Pushing Season Start Dates Back...

[fallhnt]

States might as well go to a fall gobbler only season!

That's what I say.

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[btodd00]

I could easily call in a Tom here in Florida at the end of January/first of February in most places I hunt  but then again I have zero issues calling them in last weekend of season in April in places that have a lot of turkeys. On private land Ive heard them well into May still gobbling, I'm usually not on public that time of year but I'm sure they are doing same there on smaller scale. It would not hurt my feelings if we had a later start date to get more in line with rest of openers in the country. In my mind, that would do alot to reduce non resident pressure. Florida has carried the burden of being one of first states open for a long time, and traveling turkey hunters are definitely not new down here (although it has gotten worse the past couple years).

The flip side of that coin, I'm also a avid deer hunter and have travelled To many other states to hunt and would hate if they did something to cut us off from deer hunting those better opportunity states. I've also travelled to turkey hunt. I'm lucky to live in a state that has turkeys the whole country wants to kill but I don't think FWC has put much research into our population. We still have 2 birds spring and 2 bird fall season, rifles allowed on private lands, almost all private land has feeders that you only have to hunt 100 yards from  and a 7 week season if you count both zones. I think there's is a a lot of room for improvement but I don't know enough myself to know what those measures should be.

[sasquatch1]

We also hear about habitat loss, but turkeys will thrive in small urban woodlots all across the country.

I'm on the same page with you about the "habitat loss" theory.

Obviously turkeys need habitat (food/water/roosting/brood rearing/etc.), but they can thrive in some pretty surprising human-altered environments!

For example, this photo is from a few weeks ago, around the corner from my house.

This scenario is highly dependent on the hunting culture surrounding the area

Where I live, they'd be dead in a week


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[guesswho]

We also hear about habitat loss, but turkeys will thrive in small urban woodlots all across the country.

I'm on the same page with you about the "habitat loss" theory.

Obviously turkeys need habitat (food/water/roosting/brood rearing/etc.), but they can thrive in some pretty surprising human-altered environments!

For example, this photo is from a few weeks ago, around the corner from my house.

This scenario is highly dependent on the hunting culture surrounding the area

Where I live, they'd be dead in a week


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I'd give them until about 8:30 am opening day around here.   And that's being generous.

[sasquatch1]

We also hear about habitat loss, but turkeys will thrive in small urban woodlots all across the country.

I'm on the same page with you about the "habitat loss" theory.

Obviously turkeys need habitat (food/water/roosting/brood rearing/etc.), but they can thrive in some pretty surprising human-altered environments!

For example, this photo is from a few weeks ago, around the corner from my house.

This scenario is highly dependent on the hunting culture surrounding the area

Where I live, they'd be dead in a week


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I'd give them until about 8:30 am opening day around here.   And that's being generous.

True, i was being very generous


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[bonasa]

NY could stand to make the opener the first saturday in May following 4 weeks of season. A weekend opener helps retain hunter recruitment and participation, also envelopes the memorial weekend when a lot of people have off and some do turkey hunt there by purchasing a tag.

However many years ago the season used to be one bird could be harvested the first 15 days of the season and 1 the last 16 days of the season. That was a good rule, one i wouldn't mind seeing come back.

Fall the harvest of one bearded turkey would be better than one either sex as the season is now, and elongate the season back to what it was. October 1 to the day before southern firearms deer season.

NJ has it's own set of problems. Bird numbers nothing like they were in late 90's to early 2000's. Its a big money draw with their tags by the zones there. Although with a minimal fall season, always has been, the population has never returned to what it once was. Kinda proves that you cannot stockpile game as the literature suggests.

[PNWturkey]

the season used to be one bird could be harvested the first 15 days of the season and 1 the last 16 days of the season.

Iowa has a similar regulation, 2 bird limit but you can't get both your spring turkeys in the early part of the season...