Big changes from the meeting today

[AT Hiker]

OK, start around the 50 min mark on the video. They make a few amendments of which both pass. Push season by two weeks, reduce limit to 2 and only one can be a jake.

*One of the commissioners made the comment a couple times about how he "trust them to word it right". Will there be a final approval vote once it is written?

 

[Hduke86]

OK, start around the 50 min mark on the video. They make a few amendments of which both pass. Push season by two weeks, reduce limit to 2 and only one can be a jake.

*One of the commissioners made the comment a couple times about how he "trust them to word it right". Will there be a final approval vote once it is written?

Their talking over one another drives me nuts. It BLOWS MY MIND 3/4th of the commission has to keep asking about seasons and regulations and limits. For crying out loud learn what you're supposed to be regulating!!!

 

[younggun308]

I am happily stunned they made these changes. Seemed they presented their slides to downplay demand for lowering limits or delaying openers, so I wasn't even hoping for it.

I also like that they didn't shorten the season at all. They merely pushed everything back 2 weeks. Turkey season will now run to the end of May, basically. Not sure how many people will actually be at it that late, but hey! No less opportunity than before.

 

[AT Hiker]

Their talking over one another drives me nuts. It BLOWS MY MIND 3/4th of the commission has to keep asking about seasons and regulations and limits. For crying out loud learn what you're supposed to be regulating!!!

They also need to learn how to talk into a microphone. Im trying to work so I dont have time to keep turning my computer volume up and down

 

[Hduke86]

They also need to learn how to talk into a microphone. Im trying to work so I dont have time to keep turning my computer volume up and down

Yes drives me nuts.

 

[cowhunter71]

Total horseshit setting the season back 2 weeks. It had better remain a 6 week season or I will have the woods to myself the last 2 weeks of May

 

[Levee Jumper]

Total horseshit setting the season back 2 weeks. It had better remain a 6 week season or I will have the woods to myself the last 2 weeks of May

You need 6 weeks to kill 2 Turkeys lol

 

[Creek bottoms]

Totally stupid to extend to the end of May. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Creek bottoms]

I'll open up a can of worms. East Tennesseans are disappointed you can't kill but one jake.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

I listened to yesterdays and a lot of today's. I understood that it would be adult birds only. Jakes for juveniles and wounded warrior special hunt. A lot of going back and forth though I probably missed it

 

[Flintlocksforme]

Yesterday fanning was voted out on WMAs, but it came up again today. Still voted out.

 

[Setterman]

I'm okay with the later start date and bag limit. Also the Jake rule. But leaving reaping and decoys legal doesn't make sense. Although the later start date may off set it. Blame the greedy killers for this, as they were the ones celebrating the 4 bird limit which started us down this road

 

[UCStandSitter]

Really don't want to watch hours of video of these dudes jawin. Anyone know if they opened up night vision for yotes?

 

[megalomaniac]

Summary...

Bill Cox lives to fan and defends it with the argument that those who are opposed to it are just overly 'emotional'.

Only reason limit was dropped from 3 bird to 2 was so adults could kill jakes. Bill Cox and Ripley cannot tell the difference between an adult bird and a jake.

But thank goodness.... the ONE thing that may make a difference is pushing season back 2 weeks.

And surprisingly, TWRA themselves as an agency were pretty proactive in recommending and supporting the major reg changes. This is the first time in a decade and a half that a little bit of faith in TWRA has been restored.when it comes to turkeys.

 

[TnKen]

So if these changes make a difference in the turkey population, how long before we see more birds? I'm not convinced that hunting is the cause of the decline. Open season on raptors and put a bounty on nest predators, and I think an increase in population would occur faster.

 

[tellico4x4]

I'm in the test zone or whatever they call it (Wayne Co). I really think that the two week delay is a plus. Saw more biddies last summer than I have in past five years. Everyone saw lots of jakes this past season as well. We've always protected jakes & in the past twenty years there has only been one killed. The two week delay the past two years has not affected our harvest whatsoever. We have never slaughtered our birds & only take 10-15 off 3500 acres every year. Two birds has pretty well been our self imposed limit for years & we've been able to maintain good hunting while others are struggling. We don't allow pop-ups on plots, absolutely no fanning and no stalk hunting. You call them to the gun or don't hunt.
I'm not a die hard turkey hunter at all, not even a half assed one but I do care about managing our game for my grandsons & the members who love it.

 

[Wrangler95]

Great news for me,my home county of Clay was suffering a slow death.I really was surprised that they are actually doing something for the good of the turkey's if it's not to late!

 

[Creek bottoms]

Total horseshit setting the season back 2 weeks. It had better remain a 6 week season or I will have the woods to myself the last 2 weeks of May

A large part of the problem.

 

[Setterman]

I thought about this a little more. I am very pleased to see TWRA finally paying attention. The 28th close is insanely late, but with a 2 bird Limit anyone suffering that late may god have mercy on their blood supply from the mosquitoes Lol. Honestly that move is to simply say they didn't take hunting available days, but won't amount to much killing iMO.

 

[big 8s in Weakley county]

Guess I'll be the minority I wish they would have left the opener as it was and just closed season earlier. Even going down to 2 birds is fine I just liked the opener way it was. So in 2 years we should have an over abundance of turkeys with these new rules. I don't see that happening.