Nebraska - Advertising Works

[cwedding]

Looks like Nebraska will be the latest state to follow the trend. They now join TN and GA.

Advertise Turkeys -> Increase Hunters -> Decrease Opportunity to Hunt.

Nebraska advertised so hard that their turkey hunting was "The best in the country." I vividly remember when they did an email blast to every single NWTF member saying that they had the best turkey hunting in the entire country. I told several of my comrades when we received the email that they would regret advertising so hard.
Their website still says: "Nebraska offers some of the best turkey hunting opportunities in the entire country. It's not just that Nebraska's got an awful lot of turkeys – including the highly sought-after Merriams – though it certainly does. Nebraska also offers plentiful and affordable permits, long seasons, public access and $8 permits for youth."

Nebraska now estimates that their populations are down 45% since peaking in 2010. They also had a record number of permits sold last season (55,738) and record number of nonresident hunters (16,551). They will be voting on the following recommendations at the end of August:

Spring-

- Resident: Unlimited Resident Permits, personal limit of two permits
- Nonresident: 10,000 permit limitation, personal limit of one permit.
-Daily Bag limit = 1 per day

Fall-
Oct 1 - Nov 30
Residents and Nonresidents - personal limit of 1 permit

So in just the past 3 years we have seen:

> Georgia pay influencers to advertise their turkeys, then take away a TON of opportunity to hunt turkeys. Especially from public land hunters.
> Tennessee pay influencers to advertise their turkeys, then take away a TON of opportunity to hunt turkeys in two consecutive years.
> Nebraska advertise the heck out of their turkeys, and now voting to take away opportunity.

While I overall agree with the measures these state's are taking to protect their flocks, I can't fathom what they possibly thought would happen with their paid advertising. Advertising works! There is a reason ads are everywhere, it works. So if you see your state starting to advertise the wild turkeys of your state, get ready for mass increase in hunters and then opportunity reduction soon after. This seems to be the new route of state agencies.

How about we spend those advertising dollars on rebuilding our turkey flocks instead of influencers and email blasts? If there is a turkey gobbling on every ridge of the state, hunters will come. No need to advertise.

Harold Knight told me at the last NWTF convention that he believed we would be at a 1 bird limit in every state in the not so distant future. It seems to be coming to fruition. 

[Tail Feathers]

Yep, they kind of brought this on themselves.  With the internet hunters, no need to pay to advertise.  If you have turkeys, they will find you.
I do hate to read it may go to one tag per out of stater.  It's a long way out there and I'm not sure I would go for one bird.  I'll probably hunt it in '23 anyway as I have a hunt in another state and I'll be traveling thru NE.  But I won't be hunting the Pine Ridge area.

[HookedonHooks]

The NE Game & Parks booth at Nashville was comically big back in February, not surprised in the slightest.

Nebraska had been one of my favorite states to turkey hunt in years past, even on private land this last season the numbers were noticeably down.

[Jstocks]

I have a feeling that the pressure from May NR hunters is fixing to shift hard to another part of the country and it's going to both ruin some of my favorite states AND change how those states have been traditionally hunted.

[dirtnap]

I have a feeling that the pressure from May NR hunters is fixing to shift hard to another part of the country and it's going to both ruin some of my favorite states AND change how those states have been traditionally hunted.

I agree.

[Kansan]

Same thing happened to Kansas...

[deerhunt1988]

Not surprised a bit. Many of us have been predicting this very thing on this forum for years. Bout all I have left to say these days: "Told ya so."

[nativeks]

Same thing happened to Kansas...

Yep. 2020 we went to 1 bird in much of the state. You will see one state wide soon. I remember seeing on this very forum that "Kansas is the place the internet killed".

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[El Pavo Grande]

I have a feeling that the pressure from May NR hunters is fixing to shift hard to another part of the country and it's going to both ruin some of my favorite states AND change how those states have been traditionally hunted.

And let me guess..... that area has recently been advertised to no end by YouTube sensations?

[Burney Mac]

Yeah buddy. Don't worry though, its' in the best interest of the resource. Has nothing to do with money or ego. Very few people can actually fathom the idea of going out solo, hunting and enjoying their time alone, and not sharing it with the world all the while not padding their own pockets. The folks that "care" the most have done the most damage. Oh the irony.

[Stoeger_bird]

Not surprised a bit. Many of us have been predicting this very thing on this forum for years. Bout all I have left to say these days: "Told ya so."

That's exactly right! But those people were just haters and jealous.

[AndyN]

Sure was fun while it lasted. What state is next on the list to pillage? The youtube tells me WI.

[deerhunt1988]

Sure was fun while it lasted. What state is next on the list to pillage? The youtube tells me WI.

It already got hit hard once after someone's 2019 rampage there. It'll definitely be on the chopping block again as non-residents continue to lose more and more opportunity as YouTubers and influencers exploit public lands for a few bucks and internet fame.

[Paulmyr]

Sure was fun while it lasted. What state is next on the list to pillage? The youtube tells me WI.

It already got hit hard once after someone's 2019 rampage there. It'll definitely be on the chopping block again as non-residents continue to lose more and more opportunity as YouTubers and influencers exploit public lands for a few bucks and internet fame.

Please explain how you think Wi will get pillaged with there being limited license availability.

[deerhunt1988]

Sure was fun while it lasted. What state is next on the list to pillage? The youtube tells me WI.

It already got hit hard once after someone's 2019 rampage there. It'll definitely be on the chopping block again as non-residents continue to lose more and more opportunity as YouTubers and influencers exploit public lands for a few bucks and internet fame.

Please explain how you think Wi will get pillaged with there being limited license availability.

I'm referring to public lands. Yes, licenses may be limited, but as non-residents lose opportunity in one place, they will head to another. Or head to the next "holy land" shown on YouTube. Many of us veteran travelers have watched this play out time and time again. As southern seasons come to a close, hunters can swoop into Wisconsin and start picking up the leftovers. Which there are always plenty for some zones those last few weeks. Wisconsin does it right though with giving residents preference in the initial draw.

It just makes sense to travel to a state or plan trips where you have the opportunity to kill multiple gobblers. At the current trajectory we are on, multiple bird states (for non-residents) will just be further targeted.