Weakley County CWD Positive.

[UpperTully]

I sure am sorry you don't agree with the fine wildlife professionals who put their reccomendations in play to benefit (in their opinion) current and future sportsman in our state. Maybe voice your opinion to them to get the answers you are seeking and let them know how they have it wrong instead of some arrogant member who trusts their judgment?

Let's talk about trusting the "fine wildlife professionals"

Here in West Tenn those fine wildlife professionals has

Done absolutely nothing in the past 20 years in regards to the Asian Carp problem. We once had a excellent fishery on the Mississippi River that has been ruined. I remember catching bass in the Mississippi River chutes and oxbows just like you would catch them on the best lakes and rivers in Middle and East Tenn. Those days are long gone. TWRAs response to the Asian Carp for us was placing signs at government boat ramps about transporting baitfish. TWRA didn't respond to the Asian carp until recent years when they were discovered coming into Middle Tenn.

We have one of the mother flocks of turkeys that played a vital roll in the turkey restoration in the state. Currently that flock is nothing what it used to be. They blame the decline on flooding but maintained the same management approach for those struggling flocks as the top producing counties in the state. Our birds were over trapped for years and shipped all over Tennessee and as far as Texas. One WMA manger would perform control burns when birds were nesting. It wasn't until a few years ago those "fine wildlife professionals" started to adjust the season and bag limits.

Despite what TWRA leads you believe with everything in West Tenn formally being Unit L. There was thousands of square miles of West Tennessee ground that naturally contained low density deer populations. Those areas should have stayed Unit A with the direction to protect does but because those trusting wildlife professionals have a habit of mismanagement in West Tennessee, they put those counties as Unit L. The pounding commenced, then the CWD zone regulations hit a couple years later. Those low density areas are being decimated to nothing.

Don't get me start on duck hunting our WMA's here. Thousands of acres have been lost or is locked down to draw hunts. Sloughs I once walked in and hunted, are now off limits because of a few draw holes a 1/4 to 1/2 mile away.

I've been hunting and fishing public land in SW and West Tenn since 1994. I've seen a lot of public ground access taken away. In the past 10 years, I can't think of one positive thing TWRA has done for us in SW or West Tenn but contribute to the overall decline in quality of the outdoor experience.

There are videos on TWRA's Youtube channel covering season setting at Commission meetings that contain presentations made by Region 1 top biologist Jim Hamlington suggest changes based off hear say and then admit he will do his research later. It's mind blowing such foolery is even approved to say the least.

Many of us voice our opinion but it falls on deaf ears. The duck blind situation is an excellent example of that.

I'm genuinely concerned what my kids are going to do in 5-10 years though. The best decisions aren't being made by those trusted wildlife professionals for that generation right now.

I guess it's easy to sit in Chattanooga trusting those fine wildlife professionals and drink that "kill them all" Kool-Aid though, it doesn't really affect you like it does many of us. You have a great population of turkeys in your region, your deer population isn't being heavily marketed online to be decimated and the fishing is great!

 

[RobbyW]

I listened to a pod cast the other day with a Dr Grant Woods. He proposed that maybe the answer is bait piles.

Right now they say no baiting in hot zones. So his theory is deer will travel wide ranges for food, but if they had food they wouldn't travel and therefore not spread out and spread CWD.

Deer are social animals, they are going to come in contact with other deer some how some way. His theory was reduce the area they travel, reduce the deer they come into contact with.

Made sense to me.

 

[Mb423]

Let's talk about trusting the "fine wildlife professionals"

Here in West Tenn those fine wildlife professionals has

Done absolutely nothing in the past 20 years in regards to the Asian Carp problem. We once had a excellent fishery on the Mississippi River that has been ruined. I remember catching bass in the Mississippi River chutes and oxbows just like you would catch them on the best lakes and rivers in Middle and East Tenn. Those days are long gone. TWRAs response to the Asian Carp for us was placing signs at government boat ramps about transporting baitfish. TWRA didn't respond to the Asian carp until recent years when they were discovered coming into Middle Tenn.

We have one of the mother flocks of turkeys that played a vital roll in the turkey restoration in the state. Currently that flock is nothing what it used to be. They blame the decline on flooding but maintained the same management approach for those struggling flocks as the top producing counties in the state. Our birds were over trapped for years and shipped all over Tennessee and as far as Texas. One WMA manger would perform control burns when birds were nesting. It wasn't until a few years ago those "fine wildlife professionals" started to adjust the season and bag limits.

Despite what TWRA leads you believe with everything in West Tenn formally being Unit L. There was thousands of square miles of West Tennessee ground that naturally contained low density deer populations. Those areas should have stayed Unit A with the direction to protect does but because those trusting wildlife professionals have a habit of mismanagement in West Tennessee, they put those counties as Unit L. The pounding commenced, then the CWD zone regulations hit a couple years later. Those low density areas are being decimated to nothing.

Don't get me start on duck hunting our WMA's here. Thousands of acres have been lost or is locked down to draw hunts. Sloughs I once walked in and hunted, are now off limits because of a few draw holes a 1/4 to 1/2 mile away.

I've been hunting and fishing public land in SW and West Tenn since 1994. I've seen a lot of public ground access taken away. In the past 10 years, I can't think of one positive thing TWRA has done for us in SW or West Tenn but contribute to the overall decline in quality of the outdoor experience.

There are videos on TWRA's Youtube channel covering season setting at Commission meetings that contain presentations made by Region 1 top biologist Jim Hamlington suggest changes based off hear say and then admit he will do his research later. It's mind blowing such foolery is even approved to say the least.

Many of us voice our opinion but it falls on deaf ears. The duck blind situation is an excellent example of that.

I'm genuinely concerned what my kids are going to do in 5-10 years though. The best decisions aren't being made by those trusted wildlife professionals for that generation right now.

I guess it's easy to sit in Chattanooga trusting those fine wildlife professionals and drink that "kill them all" Kool-Aid though, it doesn't really affect you like it does many of us. You have a great population of turkeys in your region, your deer population isn't being heavily marketed online to be decimated and the fishing is great!

It sounds like you have 30 years of experience of being unhappy with TWRA decisions.

Are you and your like minded friends voicing your opinion to the 13 commission members including Hank Wright on a regular basis? At the end of the day complaining about decisions do nothing, your voice does. Maybe you should fill the comission seat when it comes open, have you considered that?

CWD wasn't on my radar until a few years ago, so I educated myself with endless podcasts and articles about the subject to better understand and form my opinion on the matter.

You are correct, public resources in my region are great, and I want to keep it that way for myself and future generations. So in the meantime I will keep supporting TWRA with my license money, Pittman Robertson act, and voicing my opinion if I disagree with a decision they make.

 

[UpperTully]

It sounds like you have 30 years of experience of being unhappy with TWRA decisions.

Are you and your like minded friends voicing your opinion to the 13 commission members including Hank Wright on a regular basis? At the end of the day complaining about decisions do nothing, your voice does. Maybe you should fill the comission seat when it comes open, have you considered that?

CWD wasn't on my radar until a few years ago, so I educated myself with endless podcasts and articles about the subject to better understand and form my opinion on the matter.

You are correct, public resources in my region are great, and I want to keep it that way for myself and future generations. So in the meantime I will keep supporting TWRA with my license money, Pittman Robertson act, and voicing my opinion if I disagree with a decision they make.

Don't misconstrue stating facts for unhappiness.

I'm here to tell you it really does no good to voice your opinion. I've been pretty vocal to TWRA and TFWC on local affairs for quite a few years but they fall on deaf ears or they turn their cheek. Speaking from experience they're going to do what they want regardless what you say.

I'd love to fill a seat, we need more average Joe's on that board! I can provide you with my Venmo if you want to send me a donation so I can donate to the Governors campaign!

 

[timberjack86]

It sounds like you have 30 years of experience of being unhappy with TWRA decisions.

Are you and your like minded friends voicing your opinion to the 13 commission members including Hank Wright on a regular basis? At the end of the day complaining about decisions do nothing, your voice does. Maybe you should fill the comission seat when it comes open, have you considered that?

CWD wasn't on my radar until a few years ago, so I educated myself with endless podcasts and articles about the subject to better understand and form my opinion on the matter.

You are correct, public resources in my region are great, and I want to keep it that way for myself and future generations. So in the meantime I will keep supporting TWRA with my license money, Pittman Robertson act, and voicing my opinion if I disagree with a decision they make.

Do you work for twra or twfc?

 

[Mb423]

Do you work for twra or twfc?

No, but I'm not sure what that has to do with me being happy to be involved?

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

Nebraska is the model to follow

Life goes on. The end

Deer herd growing, tags increasing as a result.

Not even a topic of conversation there. EHD is a worry.

 

[Mb423]

Don't misconstrue stating facts for unhappiness.

I'm here to tell you it really does no good to voice your opinion. I've been pretty vocal to TWRA and TFWC on local affairs for quite a few years but they fall on deaf ears or they turn their cheek. Speaking from experience they're going to do what they want regardless what you say.

I'd love to fill a seat, we need more average Joe's on that board! I can provide you with my Venmo if you want to send me a donation so I can donate to the Governors campaign!

That is a shame they are not doing their job or giving you the answers to as why decisions are being made. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I agree, of the people, by the people, for the people was lost a long time ago. There are many seats you are eligible to run for other than a governor slot! No yugo, if you run for a local seat PM me.

 

[UpperTully]

That is a shame they are not doing their job or giving you the answers to as why decisions are being made. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I agree, of the people, by the people, for the people was lost a long time ago. There are many seats you are eligible to run for other than a governor slot! No ****, if you run for a local seat PM me.

I agree it is a shame. The other regions are handled differently than West Tenn for some reason.

All I know is, TWRA is going to eventually put our deer population back to what it was in the 70's and 80s with their CWD approach. Hunter retention and recruitment will eventually be a big problem.

What do you do when the upcoming generation in an entire region isn't being introduced to the sport?

 

[muddyboots]

Cwd is a death sentence for your county. I have buddies that hunt McNairy. Let's just say it's not good. Twra will screw this up too. I mean anyone take the best turkey hunting in the nation and absolutely ruin it. Geez. Why would I give them any more money to waste. Yes I have my opinions. Several years back I started voicing them. Noone listens. Just shoot something and make a Facebook post. That cures everything.