Alabama leading the way

[Andy S.]

If yall yall want to protect turkeys stop hunting them for a few years .

Individual hunters, or the State as a whole? Trying to see if you really think saving 50-100 turkeys over two years will make a substantial positive impact to the resource over the long haul. We are proposing "long term" solutions, not short sighted ones that will be a drop in the bucket.

 

[square]

Decoys sometimes help. Sometimes they hinder killing a turkey. Maybe the season should be opened later to protect breeding. Reducing limits would definitely help the flock. What about those really good hunters with lots of time to hunt and kill limits in multiple states. Should that be limited? How do we deal with predators destroying nests? How about loss of habitat? Lots of factors to consider. Decoys aren't only villain. I'm an average (maybe) hunter that agrees a bird that can't be called within 45 yds deserves to live. I have limited time to hunt and need every advantage I can get.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

While I couldn't care less whether or not decoys are made illegal, I do think I offer some unique perspective on this topic because 99% of my hunting is done in pursuit of field turkeys...not by choice, but because that's what I have permission to hunt. Maybe in years past I was just doing it wrong, but I hunted using a strutter decoy off and on for parts of 2 seasons, and I never killed one single turkey using that heavy, bulky, pos. These days I'll still bust out my fold up rubber hen and jake from time to time if I have a bird roosted, but I've seen them not work countless more times than I've seen them work.

Are some dominant birds killed early season using those tactics? Absolutely. However, I'd argue that fanning/reaping is 10x more effective than just setting up in a field with a strutter decoy in hopes that a dominant bird will charge it. Now, with both of those things being said, I personally don't think outlawing decoys will do near as much to curb the early harvest as most on here think. JMO, but I think a lot of people claiming that haven't actually hunted field birds behind decoys very much and are basing their effectiveness solely off of the sad excuse for turkey hunting that is portrayed on tv these days.

I know for certain that we haven't over harvested turkeys on any of the farms I hunt, and I also know that neighbors haven't either. Along with that, I know that a lot of times we never manage to kill our most dominant birds. However, we are still seeing the same decline in numbers that most everyone else is seeing.

I'm just like everyone else in that I want our turkey numbers back to what they were in the past, and I'm 100% fine with outlawing decoys, but I hope we don't put all our eggs in that basket as I just don't see it making the difference many others on here do. JMO, but I'd much rather the state create some kind of incentive to get more people back out trapping nest raiders as I think that would be the single most impactful thing that could be done to help the turkeys out.

 

[megalomaniac]

Georgia is proposing reducing limit from 3 to 2, only 1 per day. Limit of 1 on WMAs. Push season back a week on private, and push season back 2 weeks on public.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Georgia is proposing reducing limit from 3 to 2, only 1 per day. Limit of 1 on WMAs. Push season back a week on private, and push season back 2 weeks on public.

If implemented, that would be another good example of a state leading the way. Reducing the limit by 1 and moving the season back 1-2 weeks depending on where you're hunting. I personally would be ok with that. I'd still like to see a statewide season opening the 2nd Saturday in April.

 

[hbg1]

While I couldn't care less whether or not decoys are made illegal, I do think I offer some unique perspective on this topic because 99% of my hunting is done in pursuit of field turkeys...not by choice, but because that's what I have permission to hunt. Maybe in years past I was just doing it wrong, but I hunted using a strutter decoy off and on for parts of 2 seasons, and I never killed one single turkey using that heavy, bulky, pos. These days I'll still bust out my fold up rubber hen and jake from time to time if I have a bird roosted, but I've seen them not work countless more times than I've seen them work.

Are some dominant birds killed early season using those tactics? Absolutely. However, I'd argue that fanning/reaping is 10x more effective than just setting up in a field with a strutter decoy in hopes that a dominant bird will charge it. Now, with both of those things being said, I personally don't think outlawing decoys will do near as much to curb the early harvest as most on here think. JMO, but I think a lot of people claiming that haven't actually hunted field birds behind decoys very much and are basing their effectiveness solely off of the sad excuse for turkey hunting that is portrayed on tv these days.

I know for certain that we haven't over harvested turkeys on any of the farms I hunt, and I also know that neighbors haven't either. Along with that, I know that a lot of times we never manage to kill our most dominant birds. However, we are still seeing the same decline in numbers that most everyone else is seeing.

I'm just like everyone else in that I want our turkey numbers back to what they were in the past, and I'm 100% fine with outlawing decoys, but I hope we don't put all our eggs in that basket as I just don't see it making the difference many others on here do. JMO, but I'd much rather the state create some kind of incentive to get more people back out trapping nest raiders as I think that would be the single most impactful thing that could be done to help the turkeys out.

Excellent excellent post

 

[TN hunter]

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.

Absolutely the truth!!

 

[Hduke86]

I don't use decoys but I can't say I never did but I can tell you exactly when I stopped. I was set up on a field edge opening weekend one year and had stayed up late the night before so when the sun came out and I was comfortable I had fallen asleep only to wake up what I assume was an hour later to a big Tom all puffed up and attacking my decoy. I didn't call or scratch the leaves or anything. It apparently had seen it from across the field and decided to challenge this "stranger" and even though he was 25 yards away I couldn't pull the trigger. It felt cheap and pointless to shoot something that I hadn't even worked for so I let him whoop that ol plastic bird until he had enough and I scared him off and went back to the truck and told myself that day that I was done using them cause there was no "hunt" in it.

 

[Boll Weevil]

No argument from me that field turkeys can indeed be notoriously difficult to call to the gun, but in my mind that's just all part of it. No fewer than 50% of my dead birds and probably more like 65% were field turkeys.

Most times he wins the day...every once in awhile I do.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Most times he wins the day...every once in awhile I do.

As it should be.

 

[knightrider]

thats a bunch of time i will never get back keep em coming

 

[PalsPal]

No fewer than 50% of my dead birds and probably more like 65% were field turkeys.

Of those, what percentage is actually calling vs ambush when they come by, and is crawling, etc., to get in range OK?

 

[Boll Weevil]

99%, although I certainly recall once or twice as a kid I bushwacked a bird. If I don't call him to the gun, I don't kill him. There's plenty of times I've had to get in a creek, canal, duckwalk, crawl, use a hedgerow, or a little finger of woods etc. to either get into position or reposition.

 

[Grnwing]

It seems like we like to lock onto one thing that if we could change it, it would make all the difference in the population and hunting experience and we fail to fully grasp the underlying issues. So much goes into a good turkey population, starting with the habitat that the bird lives in. Providing better habitat and fewer predators would do much more for a turkey population than limiting a hunting tactic. Everyone wants the results of good management, but no one wants to roll up their sleeves and do the work. It starts with protecting the hens and the nest, without those you will not have any birds to hunt. We all have different preferences on how we want to kill a bird but we all share the desire to hear that first gobble of the morning.

 

[timberjack86]

Would you be opposed to planting a food plot, setting up a tree stand and waiting on a mature buck to show?

I am, what's the difference in pouring out a bag of corn? Your concentrating the deer to feed in one spot under your stand.

 

[rtaylor]

I am really new to turkey hunting and have only killed 2 so my opinion is basically worthless. I do know that I have chased turkeys with my oldest daughter for the last couple of years. We runned and gunned and called and tried stalking. We were unsuccessful but had a blast. Last year we struck up a couple of gobblers from a long ways away. We popped up a blind and set out our a jake and hen decoy. We called them right into the decoys and my daughter had her first turkey with the ole .410. It was an awesome experience. Would she have killed it with without the decoys? Not sure but I know that will be a memory for a lifetime. I am all for doing everything possible to protect the number of turkeys but I am also not quick to make a judgement call on what is the most ethical way to kill turkeys.

 

[HTROutdoors]

Why just not reduce the number of Tom's being killed? What's the big deal about using a decoy anyway. If it is about increase in population, reducing the bag limit is the best solution.

 

[Andy S.]

Why just not reduce the number of Tom's being killed? What's the big deal about using a decoy anyway. If it is about increase in population, reducing the bag limit is the best solution.

TWRA and TFWC (decision makers) FINALLY did that last year, after 3-5 years of being bombarded with emails from hunters and some face to face testimony at Commission meetings. Statewide bag limit is pretty much 3 across the State now, with the exception of a bag limit of 2 in a handful of counties. We are S-L-O-W-L-Y moving in the right direction, but it takes time, A LOT of time, to see the fruits of this sacrifice and labor across all 95 counties.

 

[muddyboots]

I'm all for dropping the limit. I'm totally against opening the season later. The season used to open on the last Saturday in March and limit was 2. Hunting was outstanding for years and it got better every year. It's not rocket science. All just my opinion but if season is opened later I'll prolly be finished with Tn. I have no desire to hunt turkeys like deer.

 

[woodsman04]

People argue about limits. It ain't much to do with the limit. Most folks probably only kill one or two anyways.
Outlaw the decoys and thousands of birds would be saved each spring.

This may be a terrible and inappropriate analogy. Low limits with the use of decoys is like a socialist government.....,
"Let's make it fair and easy so everyone has a chance. We will penalize the guy over there that works hard to promote habitat for turkeys and allow him to only kill one or two a year, while this slacker can use a decoy and set across the road and kill the a couple of turkeys without working for them."

I believe in capitalism. If you can't hunt them the right way, learn how or find something else.