With So Many Of Us Now- Should We Recruit Ever More Turkey Hunters?

[Turkeyman]

GobbleNut and dzsmith pretty much hit it above. If I'm turkey hunting...let's say a quality turkey hunt...and there's another turkey hunter that can hear the same gobbler as I...that's one too many. Not like, say, bow hunting for deer. Where there could be another hunter just as little as a couple hundred yards from you and you'd not be affected by him.

[fallhnt]

If decoys and fanning were outlawed, there would be much fewer "turkey hunters" in the woods...

Throw spring seasons in there too.

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[Greg Massey]

If decoys and fanning were outlawed, there would be much fewer "turkey hunters" in the woods...

Oh boy, here we go again.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

Let's add TSS to the mix... oh boy here we go again...

[Tom007]

I guess we all have to realize we were new hunters also at one time.

This sums it up. Everyone started out as a "newbie". It's what kind of turkey hunter you develop into that has the most influence on our fraternity. You can't teach ethics, it's in your personality. Be safe...

[Spitten and drummen]

When it comes to turkey hunting , Im greedy and not ashamed to say so. I learned to turkey hunt 40 years ago with no one to help me. This hunter recruitment is a joke. No we dont need more turkey hunters. We have plenty already. Like previously stated , turn them onto deer hunting. The deer population is exploding. You can even kill them in a neighborhood backyard.

[topnotch]

I understand the frustration, all season I've had multiple gobblers interupped before I could get the bird close enough. Two days ago I went over to the hunters that have drove me nuts this year and introduced myself. After meeting them they explained this was their first year and all they knew to do was to chase in the direction of the gobble and saw on their box call. I offered to call for in the morning and help them get setup. We'll see how that turns out. I'm pushing them to joining TFT, and gave them,the number for the local NWTF chapter. If we don't have new blood coming in than in a few years it will be nothing more than a memory.

[Sanders153]

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation had the slogan Past it On for a long time. They may still do. Wholeheartedly, I agree, I don't want folks busting up my setup. But also, I don't want to see our wonderful gift of wild turkey hunting fade off into history like the old west

[drake799]

We don't need recruitment we need a purge LOL.  Hunters almost outnumber turkeys these days it seems.  Every year it gets worse. 

[dzsmith]

The only person I intend to pass the sport on to is my sons ..... and at this point , there may be nothing to pass on. And it's not because of lack on interest , it's because of too much interest. If the sport dies from lack of recruitment , which it won't...... then so be it. I'd rather the sport die from lack of recruitment, than from extinction of the species

[CALLM2U]

If I'm being candid, the sentiments on this thread are a bit disturbing. 

By saying we need to stop recruiting, you're telling a lot of people on this board they shouldn't introduce their sons or daughters into turkey hunting. 

[AndyN]

Do we have that many more turkey hunters nationwide or are more people traveling and being concentrated to limited public lands? We've been dealing with a number of factors in recent years. The last two springs people have been able to work from home more. Cheap gas prices were allowing people to travel more. That one will change with the idiot we have in office. My SD turkey trip cost $125 more in gas this year than last year and I'm sure it will be more in the future. Just wait until they have us driving electric and you've gotta stop for 8hrs to charge up halfway through the trip. The other is lack of access. Less and less people are knocking on doors because everything is leased up or was sold specifically for hunting purposes. Each year in my area of KS we lose 1-2 turkey WIHAs. At that rate 10 years from now there won't be any left. More and more real estate companies are catering specifically to hunters as well as these leasing companies. The only thing that may help is when some of the baby boomers start aging out as they make up 30% of our hunters. But with that we also lose a funding source. We're not losing hunters right now. Hunter numbers have remained steady or increasing for a number of years. It's the percentage of the population that's dropping which is expected because we have too many damn people on this planet. But it's hard to get new people out when the amount of access keeps going down and a lot of guys have enough trouble just finding one good spot for themselves.

[deerhunt1988]

Yeah we need way more turkey hunters. Just ask the YouTubers.

[quavers59]

  I understand that the Amish are Master deer + Turkey hunters in parts of Pennsylvania. They pass the tradition  on  still.
  Wondering if anyone here are seeing a big decline in Turkey numbers in various PA Counties.

[ChesterCopperpot]

Once I get these hardened, bronzed, and mounted on my walking sticks I'll have these boys running in circles.


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[Sixes]

Maybe I am just an idiot, but could some of y'all explain to me why if we do not recruit more hunters into the sport, then that sport will die?

I wish more people would quit deer and turkey hunting. The way I see it is just like supply and demand.  The less competition for land and game will decrease the demand on land and in return lower prices on leases and increase the number of animals. It would go back to where the local farmers would say "Hell YES, kill every deer you see" instead of him now saying, I have it lease out for $20 an acre, but if you want to pay $25, then we can talk. I don't blame the farmer, but if the demand was not there, then the roles would be reversed and what has happened is the huge influx of hunters.

Everyone has been brainwashed by all these organizations to "bring in new hunters or the sport will die" but their real intention is to bring in new hunters to continue to fill their coffers and pay their salaries. Hunters are naive.

Just my .02 and remember, I clearly stated that I am an idiot.