Pushing Season Start Dates Back...

[redleg06]

"Wild turkeys are the only gamebird hunted almost exclusively during their spring breeding season.  The statewide average for peak nest initiation in Alabama is the second week in April, and most of the state's spring turkey hunting season opens nearly a month prior to this peak. Every season, over 43% of our total season harvest occurs before April 1, well before peak nest initiation. Ongoing research suggests moving the season opening toward peak nest initiation date to maximize the potential for gobblers to breed with hens prior to harvest. Maximizing opportunities for breeding is extremely important, particularly when populations are declining."

Thoughts on States Pushing Season Start Dates BACK to align with breeding/nesting???

[the Ward]

They did this in the area where i usually hunt. The state wide season opens a week or two before
us. They just started doing this a couple years ago, so i'm not sure yet if it is helping. Hope that it will!

[silvestris]

The problem is too many people hunting a finite resource, along with a few other factors such as habitat, predators and nefarious methods of "hunting".

[PNWturkey]

Many states have the pushed back season start dates that you describe.

Here is a map that I made for 2021:

[Wigsplitter]

 Arkansas used to have an April 1st opening or at least first Saturday in April - we have had days reduced and season backed up for the reasons you have explained - we just opened Monday April 18th- this has been going on a couple years now- other states are starting to do the same thing - I think it's probably sound biology but we haven't seen much results of this effort in my opinion- they will most likely drop bag limit back as is proposed next year from 2 to 1 - I see this trend affecting a lot of states

[nativeks]

Many states have the pushed back season start dates that you describe.

Here is a map that I made for 2021:

That map isnt correct. Kansas has folks start April 1 with youth and disabled. Then archery starts April 8th.

I do find it somewhat funny that when our season ran the 2nd wednesday in april to May 15th we had birds. Then we really liberalized seasons spring and fall and bird numbers have decreased since.

[Sixes]

Georgia started this season a week later on private and 2 weeks on public.

I don't much care for the new rule and if their goal was to protect gobblers, IMO they should have left the limits and dates for residents the same and either have a quota for NRs or open it up to NR 2-3 weeks later and lower their limit to one.

[silvestris]

Again, too many people.  When the illegals start hunting them, it will be a total goat rodeo.

[Kylongspur88]

I'm for it in some locations. I'd also like to see KY go back to a weekday opener and 1 pm cut off for the first week of the season.

[Flatbottomarky]

Seems to me that opening season on private earlier will only compound the problem on public. People that have it will hunt the private, then hit public for another opener.  So far pushing the season back hasn't seemed to help AR.


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[Tail Feathers]

I live in E. Texas, eastern turkey country.  Latitude wise, I'm about even with S. Alabama.  My season opens 04/22.  It's pretty late in the breeding cycle but they are still gobbling the first week in May.  They are beginning to lose interest by that time, but it's better than closing the season completely, like they have done in most of the surrounding counties.
So you guys in MO, IL, IA....you will still be good in your hunting opening now.  You will be able to find and work birds, I promise.

[RutnNStrutn]

Again, too many people.  When the illegals start hunting them, it will be a total goat rodeo.

Why don't you do your part, and give up turkey hunting? For the good of the species?

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[runngun]

Louisiana moved our season, opening now in April.
Forever it opened the 3rd week of March. Always remember because it was always around my parents anniversary.
When they 1st moved it, I thought that I was going to have a heart attack. Called our Chapter President to raise Cain. But he explained the reasoning very well. We were killing all of our Longbeards before they could breed. Which is not good at all.  I have seen more Longbeards as a result.

Have a good one
            Bo

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[GobbleGitr]

I have heard or seen people on podcasts and forums bellyaching about moving the seasons back...and yes, as a turkey hunter, it sucks.  But if we want turkeys to hunt tomorrow, today we have to make some moves and sacrifices.  I am encouraged by states willing to take action, and not all of what they will do stand the test of time, but I sure am rooting for the turkeys. 

[Number17]

Pennsylvania has always had a later start date, set to occur after the majority of hens were bred.
Many other States started the season during the peak of breeding or before.
PA had a massive turkey boom in the 90's and early 2000's even though our hunter numbers were at an all time high, and I believe many of the early start States saw this same boom.
So I believe it's a good thing to bump seasons back to after peak breeding, but obviously there is something else knocking down the population on nearly a nationwide scale.
Look at States like Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine with a booming population right now even though they have the same start dates as Pa with a more Northern latitude.
And we are all in the same boat with fur prices in the crapper, increased ground and aerial predators.......so something else is going on.
We also hear about habitat loss, but turkeys will thrive in small urban woodlots all across the country.
Hopefully this widespread population downturn is a result of disease or neonics or something else that can be controlled and possibly move on from this.