I am in Illinois and our youth turkey season starts with the youth season on April 1st and 2nd. Then the next weekend the season starts. Illinois does something I like by dividing the state in two and the southern half starts a week earlier. That has always made sense to me. The Missouri turkey season does not start until the 18th this year and that is actually earlier then most years. Also the Missouri season always starts on a Monday??? Never have understood that either. So basicly people who do not have the time to take off work cannot start hunting in Missouri until 23rd of April. Just not sure what the Missouri DNR is thinking with this.
I've heard that they start it on a Monday to lighten opening day traffic on public hunting areas. Also, they start it later in April to ensure that the birds get plenty of unpressured breeding opportunities. They take the exact approach with the firearms deer season...the harder the orange army attacks, the more deer get shot. :)
Now for their 1:00pm stop time...that's just outdated and should go away.
Sounds like they are reducing opening day pressure to allow an education and starting later to allow the first breeding peak to pass before shooting the birds.
Now for their 1:00pm stop time...that's just outdated and should go away.
Amen Brother!
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The later opening is to allow the birds to breed some unpressured,unlike deer(firearms)which seems to start during the rut(to early IMHO) is what i've been told by MDC.Also the monday start days lets the hunting pressure get spread out instead of like ditch goat season where it goes from basically empty woods to the orange horde in a matter of hours.The 1pm stop time(as told to me)was to allow birds(hens on nest?) to be unpressured part of the day.Outdated?I dont know,but it seems MO has a pretty good turkey thing going.I really dont mind it the way it is.We have had great numbers in past years only dropped off the last few because of crappy spring weather.Seems the system they have works pretty well.
In Illinois we have 5 one week long seasons beginning in early April. The state sets a quota for for each season and in each county in our state based on the estimated turkey population in each county. This really helps to spread out the turkey hunting pressure. You can apply to receive up to 3 turkey tags each season. In central Illinois where we do not have near the acres of timber that say Southern Missouri has we hunt turkeys from early April until mid May and our turkey population is doing better than ever.
I've been following MoMo's turkey regs since the 70's.
In my opinion, they do exactly as they please, with the main focus being keeping a firm grasp on the kill #'s.
They are control freaks for sure. Safety stickers on guns? C'mon!
mudhen
The safety stickers arent a big deal,about as big as a pencil eraser and they come when you get your tags.whats wrong with one more safety item that may keep an accident from happening.As far as keeping a firm grasp on the kill #'s,what do you want them to do,turn everybody loose?people for yrs have been wanting them to change the bag limit rules to 2 bearded birds per season,any time,rather than the 1 bird the first week or one bird per day if you dont kill one the first week and they havent budged on changing it.Ive lived and hunted here in MO all my life and cant really gripe much the job on conservation dept has done overall as compared to alot of other states.We've been one of the top turkey states for a lot of years,and have had a decline in kill #'s the last few years due to bad hatches not insufficient or "outdated" hunting regs.I say its fine leave well enough alone.
Jakesdad are you from southern or northern Missouri? I hunt in the southern half of the state and there is a lot of timber down there. A ton of national forest. Missouri should think about dividing the state in half into North and South and starting the south zone a week earlier. The Monday start to me is probably the most frustrating part. If the reason for this is to spread hunters out I dont really see that as to logical. Your still gonna have your mad rush the following weekend when most people will finally be able to get off work and go. I respect the game laws and anything that protects the pasttime I love so much but that does not mean I wont question them ever. Its true we cant have a free for all out there - we must have game laws. But I am also among those who think hunting is my god given right and not that of my government.
As much as I hate the Monday opening day I have to say it really does help spread out hunting pressure. Besides there are still three weekends to hunt. The one o'clock cut off is kinda lame but gives me a good excuse to go crappie fish or hunt mushrooms. Lol
A big problem with leaving well enough alone is that the MDC will start losing out on non-resident license sales with the upswing of quality hunting in neighboring states that allow all-day hunting for a lower price. Having grown up there and having hunted it my whole life also, I agree that Missouri once seemed like the turkey hunting Mecca...but after hunting other states like Iowa, Kansas, and Texas, I don't see Missouri as the premier turkey hunting destination anymore. It's still very good...but no longer the standout it once was.
As for the 1:00pm stop time reasoning, I've seen no evidence that afternoon nest disturbance has ever been a problem in ANY state that allows all-day hunting. I'd bet that 90% of hunters are out of woods by noon, anyway. Moreover, it robs school-age hunters of valuable hunting time. I used to turkey hunt almost every day of the fall season after school, and I remember being so mad that I couldn't do it in the spring, especially since the days were longer.
As for those "Be safe" stickers. They're good in theory, but I doubt that anyone willing to shoot at something moving in the bushes is going to notice a little yellow sticker when they shoulder the gun. :D
Im from northern missouri,and yes I agree you guys in the south are far ahead of us as far as the spring arrival.I think dividing the state in half for turkey season would be a good idea.As far as the 1pm cutoff,thats the way its always been and those were the reasons I've been givin.Would I hunt all day if they changed it?Heck ya!!Does it bother me that the cutoff is still 1?No.Good excuse to look for mushrooms and take a nap and not feel like i'm missin out on something.Other states are perhaps better,not gonna argue that,and they set their laws accordingly.but im not gripin with missouri the way it is.could they do better with the regs,maybe,could it be worse,absolutely.
Quote from: jakesdad on March 29, 2011, 01:24:05 PM
Other states are perhaps better,not gonna argue that,and they set their laws accordingly.but im not gripin with missouri the way it is.could they do better with the regs,maybe,could it be worse,absolutely.
Yup. That's what I think too. Could do a few things different and make it a little better. But on the other hand it could be ALOT worse.
We used to have a 4 pm stop time I miss it.. I would love a 1pm stop time, go home take a nap and not feel guilty.
I dont really have a major problem with the 1:00 quitn time. If it was not in place I would hunt more of the day but because it is I use it to scount out new places or wet a line. I just feel like the southern part of Missouri could start there season a week earlier. Mostly I agree with everyone that the game laws our made with good intention. Good point by stinkpickle - I agree that MO is no longer the Mecca of turkey hunting it once was. Not because it has declined just because everywhere else has gotten so good. My home state of Illinois is not to shabby and I know there are better places than my home state.
I have hunted MO for several years. I don't have a problem with the 1PM cut off time. I too don't mind an afternoon nap or a crappie fishing trip!
I was told that they start on Monday and limit the first week to 1 bird to discourage nonresidents from coming the first week. The rational was that it would give residents more time in the NF without as many people in the woods. If thats true or not I don't know.
Quote from: LX_Trkyhntr on March 29, 2011, 02:59:06 PM
I was told that they start on Monday and limit the first week to 1 bird to discourage nonresidents from coming the first week. The rational was that it would give residents more time in the NF without as many people in the woods. If thats true or not I don't know.
I imagine that's the case.
Quote from: heathwesley on March 29, 2011, 02:55:35 PM
Good point by stinkpickle - I agree that MO is no longer the Mecca of turkey hunting it once was. Not because it has declined just because everywhere else has gotten so good.
I agree.Although we have had some lackluster hatches the last several years(at least in the NE part of the state),the fact that their are alot of states whose population is booming makes the playing field as far as standout "turkey meccas" a lot more even playing field,and that is fine by me.Not that it only keeps everybody from flocking to MO but it gives everybody lots more options on hunting destinations.
If they want to reduce hunting pressure by opening the season on a Monday, then it deosn't make much sense to cram all your time in for a morning hunt. Reduce pressure by expanding time. Mo turkeys are pretty good, but nothing compared to turkeys in Kansas. We get as much action in three days in Kansas as we will for almost three weeks in Mo.
Agreed!
I hunted Southeast Missouri for 20 years straight until last year. The longer I hunted there, the less gobbles I heard and less birds I worked. The population of turkeys is way down in that part of the state over the last 20 years and I will not go back as long as the non-resident fees are as high as they are now and until the turkey popuation makes a dramatic comeback.
Quote from: SKFOOTER on March 29, 2011, 05:38:19 PM
I hunted Southeast Missouri for 20 years straight until last year. The longer I hunted there, the less gobbles I heard and less birds I worked. The population of turkeys is way down in that part of the state over the last 20 years and I will not go back as long as the non-resident fees are as high as they are now and until the turkey popuation makes a dramatic comeback.
I hunt right on the Douglas County/Ozark County border and have noticed something very similar. Very little gobbling or birds in general over the course of the last 10 years. I love a challenge but its nice to atleast hear some birds.
I too hunted Mo for many many years out of Houston, Mo, but no more. Way fewer birds than earlier years.
Gman
Im afraid its gonna stay that way until we get several good hatches in a row.Thinkin of goin out of state next year on a hunt or two.All the talk I hear on Kansas may have to line somethin up.
I am in the same boat as many of you guys. Drive from Pa to Texas and Shannon counties. This will be year 21 for me and year 33 for my father in-law. We have seen the good times and fear that we will never see them again. The days of hearing 20-30 birds gobble on the roost are long gone. poor hatches, more and more men, and the 190.00 price tag is driving us to another state.
We enjoy the time we spend in SE Mo and have made many good friends there. Camp is always full of the local boys. But we both know what we are in for this year, and we have decided to give it one last go. I can say I will miss it.....
I am from SC and I hunt MONTH every year and in my opinion the 1 pm cutoff is a crock of crap! We have plenty of birds in the south and we can hunt allday. That time cutoff isn't helping ANYTHING or ANYONE! As far as the dates are concerned MO should let the southern zone start earlier in my opinion. MO is a big state and from north to south the birds DO get started earlier in the southern part. Just my .02.
Lived in MO my whole life. Killed my first bird in 1979, but have hunted several other states in the past 20 years. I like all day hunting, especially if I'm hunting out-of-state, because I go there to hunt, not sit around and watch TV. There was a lot of talk about MO going to all day hunting, but I think the bad hatches the past few years have temporarily eliminated that possibility.
I also do not like the one bird, first week, regulation. I personally think it backfires in that everyone and their brother show up the first weekend, and stay through the first of the next week, to have a possibility of killing 2 birds. I think if the limit were simply 2 birds, one per day, a lot of guys would be done and back at the house before the first weekend even arrives.
Also, you guys talk about Kansas. Love to hunt Kansas, and have for almost 20 years, but the same weather conditions that have hurt our population of birds has done the same in spades for SE KS. Ten years ago, I could drive 175 miles from my house and expect to hear a dozen gobblers a day. The same area now has almost no birds, so guys, if your turkey population is on the upswing, be grateful, because all it takes is a few blows from Mother Nature to make you wonder where the turkeys went.
It's the same thing in central Florida. I see gobblers strutting and gobbling in January, sometimes even Decemeber, but we can't start 'til late March. (Now mind you northern guys, our season is long over before your's is) We've been told that we start that late so that hunting starts well after the peak of breeding season.
Well a lot of states that now have very good turkey numbers can thank the state of MO for a lot of them birds. I hope the Conservation Dept is done giving away a lot of our birds over the years. I think that has a lot to do with a lot of our numbers being down since the early 2000's. They need to leave our birds here. Of course they keep blaming it on the heavy rains every year, but I don't buy it.
At one time MO had an estimated 1 million birds in the mid 90's.
Quote from: ksgobbler on March 30, 2011, 12:57:32 AM
They havent been giving them away here and we are down about 80 percent due to persisent heavy cold rains the last few years. MO and SEKS has been dealt some crappy weather. I can remember hearing 37 diffrent birds in one morning. Now I can barely find 1.
Well back in the 90's my buddy who I know very well counted over 400 birds here one morning in the fall while bowhunting and that was on public land. You won't see numbers like that anymore.
Quote from: Gamblinman on March 29, 2011, 08:25:41 PM
I too hunted Mo for many many years out of Houston, Mo, but no more. Way fewer birds than earlier years.
Gman
Gman - I hunt near Dora Mo. not far from where you use to hunt and I have really noticed the same trend. I hunt in the big woods of the Natinal Forest and we use to get on birds every day. The last few years we spend the trip just hoping to get on a few.
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on March 30, 2011, 12:41:20 AM
Well a lot of states that now have very good turkey numbers can thank the state of MO for a lot of them birds. I hope the Conservation Dept is done giving away a lot of our birds over the years. I think that has a lot to do with a lot of our numbers being down since the early 2000's. They need to leave our birds here. Of course they keep blaming it on the heavy rains every year, but I don't buy it.
At one time MO had an estimated 1 million birds in the mid 90's.
Id say your right there. I know the area I hunt was cannon net hard for the dispersal of turkeys to other states.
Quote from: heathwesley on March 30, 2011, 04:20:03 PM
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on March 30, 2011, 12:41:20 AM
Well a lot of states that now have very good turkey numbers can thank the state of MO for a lot of them birds. I hope the Conservation Dept is done giving away a lot of our birds over the years. I think that has a lot to do with a lot of our numbers being down since the early 2000's. They need to leave our birds here. Of course they keep blaming it on the heavy rains every year, but I don't buy it.
At one time MO had an estimated 1 million birds in the mid 90's.
Id say your right there. I know the area I hunt was cannon net hard for the dispersal of turkeys to other states.
That's what I mean. MO was rolling with birds and I do mean rolling in the 90's. We had more birds by far than any other state in the nation and that was including TX. Birds were everywhere. You could call 4 gobblers in at a time on some days and not be a big deal. Now you can't tell me that heavy rains will diminish your turkey population like this state wide and reduce your turkey numbers to half of what it was without some other factors going on. I think the conservation has lied about this for a long time. If that were the real case, how in the hell did we get 1 million birds in the first place with all the rain over the years?