Does any state other than Kentucky do this??!
"A person shall not mimic the sound of a turkey in an area open to turkey hunting and where turkeys are reasonably expected to be present from March 1 until the opening..."
In your opinion, is this a good thing, worth adopting elsewhere or government overreach?
Not here in PA or MD.
I'm curious as to the origin and or intent of this regulation. Is it geared to not "harassing" birds during what biologists believe is peak breeding? Or is it on behalf of hunters not wanting birds messed with before season?
Quote from: SteelerFan on July 02, 2017, 09:15:52 PM
Not here in PA or MD.
I'm curious as to the origin and or intent of this regulation. Is it geared to not "harassing" birds during what biologists believe is peak breeding? Or is it on behalf of hunters not wanting birds messed with before season?
Good question. I was assuming the latter but really don't know.
TN has it on WMAS. The idea is to not educate birds before season starts.
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I would agree that the regulation is probably on behalf of hunters. In my early years, I would call birds prior to the season. It didn't take me long to figure out that gobblers can become more difficult to call with just an encounter or two with phantom hen calling, or worse yet, calling encounters where the hen that they go to turns out to be a human.
From my own experiences doing so, and the results I have witnessed because of it, I personally believe it is unwise to call the gobblers you plan on hunting before the season starts,...and it is just a sign of respect to other turkey hunters to have the same courtesy with their birds.
Whether or not an actual regulation is needed to discourage preseason calling,...well, that is a matter of opinion. But there is no doubt in my mind that the practice can have a negative impact on a gobbler's responsiveness to calling.
Good luck enforcing that.
I don't call much during the season. I am guilty of an occasional owl hoot or two before season. But even that is rare.
Pennsylvania was trying to pass a law of such, don't know if it did though
Was a full time resident of KY when this was passed. From memory - Came about because so many were trying to be Oscar winning wildlife cameramen with their video cameras. Compliance based pretty much on the "honor system" ::)
IL ,can't call before season starts.
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It's a good law on public ground for sure. Use a crow or owl locator if you want, that's legal. I don't pre season call to birds I plan to hunt.
Should be a law everywhere,but I think it's common knowledge to experienced Turkey hunters. This came up on La forum early season couple of the older guys tried to explain the reasoning but the new age know it alls could not/would not comprehend. At the end of the season these same two or three experts were on a thread crying to each other about how hard the season was and how nobody killed a turkey lol. There is no logical reason to call a gobbler before the season.
I have hunted Ky. public land for 33 years and I am convinced it has made a significant difference in my hunt success. I live in Ohio just an hour from the Ky border and have good friends in Ky to hunt with so it is part of my yearly plans to hunt there. Before the law was enacted many of the locals would pound the public land practice calling and video taping. You had to get into isolated pockets to find green birds. Most of the birds you were hunting reacted like mid season birds and it could be really tough. The first year the law went into effect my buddy and I tagged out in two days and repeated that success for the next two springs. The area we hunted had a particularly active conservation officer who made morning patrols in the area and enforced the law. I would like to buy him a steak dinner sometime. I confess in the early years I done the same thing in my home area, but it did not take me long to realize I was making my hunting more difficult. Today I have control over most of my private ground and I do not allow preseason calling of any kind, period. As a matter of fact all we ever do for scouting is walk the ridge roads a couple times the week before season. It makes for more fun hunts as you often get to see birds show off well in range instead of having to bust his head as soon as he peeks over a bench in range. I am all for it.
There is (was) a Game Warden in Georgia that was notorious for calling to birds on the WMA(s) he managed in the preseason. Once the Gobbler(s) got close, he would jump up and run at them yelling along the way.
You killed one on that tract and you had done something. He has retired. Last I checked, the success rate on those tracts had gone up.
Quote from: nitro on July 03, 2017, 10:42:55 AM
There is (was) a Game Warden in Georgia that was notorious for calling to birds on the WMA(s) he managed in the preseason. Once the Gobbler(s) got close, he would jump up and run at them yelling along the way.
You killed one on that tract and you had done something. He has retired. Last I checked, the success rate on those tracts had gone up.
Sounds like one of my neighbors. He laid every egg and raised every turkey within 2 miles of his house.
One time I was messing with a henned up field bird on some land that bordered his. When he saw my truck parked there he went home and proceded to walk up and down his property line with a leaf blower. He didn't know where I was apparently because the turkey came running right to me. Under different circumstances I wouldn't have shot him, but it sure felt good waving at him with a longbeard on my shoulder beside my truck.
Quote from: Cottonmouth on July 03, 2017, 11:32:11 AM
Quote from: nitro on July 03, 2017, 10:42:55 AM
There is (was) a Game Warden in Georgia that was notorious for calling to birds on the WMA(s) he managed in the preseason. Once the Gobbler(s) got close, he would jump up and run at them yelling along the way.
You killed one on that tract and you had done something. He has retired. Last I checked, the success rate on those tracts had gone up.
Sounds like one of my neighbors. He laid every egg and raised every turkey within 2 miles of his house.
One time I was messing with a henned up field bird on some land that bordered his. When he saw my truck parked there he went home and proceded to walk up and down his property line with a leaf blower. He didn't know where I was apparently because the turkey came running right to me. Under different circumstances I wouldn't have shot him, but it sure felt good waving at him with a longbeard on my shoulder beside my truck.
HAH!!! Love it!!!
Oklahoma doesn't but I wish we did.
All i can say to this post, IF your a smart turkey hunter you want call to birds before your season opens... I wish Tennessee had it also..no calling before season... You need to scout, watch , listen and use good optics ..As a turkey hunter you need to use common sense sometimes or most of the time....
The law was past for hunters not to educate the turkeys. I'm glad that one was past especially on the hunters who have to hunt on public land.
Never heard of a state having that law. It's not a bad idea but it would be pretty tough to enforce
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Not a fan of more regulation, but I see the benefit to the law. I refuse to do any turkey hunting here in the Champlain Valley, because too many birds are already call smart on opening day. Lots of large fields and agriculture, which allows many birds to be seen from the road and called to. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people call to them from the side of the road, or talk about calling them to the truck before season. Then the same jack wagons calling them in before season, can't figure out why they cant call them in during the season.
In my early years there were a few locals that did this for awhile but gave it up. I have messed with a couple birds after season closes before,but only a couple times in my life time. I never do it before season I just listen then.We don't have any laws for it and I don't think too many people do it here in Iowa.
Some of the public land that I hunt has this prohibition.
I wish that was the regulation in NY.
Quote from: Happy on July 04, 2017, 01:12:06 PM
Never heard of a state having that law. It's not a bad idea but it would be pretty tough to enforce
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Yeah, tough to enforce, but the main benefit would be to cut down on it by letting people know it is a bad thing to do...lot's of people don't realize the problem apparently, especially new hunters. If it is illegal, it would at least make people think that maybe they shouldn't be doing it.
I've seen it in some places I've hunted, and seen it enforced also. Places I've seen it enforced well had a prohibition of possessing turkey calls in the woods before turkey season. Much easier to enforce that one.
I hope Ray Eye is reading this and can give his input! lol I have to say I tend to agree with him. It isn't the calling, it is the people pressure. If you are seriously dumb enough to call a bird all the way in until it see's you I can see the negative effect on preseason calling. But just random calling to locate a bird I don't agree messes up that bird for the rest of the season. I guess it is all in the approach.
I have Ben Lee's instructional CD and he says more than once " Now what you need to do is go out there before season and call them up."
Quote from: jb1069 on July 06, 2017, 02:04:20 PM
I hope Ray Eye is reading this and can give his input! lol I have to say I tend to agree with him. It isn't the calling, it is the people pressure. If you are seriously dumb enough to call a bird all the way in until it see's you I can see the negative effect on preseason calling. But just random calling to locate a bird I don't agree messes up that bird for the rest of the season. I guess it is all in the approach.
I agree to an extent. However the odds go up of having birds see you and spook. Even birds you never knew you were there. Turkey vocalizations in and of themselves do not have a negative effect in my opinion. I try to stay completely out of my hunting areas at least a month before season. Not that it matters much as everyone and their brother is running crazy and I seldom hunt till the first week is almost over. People would be amazed at the amount of birds they bugger while walking around calling. Both in season and out.
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Quote from: Happy on July 06, 2017, 04:54:58 PM
Quote from: jb1069 on July 06, 2017, 02:04:20 PM
I hope Ray Eye is reading this and can give his input! lol I have to say I tend to agree with him. It isn't the calling, it is the people pressure. If you are seriously dumb enough to call a bird all the way in until it see's you I can see the negative effect on preseason calling. But just random calling to locate a bird I don't agree messes up that bird for the rest of the season. I guess it is all in the approach.
I agree to an extent. However the odds go up of having birds see you and spook. Even birds you never knew you were there. Turkey vocalizations in and of themselves do not have a negative effect in my opinion. I try to stay completely out of my hunting areas at least a month before season. Not that it matters much as everyone and their brother is running crazy and I seldom hunt till the first week is almost over. People would be amazed at the amount of birds they bugger while walking around calling. Both in season and out.
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Stop making sense Happy, or you will have to change your handle to "Smart". I will sneak in on my private spots, but I stay on the edges and well hidden and just listen. I can hear the whole property on two of them from the edge, so it is just listening. I will track in the afternoons on some public places too, but I am in major, quiet stealth mode.
Quote from: g8rvet on July 06, 2017, 05:24:50 PM
Quote from: Happy on July 06, 2017, 04:54:58 PM
Quote from: jb1069 on July 06, 2017, 02:04:20 PM
I hope Ray Eye is reading this and can give his input! lol I have to say I tend to agree with him. It isn't the calling, it is the people pressure. If you are seriously dumb enough to call a bird all the way in until it see's you I can see the negative effect on preseason calling. But just random calling to locate a bird I don't agree messes up that bird for the rest of the season. I guess it is all in the approach.
I agree to an extent. However the odds go up of having birds see you and spook. Even birds you never knew you were there. Turkey vocalizations in and of themselves do not have a negative effect in my opinion. I try to stay completely out of my hunting areas at least a month before season. Not that it matters much as everyone and their brother is running crazy and I seldom hunt till the first week is almost over. People would be amazed at the amount of birds they bugger while walking around calling. Both in season and out.
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Stop making sense Happy, or you will have to change your handle to "Smart". I will sneak in on my private spots, but I stay on the edges and well hidden and just listen. I can hear the whole property on two of them from the edge, so it is just listening. I will track in the afternoons on some public places too, but I am in major, quiet stealth mode.
If anyone calls me smart then it proves they font know me very well. I just kinda learn from repeated hard knocks
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Quote from: Happy on July 06, 2017, 08:34:08 PM
If anyone calls me smart then it proves they font know me very well. I just kinda learn from repeated hard knocks
Smart is just the first name :D
:D
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Ray eye also wrote about his private land that he controls he goes on about all the regulations he imposed and the benefits. No driving the roads, limited hunting per area, can't walk out to pick up a shot gobbler if other turkeys are in sight etc. + he goes on to say no calling to the turkeys before season.
When Ben Lee recorded his record/cassette in the late 70's there probably were not enough turkey hunters in each state to make a difference. There's hundreds of thousands of morons fumbling around out there now.
Give me one good reason why you would want to call to a gobbler 2 weeks before you can hunt him?
If you already hear him gobble why do you need to call to him, he's located?
If your calling is that bad that you need the practice the turkeys probably don't want to hear it either so practice in your basement.
I've asked these questions to a few people they usually stand there breathing from their mouths with a dumb look on their face, never got an answer.