COVID saves the turkeys

[Hunt 365]

Since I'm bored, here's my crazy theory. National lockdown for the virus first month of the season. Hunting seriously diminished. Out of state hunters limited regardless with TN's liberal and long season. Turkey harvest down but maybe a good thing. And since it's rained every day for three months, it finally quits raining and we have lush, dry nesting habitat. Every hen gets bred. Numbers next year insane. And for a decade to come turkeys better than ever. Just trying to keep positive. Who's with me?

 

[megalomaniac]

Covid has given me more opportunities to socially isolate in the woods. I've hunted 6 out of 7 days so far here in MS. I suspect more time off from work will result in more man days afield overall, and thus a higher than average kill.

Wish I could find a bird. I've only found 1 so far. And hes dead



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[Uncle Jesse]

Judging by how many people are fishing on weekdays, I'm expecting there'll be 0 bearded turkeys by Mother's day

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Judging by how many people are fishing on weekdays, I'm expecting there'll be 0 bearded turkeys by Mother's day

No kidding. Tons of boats on the lake today

 

['borohunter]

Always good to hope...

 

[timberjack86]

I'm hoping for lockdown so I can socially distance myself in the woods.

 

[catman529]

I think the hunting pressure is going to be worse with the virus and people off work and out of school. Out of state hunters will probably be less than usual, but turkey hunters are going to hunt somewhere if they can!


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[PickettSFHunter]

I was able to get out to Georgia this weekend but they were starting to close parts of the campground. The WMA campgrounds were both locked and closed. That makes it tough on non-residents. The popular campgrounds in my area of TN are also closing, I know some non resident hunters like to stay in those.

 

[megalomaniac]

My work schedule is becoming lighter and lighter... as a consequence, imma be in the woods tomorrow for half day that I wouldnt have been able to otherwise. Going after the Tom's I missed 3d ago

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[Bone Collector]

i think it will increase the kills. I am working from home. I have been social distancing in the woods. Its my only escape. That and fishing.

I will be out opening weekend and then will hunt whenever i get the chance. Wife won't leave the house, so no competition for free time. I can go most afternoons as long as we work from home.

 

[REN]

i will be hunting more this year (although I am fortunate to already work from home and hunt a lot during the week anyways) but with my kids out of school I dont have to worry about putting it all on my wife to get the up and ready every morning.

 

[megalomaniac]

Corona did save a gobbler in south FL. I was supposed to leave this AM for 3 days down there, but my wife nixed the trip. My 15 yo is hunting with me in the am locally since hes off from school and I dont want to punch my last MS tag.

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[catman529]

A buddy of mine has scouted 2 different WMAs in the past week or so, both times during a week day, both times seeing 5-9 trucks parked where people were scouting. These are already heavy hunted well known WMAs, but it looks like it's going to be a sh*t show this year with all the people off work. I'm gonna probably hunt a big field opening morning and enjoy the show, then drive around and see how bad it is everywhere else. I'll be in the turkeys but I'll probably have hunters coming at me from all angles. Should be fun


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[deerfever]

I have been in Alabama the last two days. I have never seen it so crowded! It was not this crowded this past weekend. There are people everywhere! I never dreamed that I would see so many people through the week. Again I guess everyone is off work and hunting. My license is good for 4 more days , I am going to move to a different tract of land altogether when and if I go back.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Literally every single camping spot is totally full at the public land I'm hunting. Totally full on a Thursday.

 

[Andy S.]

I think the hunting pressure is going to be worse with the virus and people off work and out of school. ..... but turkey hunters are going to hunt somewhere if they can!

Agreed, this is what I am planning on. Sounds like everyone's account above it spot on, hunters literally EVERYWHERE!

 

[philsanchez76]

Yeah I concur; stopped to scout a WMA yesterday and literally couldn't find a spot to park. I've never run into more than 2-3 people here before. Gonna be interesting.

 

[th88]

Got to a Bama gate at 3AM yesterday. First truck rolls by at 3:15. Another before 3:30. 4 before 4AM. 9 before 4:20AM. 11 before 4:30AM. At that point I quit counting.. never saw nothing like it in my life and I've hunted over half the U.S.!

Corona definitely ain't saving Turkey on that public..and didnt stop non-res from traveling either!

 

[Uncle Jesse]

I'm expecting a record kill

 

[Levee Jumper]

I'm coughing on anybody with out of state tags that I run across.

 

[Uncle Jesse]

:lol:

 

[FTG-05]

I'm coughing on anybody with out of state tags that I run across.

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[catman529]

I'm starting to hope they shut down the state for a little while and only allow essential workers out lol... the amount of people in the woods could really hurt the population in some areas. It would make sense if TWRA imposed a 1 or 2 bird limit for the duration of the virus


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[bloodtrailing]

I'm starting to hope they shut down the state for a little while and only allow essential workers out lol... the amount of people in the woods could really hurt the population in some areas. It would make sense if TWRA imposed a 1 or 2 bird limit for the duration of the virus


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They say very few people kill 4 birds. TWRA has been trying to say normal population fluctuations are expected no impact from limits.


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[megalomaniac]

Catman or any other travelling out of state this past weekend, was it less crowded than the weekend before? Some states are closing borders (Florida, Texas) to nonessential traffic and imposing 14d quarantines for those that do cross. It certainly is a very fluid situation, and changes seem to happen almost daily.

But yes, as of right now, the number of people on public seems to be ridiculous. I've never hunted Desoto before, so I can't compare to years prior, but I've only found one spot that doesn't have more than one set of boot tracks going in. Most places I've been to have at least 6 or 7 sets of tracks. And these aren't easy places to get to... gotta be hardcore to crash and claw through several hundred yards of Katrina damaged timber to get to the more open hardwood bottoms where the turkeys are living.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I was out for both weekends of the Georgia season on the same WMA. It was very crowded both weekends. There was even a fair amount of pressure during the week. I actually had lot more trouble finding camping space the 2nd weekend. I got to one spot 2 hours before daylight and there was already multiple trucks there. I'm not sure how that particular WMA can withstand the pressure.

 

[catman529]

Catman or any other travelling out of state this past weekend, was it less crowded than the weekend before? Some states are closing borders (Florida, Texas) to nonessential traffic and imposing 14d quarantines for those that do cross. It certainly is a very fluid situation, and changes seem to happen almost daily.

But yes, as of right now, the number of people on public seems to be ridiculous. I've never hunted Desoto before, so I can't compare to years prior, but I've only found one spot that doesn't have more than one set of boot tracks going in. Most places I've been to have at least 6 or 7 sets of tracks. And these aren't easy places to get to... gotta be hardcore to crash and claw through several hundred yards of Katrina damaged timber to get to the more open hardwood bottoms where the turkeys are living.

pretty crowded both weekends. Maybe less out of state hunters the second weekend but a LOT more hunters on the wma that opened a week late. I'm more worried about locals out of work than out of state hunters. So many people who are out of work have been scouting the middle TN public lands hard the past couple weeks. It's going to be a slaughter fest


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[th88]

AL was a crap show this weekend. I've hunted public land in over half the U.S. and this weekend rivaled anything I've ever seen.

Kind of funny seeing catman worried considering he has helped contribute to the rise in pressure on certain areas.

 

[catman529]

AL was a crap show this weekend. I've hunted public land in over half the U.S. and this weekend rivaled anything I've ever seen.

Kind of funny seeing catman worried considering he has helped contribute to the rise in pressure on certain areas.

apples to oranges. This virus and people off work is going to have everywhere swamped, not just certain areas. Now if you want to say I have much to do with it, let's look at one area for example... Cheatham WMA. I've never killed a thing at cheatham WMA, and I've spent a total of 2 hours on the place in my whole life. Yet it's one of the heaviest hunted WMAs in the state. Buddy of mine saw 9 trucks parked down one road one day during the week last week, all scouting for turkey season, on a weekday when people are usually at work. Who caused the rise in pressure there? Maybe it takes more than one person to ruin a spot... maybe people telling their buddies and posting on Facebook groups is the real problem. I bet you couldn't name half of the places I hunt.


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[deerfever]

I was in Alabama after the Saturday morning juvenile hunt. I went to a different area then I was in the first weekend and some during opening week of Bama. The area I was in until yesterday was not near as bad as the first place I went but several people out and about. My license expired so now I am just waiting on TN!