Serious questions as season approaches!

[PalsPal]

Will the 2 bird limit affect your decisions on which birds you take?

Ex. Opening morning, you have multiple birds hammering and answering. But a silent 2 yr old comes in. Do you shoot?

Ex 2 You kill opening day. Your next hunt, you're presented with a quick kill opportunity. Do you end your season?

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'd answer. I do have others that I can take, so that factors.

I just want to have as many memorable hunts as possible.

Curious if you'll approach it differently?

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

Yeah, I'll probably be sizing up every bird that comes in this year with a bit more scrutiny. Whether or not I end my season early depends on the bird that comes in. If I do, at least I'll be done before the weather starts getting really warm/hot

 

[deerfever]

I feel for the guys that got a quota draw for late in the season. They will definitely have a decision if they harvest a gobbler Early since quota hunts are not a bonus bird. Continue to hunt and kill out or save your tag for the quota hunt?

 

[knightrider]

First 2 longbeards in gets whacked, this aint deer hunting! I have multiple people to take every year, just sucks we gonna go from 16 hunts to 8

 

[deerfever]

If I am fortunate enough to kill out myself, I will call for my son, wife, buddies kids or whoever I can convince to go. I will also buy a license and hunt out of state somewhere if needed. I don't know how long I have left to hunt , I will make the most of it while my health and the Lord allows . I am addicted to chasing them!

 

[REN]

if it has a full fan and is coming into a call gobbling/strutting it will get shot.

 

[square]

Has turkey hunting actually gotten to the point that folks are going to shame killing a 2 year old like they do a 2 year old deer? Please tell me it ain't so!

 

[Gravey]

As long as it's a mature gobbler he's getting shot in the face. I don't get to hunt much and goal every year is 1 so won't change much for me.

 

[megalomaniac]

First tom is dead. IF i have found an absolute giant somewhere, I may save the 2nd tag for him. I'm still enamored by 1.5in+ spurs. Once I'm tagged out and friends and family are tagged out, I'll prob keep hunting and just leave the shotgun at home and bring a video camera.

 

[Hymie3]

Prob won't be too picky on any mature bird. I don't kill jakes, never have and never will. Not being judgey, just my personal deal. But all else beware! If I am fortunate enough to score opening day I may wait a bit to go again. Part of my love for this season is going several times and being in the woods again.

 

[LanceS4803]

The population is so low where I hunt, Lincoln County, that it has been one bird only for me for many years. :(
Just because I can, doesn't mean I should.

 

[themanpcl]

Will the 2 bird limit affect your decisions on which birds you take?

Ex. Opening morning, you have multiple birds hammering and answering. But a silent 2 yr old comes in. Do you shoot?

Ex 2 You kill opening day. Your next hunt, you're presented with a quick kill opportunity. Do you end your season?

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'd answer. I do have others that I can take, so that factors.

I just want to have as many memorable hunts as possible.

Curious if you'll approach it differently?

Just me but no change on decisions I make with bag limit of 2 vs 3. I video my hunts so if I get one on day 1 and an opportunity on day 2, I will take it and end the season. That just means I start fishing earlier this year..lol...But, I won't shoot just any bird. I'm one of those who doesn't mind tag soup on birds or bucks if they don't meet my spec. It won't keep me up at night if I don't tag out and I don't "need" one enough to take a lesser bird.

 

[Andy S.]

I'll likely shoot the first two longboards that play the game. I have never been able to measure spurs as they approach me in the hardwoods, thus no sizing them up for the most part. IMO, it is basically a two week season now, for the MAJORITY of hunters, especially in SW TN. For the past 25 years, I have hunted in some form or fashion until season ends (mid May). The roads, parking spots, etc are basically a ghost town after May 1, as most hunters are done and moved on to something else (ball season, fishing, etc), or want no part of the heat/humidity/ticks/snakes/etc. I'm anxious to see what the statewide kill is on April 30th and compare that to the final kill on May 28th.

 

[cbhunter]

If they play, they die

 

[Spurhunter]

I doubt I even get a chance. My lease is timber company land. Around mid April it greens up overnight and gets thick immediately. The next day the birds all leave and go to the cow pastures surrounding my place. I can hear them gobbling and even see them in the pastures in the distance sometimes, but they aren't leaving those pretty pastures to come into a thicket. We usually get 2 good weeks of hunting before green up. Occasionally we get 3. This year season will be closed during that time. I have places to hunt in MS but so far I'm not fired up enough to buy a $400 license.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

If I hunt them at all, I'll be shooting the first 2 longbeards that come in. Last year's crowds did me in. After several run-ins with some complete a-holes, I've lost all desire to turkey hunt. The only reason I keep telling myself I need to give it one more chance, is because I've been at it for right around 30 years and have a hard time accepting what this sport has become. If I hunt, it'll be a road trip to some big woods WMA where I can get away.

 

[Andy S.]

I have places to hunt in MS but so far I'm not fired up enough to buy a $400 license.

As a non-resident on private property, you can hunt 7 days for $200, correct? ($150 for 7 day all game plus $50 spring turkey permit)

 

[Andy S.]

If I hunt them at all, I'll be shooting the first 2 longbeards that come in. Last year's crowds did me in. After several run-ins with some complete a-holes, I've lost all desire to turkey hunt.

This stinks to hear from a hardcore loyal TN resident with a passion for the outdoors. Hopefully the new season structure and reduced bag limit will allow you and others to enjoy the sport as you did for many years before all of the overcrowding started.

 

[ROVERBOY]

I don't have a problem with killing a 2 year old but, will probably size them up hoping it's older than that. I've not killed a Jake in a long time. Maybe this season will be better. I didn't get a bird last year. First time like that since 2009.

 

[NumberOne]

I have only shot one for the last 3-4 years with the population decline around me. So it doesn't really affect me. Plus I fish way more now. Not as mad at the turkeys anymore.

 

[Turkeychaser]

First two longbeards will probably get shot.

 

[ROVERBOY]

I have only shot one for the last 3-4 years with the population decline around me. So it doesn't really affect me. Plus I fish way more now. Not as mad at the turkeys anymore.

I used to fish a lot but, I didn't go a single time last year. I think I went once in 2021.

 

[waterman]

First two longbeards will be shot. My family loves eating them as much as I love hunting them

 

[Rakkin6]

if it has a full fan and is coming into a call gobbling/strutting it will get shot.

My thoughts also, I might hold off on the second bird just to give me a reason to get back out in the woods. I might try to hunt Kentucky this year also. So if I decide to I might tag our early.

 

[deerhunter10]

First 2 then I'll be done. I'm much to busy. In a perfect world I'll be done Sunday. Get my dad and father in law on one and be done and let spring progress nicely without me messing with it. Luck for me I picked up 2 more properties and I can really keep pressure at a minimum. Our best farm for years the numbers are highly disappointing the last 2 years won't even hunt it.

 

[megalomaniac]

What's really strange the past decade is how spotty the birds have become. Used to have a somewhat even distribution throughout the landscape... now it's just pockets. And those small pockets can have good numbers, but the next pocket of birds may be 5 to 10 miles away.

 

[rem270]

If they play the game and make it an exciting hunt they're getting killed. I'm hoping the dumb ol 2 year old that was around last year will be there this year. I know him from his weird gobble he has. He was with the 4 bearded bird I killed last year and heard him several days after that from my driveway but was tagged out. I'd like to get him just with the history I had with him last year. But I won't wait around on him either.

Soon as I stepped out this morning owls started going crazy. Stopped and listened but didn't hear any gobbling. Still a little early for this property tho so not fretting on it yet.

 

[Setterman]

Not for me, i don't shoot silent birds. I generally only kill birds that answer and come to a call. Don't care if he's 2 or 10, longbeard and he's a dead man

 

[TheLBLman]

I have never been able to measure spurs as they approach me in the hardwoods, thus no sizing them up for the most part.

Generally agree with you about the spurs, but you can often distinguish a 4-yr-old (or older) Tom from a 2-yr-old Tom. Two Year Old Toms tend to be the most vocal with gobbling; older Toms more likely to come in without gobbling, but spitting & drumming.

. . . . i don't shoot silent birds.

I understand where you're coming from, but some of my oldest, longest-spurred Toms have come in silent (in terms of gobbling). But most have come in spitting & drumming! That up close spitting & drumming is more exciting to me than gobbling.

 

[knightrider]

Stop trying to age turkeys!!!!!!!! Its only adult or not!! Dang deer hunting crap has rolled in to the turkey googans