Season Changes

[knightrider]

They are OUT OF CONTROL... since Fri am, I have heard over 20. Now granted, I've been in the woods a lot, but every year I hear more and more.

Amen and talk about a poults worst nightmare

 

[deerhunter10]

It won't happen, but we need a bounty on raptors.

I agree they are not in check at all.

 

[Joe2Kool]

How would they know after 1 year. Seems you'd need at least 3 years of data.

Study dates were 2017-2022. First time I read thru it, I thought some of the counties studied had 2+ years of delayed season opening.

 

[fairchaser]

It's pure hubris when you do a study to prove something and it tells you what you don't anticipate but you continue anyway because you only trust your gut. Why didn't they wait one more season to find out what the study said before changing the start date? It's only because they already thought they knew and just wanted scientific justification. Poor misguided leadership! Now they will continue onward to save face and it will cost them hunters. Quit lying to yourself.

 

[RoyalPrudent]

Predators and weather, its not that hard to figure out

I have to believe you left out illness. Whether turkey pox, or aflotoxin, or bird flu, there is definitely somthing else impacting some regions.

 

[deerfever]

It's pure hubris when you do a study to prove something and it tells you what you don't anticipate but you continue anyway because you only trust your gut. Why didn't they wait one more season to find out what the study said before changing the start date? It's only because they already thought they knew and just wanted scientific justification. Poor misguided leadership! Now they will continue onward to save face and it will cost them hunters. Quit lying to yourself.

I do want to take up for TWRA in this instance, they did not suggest or propose the season change. TWRA and it's turkey coordinator suggested our same start dates at the season setting meeting that year, I have watched that meeting numerous times. Their logic was exactly as you said. TN was finishing up a 6 year study two of which was comparing hundreds of hens in delayed to non delayed areas of TN to see if it benefits our turkeys. They told Commission this. Commission didn't want to wait another few months for the data to be released. One of them suggested a week delay then it suddenly went to two weeks. What you say makes complete sense and is the logical approach to doing something that has been set for 40 years or more,. Especially knowing it was being studied. I see lots of people complaining that TWRA should have waited , they tried but once commission cast those votes it was over, no matter what they had suggested. That's why you see all the scrambling now and talk of moving it back at least a week towards the old opener. Waited 6 years and couldn't wait a few more months for the results? TWRA tried to tell them

 

[fairchaser]

I do want to take up for TWRA in this instance, they did not suggest or propose the season change. TWRA and it's turkey coordinator suggested our same start dates at the season setting meeting that year, I have watched that meeting numerous times. Their logic was exactly as you said. TN was finishing up a 6 year study two of which was comparing hundreds of hens in delayed to non delayed areas of TN to see if it benefits our turkeys. They told Commission this. Commission wasn't buying it and didn't want to wait another few months for the data to be released. One of them suggested a week delay then it suddenly went to two weeks. What you say makes complete sense and is the logical approach to doing something that has been set for 40 years or more,. knowing it was being studied. I see lots of people complaining that TWRA should have waited , they tried but once commission cast those votes it was over, no matter what they had suggested. That's why you see all the scrambling now and talk of moving it back at least a week towards the old opener. Waited 6 years and couldn't wait a few more months for the results? TWRA tried to tell them

Agree and when I said "they" I meant both the commission and the TWRA. If the commission is going to disregard the recommendations of the TWRA, then they sb replaced. They can have and should have their opinions. But, disagree and disregard are two different things.

 

[Creek bottoms]

Commissioners are generally on a power trip. It's perceived money people that get appointed.

 

[muddyboots]

It's pure hubris when you do a study to prove something and it tells you what you don't anticipate but you continue anyway because you only trust your gut. Why didn't they wait one more season to find out what the study said before changing the start date? It's only because they already thought they knew and just wanted scientific justification. Poor misguided leadership! Now they will continue onward to save face and it will cost them hunters. Quit lying to yourself.

This. This used to be an awesome time of year. I have yet to encounter a person in this neck of the woods that is excited. Just sad.

 

[Levee Jumper]

As long as you can only kill 2, Im fine with the start date. Un-pressured turkeys in mid April make for a lot of fun IMO.

 

[Planking]

I guess coyotes are infinitesimaly easier to call in at night vs day.... but we have had great success calling them in and killing them in daylight hours.

While adult predators and nest predators are the biggest obstacles to turkeys repopulating, the biggest human obstacle is that most turkey hunters don't do their part. They just kill their birds and hope there are more next year to kill. Take, take, take. And it's not just kill a few coyotes and coons here and there.... if you want to actually make a difference, it has to be an 'all out war' declared on coyotes and coons. When one shows up on camera, eliminate it immediately.

I guess what I'm saying is legalizing nighttime hunting of coyotes will help a tad...not because it's ineffective...but because most turkey hunters don't spend any time removing predators, so the net end result won't make a hill of beans for turkeys.

Now making everyone who wants to turkey hunt turn in 5 coyotes and 10 coons before they can get a turkey tag... holy cow, THAT would .ake a difference. (I'm not advocating that... there would be no turkey hunters that year.... BUT the turkeys would thrive!)

Here in Overton County we have year around road hunting at night. All it is is thugs, drunks and druggies that ride around shooting at homes, shooting livestock and horses and terrorizing homeowners in the areas where they want to hunt. The state can't slow them down. They don't need to do anything for night hunting except shut it down until they can get the thugs under control.

 

[scn]

Here in Overton County we have year around road hunting at night. All it is is thugs, drunks and druggies that ride around shooting at homes, shooting livestock and horses and terrorizing homeowners in the areas where they want to hunt. The state can't slow them down. They don't need to do anything for night hunting except shut it down until they can get the thugs under control.

That is about the umpteenth time you have posted your complaint on here. Rather than just complaining, what do you suggest being done to help your situation? If you were King for the day, how would you handle it?

 

[Planking]

That is about the umpteenth time you have posted your complaint on here. Rather than just complaining, what do you suggest being done to help your situation? If you were King for the day, how would you handle it?

Close the loophole that is letting poachers road hunt at night. Just like they do spotlighting. You will let them road hunt with a thermal and that is why all these problems are happening. If you dont like hearing the complaints then tell whoever is responsible for road hunting regulations at night because i've already told them. Im done telling them.

The next little girl that's crying about her horse or the next homeowner that gets shot at it is on whoever is responsible for letting them thermal road hunt.

 

[MickThompson]

Specifically how do you close that loophole in a state with unpermitted firearm carry? Or how do you close that loophole for carry permit holders using that privilege as a way to poach?

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

As long as you can only kill 2, Im fine with the start date. Un-pressured turkeys in mid April make for a lot of fun IMO.

I'm in this boat with you. I was very unhappy with the late opener but I still had incredible, EASIER hunting through mid May last year.

 

[Bone Collector]

Study dates were 2017-2022. First time I read thru it, I thought some of the counties studied had 2+ years of delayed season opening.

Maybe you're right. I vaguely remember some counties opening later, I just don't hunt those counties

 

[scn]

Close the loophole that is letting poachers road hunt at night. Just like they do spotlighting. You will let them road hunt with a thermal and that is why all these problems are happening. If you dont like hearing the complaints then tell whoever is responsible for road hunting regulations at night because i've already told them. Im done telling them.

The next little girl that's crying about her horse or the next homeowner that gets shot at it is on whoever is responsible for letting them thermal road hunt.

What loophole are you referring to?

 

[Planking]

Specifically how do you close that loophole in a state with unpermitted firearm carry? Or how do you close that loophole for carry permit holders using that privilege as a way to poach?

I don't know. Im just a person who buys a hunting license and doesn't like scumbags. I don't introduce legislation or having any legal standing to fight poachers.

The law doesn't mention hunting with thermals or anything with heat detection. It mentions hunting with light only.

Specifically how are you able to bust poachers road hunting at night with a spotlight?

 

[Planking]

What loophole are you referring to?

The law doesn't mention anything about thermals or heat detection it only mentions hunting with light. That's why a DA or a judge won't prosecute. I don't blame them. That's the loophole.

I can road hunt all night long tonight and noboby can do anything as long im using a thermal. That's the loophole that is causing the problem as i was told by law enforcement.

 

[scn]

The law doesn't mention anything about thermals or heat detection it only mentions hunting with light. That's why a DA or a judge won't prosecute. I don't blame them. That's the loophole.

I can road hunt all night long tonight and noboby can do anything as long im using a thermal. That's the loophole that is causing the problem as i was told by law enforcement.

They could make it a violation, but, it would be very difficult/impossible to enforce. With a light shining out of a window, there is very obvious probable cause to make a vehicle stop. A vehicle slowly driving down a road using an undetectable thermal imager would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. It would be next to impossible to make the case on someone using such a device unless they were stupid enough to have it held out the window where it was visible.

I would doubt that you will see much momentum to make that change.