Out Of State Regs-1 Bird

[GobbleNut]

Pretty crazy to me how willingly we are now days to give up our hunting opportunities. If you look at the data, I'm willing to bet an extremely small percentage of non-resident hunters actually kill multiple birds in a given state. Especially on public lands. And saving a few birds from non-residents is going to do NOTHING at the landscape level to help populations. On small, localized areas it may could help with carryover (that is if another person doesn't kill that bird). But in the big picture, nada.

Before the social media/YouTube boom, (when turkey numbers still weren't doing so well in a lot of places) you'd never see a discussion like this get so much support. Once opportunity is taken away, you will likely never get it back. Regardless of how bird populations or hunter numbers are trending.

Regs like this would also affect non-resident landowners and leaseholders. On the bright side, I guess it could potentially lower turkey lease prices (I'm all for that!) and free them up for residents.

One thing I loved so much more about turkey hunting over deer hunting, was that it as an "everyman's game". No need for expensive leases, high price tags, or complicated draw systems. My oh my how quickly those days have ended! Just glad I got to experience the bountiful opportunities before social media, YouTube, and the commercialization of turkey hunting in general, all pissed in our Cheerios. You already need access to private land to hunt the season in its entirety in multiple states now (Alabama, Georgia) due to recent changes. South Carolina as well, but its been like that for a while. And we can brace for me. Turning into a rich man's game, fellas!

If there wasn't so many turkey hunters in general, no social media,  no YouTube, etc I'd agree with you 100%.  BUT there is...... who would of ever dreamed 20yrs ago so many guys would start turkey hunting not to mention travel to multiple states in one year.  People thought I was crazy 25yrs ago when I was hunting 2 or 3 states per year. 
I definitely miss the simpler times.

I see both sides of the coin here,...BUT,  when all is said and done, I agree with Roost (and the consensus among other posters in this thread) on this one.  We have reached a point with hunter saturation and declining turkey numbers where a choice has to be made between quantity and quality.  At this point in time, quality wins out for me in this discussion (we can debate the quality versus quantity issue further, if warranted)

As I have stated, there was a time when I would have fought tooth and nail against reducing spring gobbler bag limits.  In my mind, times have changed.  Mind you, I don't swallow that pill easily, but I am now willing to do so based on what we are seeing happening around the country. 

[Tail Feathers]

If I'm spending money to travel to another state, I'd much prefer to have a chance at two birds.  Three is even better but those states are becoming fewer and fewer.  Admittedly, I've been to three bird states and only come home with one bird, but I had the opportunity if circumstances had permitted.
That's a lot to spend on travel and a hunt to stop at one bird.  I may be forced in the future to hunt more states as one bird limits will become more common I think.

[arkrem870]

   

Pretty crazy to me how willingly we are now days to give up our hunting opportunities. If you look at the data, I'm willing to bet an extremely small percentage of non-resident hunters actually kill multiple birds in a given state. Especially on public lands. And saving a few birds from non-residents is going to do NOTHING at the landscape level to help populations. On small, localized areas it may could help with carryover (that is if another person doesn't kill that bird). But in the big picture, nada.

What it would also cause, is a chain reaction. We are currently seeing these chain reactions in regulations play out now. Many of us on this forum predicted this exact thing would happen. As one state implements non-resident/public land restrictions or reduces the bag limit, traveling turkey hunters focus elsewhere. Bama/Ga tighten down on public lands, more hunters head to TN. TN public lands get overwhelmed, they tighten down. We will see another shift in this pressure for 2023. The same thing will happen if states start going to 1 bird NR limits. Non-rez pressure will just inundate the next closest area with a multiple bird bag limit. When in reality, they won't kill multiple. It is more of a perception issue.

Before the social media/YouTube boom, (when turkey numbers still weren't doing so well in a lot of places) you'd never see a discussion like this get so much support. Once opportunity is taken away, you will likely never get it back. Regardless of how bird populations or hunter numbers are trending.

Regs like this would also affect non-resident landowners and leaseholders. On the bright side, I guess it could potentially lower turkey lease prices (I'm all for that!) and free them up for residents.

One thing I loved so much more about turkey hunting over deer hunting, was that it as an "everyman's game". No need for expensive leases, high price tags, or complicated draw systems. My oh my how quickly those days have ended! Just glad I got to experience the bountiful opportunities before social media, YouTube, and the commercialization of turkey hunting in general, all pissed in our Cheerios. You already need access to private land to hunt the season in its entirety in multiple states now (Alabama, Georgia) due to recent changes. South Carolina as well, but its been like that for a while. And we can brace for me. Turning into a rich man's game, fellas!

[RutnNStrutn]

We'll, it all sounds good on the outside, but when you actually dig into the meat of it, who's killing the VAST majority of gobblers?
Residents!!! Of course!
Non-residents make up the minority of hunters everywhere you go. So if you want REAL help for the turkey population, restrict everyone.
For example, I've been deer and turkey hunting SC as a non-resident for almost 15 years. The bag limit used to be 5 gobblers, which I never took, but TONS of resident hunters did every year. Then they dropped the bag limit to 3, then they not only reduced non-resident only to 2, but charged us $100 for the privilege of having our limits reduced. For SC, it was all about hogging the gobblers for the residents, while gouging non-residents for $100 each. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with helping the turkey population.
In most states, the almighty dollar comes first, so I wouldn't be looking for them to reduce license/tag fees.
Personally, I just want to see the turkey population rebound so I can enjoy hunting like in the good old days. To that means, research needs to be done, changes need to be made, predators need to be taken out and funding for habitat improvement needs to be allocated.
But I won't be holding my breath. Those are all expensive, so look for more of the cheap and ineffectual restrictions on non-residents to increase.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[Cowboy]

Look out New Jersey, here THEY come!!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

Look out New Jersey, here THEY come!!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

NJ is the worst it's been in the past 15 years. Harvest last year down over 18%. Results from this year not in yet, but the word is it's way down. The Northern part of the state has really been hit with a drop in Turkey numbers. They most likely will be lowering permits in certain areas or there will be a huge problem down the road....stay tuned...

[deerhunt1988]

The problem most have with non-residents is really a PUBLIC LAND PRESSURE problem moreso than a bag limit problem. If people have an issue with non-residents killing more than 1 bird, I imagine it is due to them (the resident) hunting the same public land. The non-resident is taking away from THEIR (the resident's) opportunity to kill the same bird. Or impacting the resident's hunt quality. Regulating non-residents on public lands is a bit different than regulating NR statewide!

I really think Mississippi went the right direction with their 2 week non-resident public land draw. You want to hunt the public lands, you have to draw. If you don't draw, you can still come hunt afterwards. If a non-resident owns or leases land in MS, they can still hunt early season on private lands if they don't draw. What they legally kill on private lands really shouldn't concern anyone other than the same ones hunting that private land.

I'm much quicker to support non-resident quotas on public land than I am statewide bag limit reductions. What I hate to see is RESIDENTS get shafted when entire WMAs go quota hunt only or enact stricter regulations when a bulk of the pressure issue is from non-residents. Case in point, TN's recent changes. More quota hunts and 1-bird the first 2 weeks for ALL hunters on some WMAs where half or more of the harvest this spring came from non-residents! TN should have taken care of its resident's first rather than restricting opportunity for all.

Florida is another prime example of the above. More quota hunts enacted by the day, with no preference to residents. I've seen some hunts where over half the tags are drawn out by NR. I really feel for south zone residents who have lost a tremendous amount of open hunting opportunity due to some of their WMAs being pimped out all over YouTube since 2018.

[joey46]

I'm betting KY is seriously considering a non-res reduction but their tags are pricey anyway.  Having lived there a few years I'll guarantee their residents would jump all over it.

[deerhunt1988]

I'm betting KY is seriously considering a non-res reduction but their tags are pricey anyway.  Having lived there a few years I'll guarantee their residents would jump all over it.

Their commission was considering non-resident restrictions last summer. No doubt it'll be brought up again! With TN moving their season back closer to the KY opener, KY may very possible see NR numbers unlike ever before during Spring 2023. All goes back to the chain reactions I mentioned in my previous post.

Simplest solution? A non-resident draw for public lands the first week of their season.

[shatcher]

All for it.  Glad that TN and KY will now open at the same time.

[joey46]

Be nice if KY, TN, WV and OH all opened the same day.  Remember when OH opened on a Monday and KY opened on April 15th?  The good old days.  Really seemed to spread out the public land pressure.

[Roost 1]

The problem most have with non-residents is really a PUBLIC LAND PRESSURE problem moreso than a bag limit problem. If people have an issue with non-residents killing more than 1 bird, I imagine it is due to them (the resident) hunting the same public land. The non-resident is taking away from THEIR (the resident's) opportunity to kill the same bird. Or impacting the resident's hunt quality. Regulating non-residents on public lands is a bit different than regulating NR statewide!

I really think Mississippi went the right direction with their 2 week non-resident public land draw. You want to hunt the public lands, you have to draw. If you don't draw, you can still come hunt afterwards. If a non-resident owns or leases land in MS, they can still hunt early season on private lands if they don't draw. What they legally kill on private lands really shouldn't concern anyone other than the same ones hunting that private land.

I'm much quicker to support non-resident quotas on public land than I am statewide bag limit reductions. What I hate to see is RESIDENTS get shafted when entire WMAs go quota hunt only or enact stricter regulations when a bulk of the pressure issue is from non-residents. Case in point, TN's recent changes. More quota hunts and 1-bird the first 2 weeks for ALL hunters on some WMAs where half or more of the harvest this spring came from non-residents! TN should have taken care of its resident's first rather than restricting opportunity for all.

Florida is another prime example of the above. More quota hunts enacted by the day, with no preference to residents. I've seen some hunts where over half the tags are drawn out by NR. I really feel for south zone residents who have lost a tremendous amount of open hunting opportunity due to some of their WMAs being pimped out all over YouTube since 2018.

I agree with this.

[quavers59]

  I agree with Tom007.  Mid New Jersey and Turkey Rich South New Jersey might have to reduce permit numbers.  North Jersey has very few Turkeys.   Still I will pay the $135.50 non Resident Hunting License Fee and 21 dollar Turkey Permit to walk the Turkey Ghost Woods. I am making someone Rich.

[Jimspur]

Be nice if KY, TN, WV and OH all opened the same day.  Remember when OH opened on a Monday and KY opened on April 15th?  The good old days.  Really seemed to spread out the public land pressure.

One of the ways we could spread the public land pressure out is to have
3 opening days across the nation. The southern tier of states would open on April 1st, the central tier would open on April 15th, and the northern tier on April 30th.

[Cowboy]

Be nice if KY, TN, WV and OH all opened the same day.  Remember when OH opened on a Monday and KY opened on April 15th?  The good old days.  Really seemed to spread out the public land pressure.

One of the ways we could spread the public land pressure out is to have
3 opening days across the nation. The southern tier of states would open on April 1st, the central tier would open on April 15th, and the northern tier on April 30th.

That won't happen because each STATE regulates their own. Red states or blue states each with their own agenda.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk