State Bag Limits- Too Many Or Too Few?

[Davyalabama]

Well, I typed a response and it timed out and didn't post, oh well.

Predators, back in the day, you had guys doing it for a living, plus you had us boys and dad's running dogs for coons on Friday and Saturday nights.  Some of us adventurers, we would get into an older uncle's, granddad's, great grandad's sheds and find some old traps for coons, beaver, fox, possums and even coyotes.  Coyotes weren't as prevalent in my neck, but we did have some.  .22's and taking care of these predators, a lot of fun was had in those days.  We, ok, I didn't look at it like predator control, I was having fun!!!!!  A pelt(s) would bring money for 12 gauge shells, bricks of .22lr, even helping out with the family, not to mention maybe spending it to take a girl out.

You didn't have the government involved - name on this trap, run it everyday, blah blah blah.  Set it and check it when you could.  We didn't wait weeks or anything, but hard for a youngster to check a trap everyday and have school, after school work and or sports, family obligations and chores, etc.  Maybe getting some dad or granddad to loan us the pulpwood truck and load a cord and a half to make some serious extra money to buy traps.     

Anyone remember betting a brick of .22lr or a .7oz coke on who could load the largest piece to go on the bottom for stacking the load? 

[zelmo1]

I have submitted a proposal to our state that would keep the limit at 2, but issue 1 Tom only tag and 1 legal turkey tag. Nobody, even kids need to shoot 2 jakes. I want the kids to be involved and learn the ethics we try to live by here. Also asked that anyone over 16, exempting first time hunters, be issued "Tom only" tags. I am interested in long term results, even though I won't be here to see them, lol. Z

[kytrkyhntr]

Baiting, TSS, and youtube, has taken its toll on turkeys, more than any other factors. Anyone who cannot realize that, has no ability to reason.  My personal self imposed limit, is 4 longbeards, Spring and Fall combined. I eat everything on them, and 4 will carry me thru a year, Although I have turkeys on my own land, as well as neighbors, my satisfaction has always come from killing on public ground. No self respecting turkey hunter would kill his own turkeys, at least in the circle I run in

so now youre not a self respecting turkey hunter if you harvest turkeys out of the population on the ground you own lol

you guys always make solid points then go back and say the dumbest "look at me im a old school pro" comment ive ever heard. 


what is this your 3rd or 4th account on here?

can you write out the old swamper pro turkey man pelican lalongbeard rules of engangement?

I WANNA BE A PRO TOO GUYS PLEASE WRITE THE RULES OUT FOR ME.

pat yourself on the back a little harder please

[kytrkyhntr]

wait sorry i forgot your tell...

[quavers59]

  I stopped last Spring  of 2025 at 2 Gobblers in New Jersey to concentrate on New York more and help my Partner get her Gobbler.
    I still think New Jersey should have a Max Spring Limit of 5 Gobblers.
  I know there is a Small group that knowing all the regs,Lightening Fingers during the early minutes of the" Over The Counter" day in March and just plenty of Time,Money, and most likely hunting both Private + Public-- are able to kill 8- 10+ Gobblers a Season- probably  more as the upper limit is 25+ Spring Turkey Tags.
  Problem is this small group grows each Spring . 5 Max in such as small State as New Jersey.  That is plenty enough.
 

[Tom007]

I stopped last Spring  of 2025 at 2 Gobblers in New Jersey to concentrate on New York more and help my Partner get her Gobbler.
    I still think New Jersey should have a Max Spring Limit of 5 Gobblers.
  I know there is a Small group that knowing all the regs,Lightening Fingers during the early minutes of the" Over The Counter" day in March and just plenty of Time,Money, and most likely hunting both Private + Public-- are able to kill 8- 10+ Gobblers a Season- probably  more as the upper limit is 25+ Spring Turkey Tags.
  Problem is this small group grows each Spring . 5 Max in such as small State as New Jersey.  That is plenty enough.
 

I think a limit of 2 would be fine. Obviously it would help dwindling populations. This winter here will certainly affect Northern NJ, minus temps, frozen snow on the ground for months could be a problem, stay tuned. IMO

[JeffC]

I think Jersey does a pretty good job on limiting permit sales per zone but totally agree with the lower numbers of birds around now, my zones sell out every year fast, unfortunately know a few local guys who are self-employed and kill a lot of Toms. I will get a permit for each week, hopefully hunt 1 day per week, but limit myself to 3 Toms. Haven't hit that limit in a longtime.

[quavers59]

Tom007+ JeffC-seasonal member/ don't  know how to quote.
    A good 3 weeks back my Sister filmed a good sized flock of possibly  25 Turkeysin New York- just a few miles from Sussex County,NJ.
  North Jersey Turkey Populations are coming back slowly . There are pocket areas in all the Public Areas in North Jersey and there are alot of these areas. I think Sussex County Turkey Hunters will have more Luck in 2026.
  JeffC- Agree the limit might be better at 3 or 5. I hope to get 3 this Spring before helping out. I probably  help others too much- lol.
  I knowingly laughed while watching a Southern Outdoorsman podcast a few days back-- THIS MAN KNOWS - when Alabama  Turkey Hunter Claude Strothers said to the guy he was calling for -- for 3 Springs. If,I keep Yelping them up for you,I will never take another Gobbler.
  Awesome Podcast- unfortunately  he just passed away at age 82 just before that podcast aired.

[Tom007]

Tom007+ JeffC-seasonal member/ don't  know how to quote.
    A good 3 weeks back my Sister filmed a good sized flock of possibly  25 Turkeysin New York- just a few miles from Sussex County,NJ.
  North Jersey Turkey Populations are coming back slowly . There are pocket areas in all the Public Areas in North Jersey and there are alot of these areas. I think Sussex County Turkey Hunters will have more Luck in 2026.
  JeffC- Agree the limit might be better at 3 or 5. I hope to get 3 this Spring before helping out. I probably  help others too much- lol.
  I knowingly laughed while watching a Southern Outdoorsman podcast a few days back-- THIS MAN KNOWS - when Alabama  Turkey Hunter Claude Strothers said to the guy he was calling for -- for 3 Springs. If,I keep Yelping them up for you,I will never take another Gobbler.
  Awesome Podcast- unfortunately  he just passed away at age 82 just before that podcast aired.

Saw several Bobcats last season in Northern NJ while deer hunting. I took a video of one 35 yards from me stalking a squirrel  along a stream. He moved 30 yards in 20 minutes. He nailed him. A turkey would have been duck soup. These cats are protected in NJ. Had one grab my hen decoy on a farm last season. Stay tuned on how theses cats will affect our already struggling pops. These critters are as stealth as you can get, they will have an impact IMO.

[JeffC]

Keep your Bears and cats up there!!
Now we are dealing with a bad outbreak of suspected bird flu, over 1100 geese dead or found sick. Besides the ongoing loss of habitat and a long hard winter, the Turkeys are really getting beat up. Every time I drive thru, another farm is up for sale, since the supply shortage during covid, builders are putting up warehouses everywhere. Houses are squeezed in between warehouses. Going to be a rough season.     

[GobbleNut]

Now we are dealing with a bad outbreak of suspected bird flu, over 1100 geese dead or found sick...   

I suppose I may just be out of the loop on this, but with all the talk about avian flu and its impact on all sorts of bird species, I am totally shocked that I/we have not heard/read of significant investigations by our wildlife agencies as to how this disease is impacting wild turkey populations...at least I have seen very little about it around these parts. I would think that wildlife agencies across the country would be all over this, but around here...crickets.

[eggshell]

Now we are dealing with a bad outbreak of suspected bird flu, over 1100 geese dead or found sick...   

I suppose I may just be out of the loop on this, but with all the talk about avian flu and its impact on all sorts of bird species, I am totally shocked that I/we have not heard/read of significant investigations by our wildlife agencies as to how this disease is impacting wild turkey populations...at least I have seen very little about it around these parts. I would think that wildlife agencies across the country would be all over this, but around here...crickets.

water fowl carry it and are most affected. Heck, gobblenut, do you even have open water in your state. I went to a Forestry association meeting and the speaker was a research Veterinarian Virologist. It was one of the most informative and interesting talks I have ever attended. His focus was on avian flue and it's affect on wild and domestic fowl. He was with Ohio State University and worked under USDA guidance. His work is part of national research, I believe. I asked him about how it would affect wild turkeys and he said he didn't have any data on wild turkeys, but it was 100 lethal in domestic turkeys. If it got in a turkey farm they all died, he bluntly said, "there are no survivors". I asked if any wildlife agencies were working with the research team and he said not that he new of. If that's true and our agencies aren't involved it's a travesty. However, that's not his division so it could be happening. This is the guy  https://vet.osu.edu/people/andrew-bowman and here's a web page https://vet.osu.edu/research/animal-influenza-ecology-epidemiology-research-program