Alabama leading the way

[Setterman]

Just saw Alabama took the first step towards eliminating decoys by making them illegal next year for the first 10 days. It's not where it needs to be, but is at least a start to remove the biggest crutch from hunters that's ever been legal.

Hopefully, this trend takes off and in the future they will be outlawed universally

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Good move.

 

[ImThere]

I'm sure they will sell a special decoy license like they did for baiting deer!!

 

[deerfever]

I had seen they had proposed it but I didn't know if it passed. I didn't read one comment that was negative towards them making decoys and fans illegal for the first 10 days. If you think about it that means the first two weekends ( when most hunt) Alabama no longer has to worry about the dominant breeding toms getting killed by the old fan or gobbler decoy trick, they are now protected from that method. This is something that might could pass here in TN as somewhat of a compromise solution ,For those of us who would like to do away with them and the ones who want to use them. Most seem to think that you could not get rid of them altogether so this is a good solution on their part for now. Glad they did it , maybe it starts a trend.

 

[megalomaniac]

Also reduced limit by 1 and pushed season opener back a week.

Lots of southern states are looking at ways to save the wild turkey.

Gonna be hell on MS birds though. Earliest season opening in the US except for Hawaii and South zone Florida.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Good. I wonder if it's the first step in a plan to wean of plastic turkeys completely?

 

[th88]

Fantastic news! Hopefully other states will follow and maybe, just maybe, it will begin the purge of these new breed turkey hunters who can't kill without decoys/fans and are only in it for the social media likes.

 

[woodsman04]

I saw that.
Also got an email note since I'm also a Alabama license holder. It was clarification of an already existing rule, about fanning being illegal in the first place.
I hope they outlaw them nation wide.

Alabama was anti decoy for a long time. I don't remember the exact year that they legalized them, but I was disappointed when they did. I assume They were one of the last states to legalize decoys.

 

[Setterman]

I saw that.
Also got an email note since I'm also a Alabama license holder. It was clarification of an already existing rule, about fanning being illegal in the first place.
I hope they outlaw them nation wide.

Alabama was anti decoy for a long time. I don't remember the exact year that they legalized them, but I was disappointed when they did. I assume They were one of the last states to legalize decoys.

I think they were legalized around 2006.

 

[timberjack86]

Hope this is sign of things to come. Hopefully Tn will take note and start to wean off plastic turkeys.

 

[TheLBLman]

Also reduced limit by 1 and pushed season opener back a week.

IMO, that will do more to help than anything regarding the decoys.
Sure wish TN would push our statewide season back a week!

 

[woodsman04]

I think they were legalized around 2006.

Something like that, maybe a little earlier.

what's funny is that when they were first legal there I thought it was no big deal. Tennessee already had them legal since who knows when.
What is the most aggravating thing about them is that the people that use them exclusively just to shoot a turkey just because.

I guess it ain't necessarily the decoys that bother me. It's the hunters attitude. And the complete ignorance that it is a way to cheat a bird and lessen his uniqueness to being wary coming against the grain to look for a calling hen.

Also, I'd be on bored with just outlawing any decoy that's a strutter, gobbler, fan, or jake. Hen decoys only, just to give in a little bit to the decoy folks.

 

[Setterman]

Something like that, maybe a little earlier.

what's funny is that when they were first legal there I thought it was no big deal. Tennessee already had them legal since who knows when.
What is the most aggravating thing about them is that the people that use them exclusively just to shoot a turkey just because.

I guess it ain't necessarily the decoys that bother me. It's the hunters attitude. And the complete ignorance that it is a way to cheat a bird and lessen his uniqueness to being wary coming against the grain to look for a calling hen.

Also, I'd be on bored with just outlawing any decoy that's a strutter, gobbler, fan, or jake. Hen decoys only, just to give in a little bit to the decoy folks.

I'm okay with only hen decoys. You're right the decoys are just a symptom of the underlying disease of laziness, inability to hunt, no desire to learn, and just caring about killing.

 

[Hymie3]

I personally do not like or use turkey decoys and detest reaping or any use of a fan.. Sounds like a good step in the right direction. However, I do duck hunt and have always used decoys. Does that seem hypocritical? just thinking out loud....

 

[woodsman04]

I personally do not like or use turkey decoys and detest reaping or any use of a fan.. Sounds like a good step in the right direction. However, I do duck hunt and have always used decoys. Does that seem hypocritical? just thinking out loud....

I don't duck hunt. But isn't the sport of duck hunting calling in ducks and getting them to work correctly and attempt to land in your decoy spread?

I would think that the no fun and un sporting way to duck hunt would be to "sky bust" and just shoot fly by's like on a dove shoot. Of course if your goal is just to kill every duck you can go do so. Same with turkeys. If you want to just kill at all close set up a gobbler decoy in a cow pasture where you see a gobbler and a few hens regularly.

 

[casjoker]

I am not much of a turkey hunter but I have hunted off and on for 15 years or so. The few seasons I put in the effort I have been successful but have never shot more than one bird per season. Of the 6 birds, taken all were using decoys. I have 3, two hens, one jake Walmart cheapos. I would say they work about 25% of the time.

Are they talking about banning the $20 junk as well as the crazy $200+ life-like stuff?

Sounds like the newer expensive decoys make turkey hunting almost idiot proof?

 

[Setterman]

I personally do not like or use turkey decoys and detest reaping or any use of a fan.. Sounds like a good step in the right direction. However, I do duck hunt and have always used decoys. Does that seem hypocritical? just thinking out loud....

The entire premise of duck hunting is to call the birds into your decoy spread. Not comparable iMO

 

[Setterman]

I am not much of a turkey hunter but I have hunted off and on for 15 years or so. The few seasons I put in the effort I have been successful but have never shot more than one bird per season. Of the 6 birds, taken all were using decoys. I have 3, two hens, one jake Walmart cheapos. I would say they work about 25% of the time.

Are they talking about banning the $20 junk as well as the crazy $200+ life-like stuff?

Sounds like the newer expensive decoys make turkey hunting almost idiot proof?

They are talking about all of them, but to your point the strutters, HD jakes, etc are what have turned the tide big time. the Old school cheap foam things look pretty rough where the new high end decoys look alive

however, I could live with hen decoys being legal, but outlaw all male decoys period

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I really wish Alabama's reported turkey kill numbers for the last few years were more reliable so everyone could see how many turkeys are actually killed because of decoys.

 

[Spurhunter]

I really wish Alabama's reported turkey kill numbers for the last few years were more reliable so everyone could see how many turkeys are actually killed because of decoys.

Same for MS.