in the first two weeks of season (again being selfish). I'd rather kill two mature turkeys in my lap inside 25-30 yds than 10 heavily pressured, scared to gobble turkeys that I had to wait in a blind on or god forbid crawl behind a decoy on.
Levee Jumper
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- Joined
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Setterman
Well-Known Member
This is so awesome
For sure, on May 12th. :tu:TDW05":31hplq59 said:So can I have everyone else's 2 remaining tags!oke: :rotf: :stir:
Lower to 2 birds. Shortening the season gives us less opportunity to BE in the woods - that's why a lot of us are into hunting. Limiting effectiveness of decoys/shot may cause more wounding. My only concern is around newer hunters and "1st kill" of the season. My daughter will hunt turkeys for the first time this year. I don't care (nor does she) what her 1st one is (Jake or Tom) but could see limiting anything after the 1st one taken...
Me personally I would like to see a later starting date but not necessarily shorten the season. I believe it would give the birds time to breed without pressure and also give time for green up in the woods before hunting starts. I would like to see the use of decoys banned or at least in my eyes the dangerous practice of "reaping" "fanning". I don't have a problem with the ammunition that is used honestly cause I believe that's just a small part of the problem if it's even part of the problem. I would also be for a 2 limit on turkey for at least for a few years to help bump the population also. These are just my opinions and I have been guilty of using decoys and being the first out in the woods or fields with the mindset of the sooner the season started the better and I've always wanted to limit out but all the years I've changed MY ways of hunting and I know we'll never get to a point of US all agreeing but I have also seen the decline in turkey population in some areas and sometimes we've got to "give" on some of our wants and selfish reasons to insure our sport has a fighting chance of surviving in the long run
I'm all for juveniles (16 and younger) being allowed to kill jakes, just like MS does it.'borohunter":1bsb2d90 said:
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know when strutter decoys came out? I know some people have used fans to attract turkeys since the indians, but I think the Knight & Hale "pretty boy" followed closely by Primos' "B-Mobile" really started the trend in earnest. Seems like it was around 2005ish. I would love to know when that started versus when the season limits were increased from 2 to 3 and then 3 to 4.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Southern Sportsman":1c5wfn8u said:
2006 is when they all,hit the market
Setter knows, he bought one of the first ones. :stir: :tu:Setterman":1h37j9nn said:
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Andy S.":tax1w005 said:
I actually bought two, if you're going to challenge a bird really challenge them is my opinion :rotf:
woodsman04
Well-Known Member
Probably mid to late 2000s is when strutters took off. Avian x and the like brand decoys are when it really got infested.
I think the decline in Lawrence and Giles county happened in 2007-2008.
Will never believe until scientifically proven that four bird limit was the main factor. South Alabama has had a five bird limit for eons and also little law enforcement on the limit. South Alabama in my opinion is the king of turkey hunting. They too act like they are seeing a decline. It all goes back to the years that the decoy fad was employed.
I do believe that the early killing of gobblers with as many folks there are hunting using the easy way and killing gobblers does have an impact.
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I think the decline in Lawrence and Giles county happened in 2007-2008.
Will never believe until scientifically proven that four bird limit was the main factor. South Alabama has had a five bird limit for eons and also little law enforcement on the limit. South Alabama in my opinion is the king of turkey hunting. They too act like they are seeing a decline. It all goes back to the years that the decoy fad was employed.
I do believe that the early killing of gobblers with as many folks there are hunting using the easy way and killing gobblers does have an impact.
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The limit change went hand in hand with the decline here where I hunt. Hunting was great. The limit went to 3. The year after that hunting was down. Then it went to 4 abd it has declined to where it's at since. Heck of a coincedence in my eyes.
TN Larry
Well-Known Member
I voted for number 2 even though my son and I both killed limits last year. We were very fortunate to have been in birds in many different places last year with the kills being spread out over 5 totally different areas without much hunting pressure. Part of this success last year could be to us only taking two birds in 2017 due to me having back surgery. I do see the decline overall in surrounding areas.
Number 3 would not affect me at all either. I currently shoot HTL but never killed a bird with a decoy. I would just like to see something change especially to keep some of the out of state pressure off of public land. I was disappointed that the limit wasn't at least reduced to 3 for this season. I talked to a game warden buddy last year, and he said that they voted last year in terms of the wardens to reduce the limit. That never made it on up the chain even though they are the boots on the ground. I'm just disappointed on there being no proactive plan even though there is definitely a decline overall. I don't care that doing something could effect the ongoing study in southern TN. That isn't because I don't live there but because everything points to a declining population. I'm a numbers guy coming from an engineering background and make very calculated decisions, but we can't wait forever. It's 2021 before we can see a change now as everything voted last year was set for two years.
I really like the thought process of possibly many hens not being bred due to the virtual unkillable early season gobbler with hens now being killed the first day with a fan. I can't blame people for it but not my cup of tea. Actually, I can as I think it's very unsafe but to each their own The reduced limit would still at least help there as well.
I did see a lot of poults last year than the last few along with more turkeys in deer season so optimistic going forward but not naive enough to think that the decline won't affect me so I'll support anything to help conserve the resource if needed.
JMO and you can take it and a buck ten to buy a sweet tea at McDonald's.
Number 3 would not affect me at all either. I currently shoot HTL but never killed a bird with a decoy. I would just like to see something change especially to keep some of the out of state pressure off of public land. I was disappointed that the limit wasn't at least reduced to 3 for this season. I talked to a game warden buddy last year, and he said that they voted last year in terms of the wardens to reduce the limit. That never made it on up the chain even though they are the boots on the ground. I'm just disappointed on there being no proactive plan even though there is definitely a decline overall. I don't care that doing something could effect the ongoing study in southern TN. That isn't because I don't live there but because everything points to a declining population. I'm a numbers guy coming from an engineering background and make very calculated decisions, but we can't wait forever. It's 2021 before we can see a change now as everything voted last year was set for two years.
I really like the thought process of possibly many hens not being bred due to the virtual unkillable early season gobbler with hens now being killed the first day with a fan. I can't blame people for it but not my cup of tea. Actually, I can as I think it's very unsafe but to each their own The reduced limit would still at least help there as well.
I did see a lot of poults last year than the last few along with more turkeys in deer season so optimistic going forward but not naive enough to think that the decline won't affect me so I'll support anything to help conserve the resource if needed.
JMO and you can take it and a buck ten to buy a sweet tea at McDonald's.
