Now all we need them to do is protect the Jake's…
F&WC Season Setting (4/18 & 4/19)
- Thread starter Southern Sportsman
- Start date
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
We are at least protecting them a lot better than we used to. And, jake harvest numbers went way down last year following the 1-jake limit, which the commission is keeping, thankfully.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
Bill Cox did all he could to fight it (which was expected), but . . . it passed!
Turkey discussion and votes start at 50:00.
Awesome!!
And thank you for the update!
not gonna lie, was kinda excited at the possibility of it opening a week earlier then it does now 
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
I hope it doesn't come to that, and I don't think it will. But if populations were to drop to a certain point, then I suspect they would consider a 1-bird limit and probably a shorter season. Without some of the long-overdue regulation changes the last couple of years, something drastic like a 1-bird limit may have been needed soon. And if east TN populations continue to struggle, a 1-bird limit for those units may be on the table in 2026. Legally and morally, their first priority should be the sustainability of the resource, so if struggling populations justified it, I would fully expect them to consider all options.
Bill sure does like to hear his self talk
what I found interesting in that is the discussion around not wanting YOUTH to have to wear a jacket and setting dates based on when the best hunting is. IMO thats an odd way to look at season dates that should be based around the biology of the resource. Dont get me wrong, obviously those things intertwine some but just threw me off again that some didnt want youth to early cause it might be to cold for kids hahah.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
Haha. They all have an opinions, but if they express those opinions too directly, they will invariably piss off some percentage of their constituents. But the youth season success is undeniably better (almost double) what it was under the old season date structure. So I interpreted "we're doing it for the kids" as pseudo-politician speech for "the delay makes sense and may be helping so lets keep it."
Thanks for the summary and recap.
Thanks for the info! Hoping it holds through the vote!
Next years meetings need to address predator controls!
Next years meetings need to address predator controls!
The highlight of the whole two days was when the guy said he didn't realize a bearded hen could produce poults. There were things said that were comical. No one knows the weather but we certainly don't want anyone wearing a coat. Supposed to be 55 here tomorrow but I am going to refuse a coat since it's April!!! Lol
I had zero hope they were going to hold the line on the delayed turkey opener—but I'm positively thrilled they did!!!
My opinion: if seasons were set in March, they would have gone with the "closest to April 7th opener," but the fact these guys had a killer opener just a week ago swung the momentum the other way.
My opinion: if seasons were set in March, they would have gone with the "closest to April 7th opener," but the fact these guys had a killer opener just a week ago swung the momentum the other way.
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
Actually, I'm pretty sure they passed a night-hunting season for coyotes and bobcats as part of this proclamation.
If you can call it that
shotgun only and only certain dates scared to death they gona make a deer hunter mad
Heh. It's funny, because doing exactly this is what it will take to make the agency self-reliant.
If the commission is serious about generating ungodly amounts of Out-of-State hunting revenue, the answer isn't pimping out turkeys.
It's a 1-Buck limit. Five years after such a regulation passes, people will gladly pay $200 less than what it takes to hunt Iowa or Illinois.
mjwendorf
Well-Known Member
Saw that, I can't wait!. Have been working hard on the coons for about 5 years. Alot of yotes are about to fall.
Edit: juat saw its shotgun only. Come on!
Last edited:
Southern Sportsman
Well-Known Member
I was focused on turkeys and didn't pay much attention to the night season, other than seeing that one passed. The shotgun thing does suck. Will thermal/night vision be allowed?If you can call it that
Coyote guys will be getting into the TSS game now. A 2oz load of tungsten #5s will wreck one pretty damn far. But pricey, obviously, especially since they'll be looking to kill more than 2-3 a year.
