State season alignment opinions

[snoman4]

Florida will never be lightened because we have birds no one else has and most people want.  I prefer things the way they are.  It makes travel hunting easier with different dates for different states. 

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[TurkeyReaper69]

Man this thread is scary, hunters advocating for their own loss of opportunity.

[snoman4]

The elephant in the room no one seems to want to discuss is we kill birds now we didn't 25 years ago.  Reaping, fanning, heavier than lead shot, better guns and chokes, optics, and allowing hunting over or near bait have made killing birds more successful for the vast majority of hunters.  Changing seasons will only do so much. 

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[sasquatch1]

Man this thread is scary, hunters advocating for their own loss of opportunity.

Where is the loss of opportunity? Total Season days are same in my thought or idea.

I'm hoping to open opportunities by spreading pressure. Cuz lately we been losing opportunities due to the narrowed down pressure

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[silvestris]

Nothing is more pleasant than the last ten days of March.  I hunt for pleasure, so the later seasons are not appreciated by me.  I would trade three of the later for one of the former.

[El Pavo Grande]

The elephant in the room no one seems to want to discuss is we kill birds now we didn't 25 years ago.  Reaping, fanning, heavier than lead shot, better guns and chokes, optics, and allowing hunting over or near bait have made killing birds more successful for the vast majority of hunters.  Changing seasons will only do so much. 

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This 100%. If the goal is to slow the harvest down, why aren't agencies looking at "how we hunt"?  It's common sense.  Let's not take away opportunity in days hunted BEFORE we look at, as you stated, male decoys and decoy usage, remote control decoys,  reaping, 70-80 yard routine shots.  A step further.... Partner with the USFS on size and timing of burns.  It matters.  For the hunter recruitment argument, you need days afield, and solid population numbers to hunt.  It's simple.  All else will work itself out.   

Why not?  $$$ and marketing I would guess.  It's too big of an animal now to just quietly adjust.  Much easier and less headache to adjust season dates and lengths, and create limited draw hunts, etc.  The same folks and companies that promotes hunter recruitment, turns a blind eye to what will effect it most down the road. 

The "if it's legal" probably crowd just stood on their head in disgust I'm sure. 

I sent a respectful and well thought out letter to each game commissioner of my state to share thoughts on this subject, and request at least a review.   One responded with a non-answer, and no response from any others.  I would have rather gotten a response of "go fly a kite" than nothing. 

I also asked the state NWTF President where they stood on some of these subjects.  Had a good personal response on the subject, but wasn't sure what the NWTF's stance is.   He didn't have to tell me without me already knowing. 

[cracker4112]

I'm lucky in that I'm a 90% Florida private land hunter and I don't have any problems with the way it is right now, for ME. 

Just wanted to reply that the gobblers have been doing their thing at on of my places south of 70 since December and were full out by Jan 15.

[Tail Feathers]

My part of Texas has Eastern turkeys.  Most counties have closed the turkey season completely.  What season we have opens ridiculously late, to purposely keep the harvest low.  But the population struggles greatly here to survive so we take what we can get. 
I think the individual states should keep running their own hunting seasons.  They should know the populations and hunter's needs best. 
When is the last time Federal Govt getting involved in anything made it better, cheaper or less complicated?

[WV Flopper]

 LOL, if you don't recognize the LOSS in opportunity your not a turkey hunter. End of discussion for me.

[Old Gobbler]

Non resident hunters are not that much of a issue in Florida, if any issue at all ..once you start playing games with limiting non res , then your neighbor starts doing it then there is a non res pissing war ..

the problem is ..simply turkey hunting is awesome and word has got out

The quota system is a JOKE , they let  you to bring a hunting guest ..so what people are doing is getting everyone in their family a application ...the state knows about it but they want the money ...hunting guests was never allowed until they yanked the transferability of permits ..they took one step forward ..and then a step back on that ..quit with the games , legitimately close up the gaming loop holes and raise license fees across the board to make up with the shortfall ..people are driving $50 ,000 pickups and the FWC is worried about 10 bucks ...wake up

1) They need to raise the turkey stamp price up some for residents to $25 and start being so afraid of their shadow with all the licence fees

2) beard length rule like I think Arkansas and Mississippi has ? Aka (no jakes )

3) no hens ..not even in fall 

4) big big loophole with quota applications..people just buy the $26 management stamp to apply on any quota , duck , deer , turkey ..the FWC need to require they are fully licensed..hunting management , turkey , and any other applicable permit ..archery for deer , etc. . then skipping out on the rest until they get drawn ...then when  grandma gets pulled for a permit they buy her everything and have her sit in the pick up truck ...while you go hunt ..and it's fully legal

From there watch and see , honestly I seriously think if things keep declining every single management area will be quota ..and eventually if things don't improve do what other states have done and lower the harvest total ... 1 gobbler a year is a hard pill to swallow , but if we take corrective measures we can avoid that

[snoman4]

Non resident hunters are not that much of a issue in Florida, if any issue at all ..once you start playing games with limiting non res , then your neighbor starts doing it then there is a non res pissing war ..

the problem is ..simply turkey hunting is awesome and word has got out

The quota system is a JOKE , they let  you to bring a hunting guest ..so what people are doing is getting everyone in their family a application ...the state knows about it but they want the money ...hunting guests was never allowed until they yanked the transferability of permits ..they took one step forward ..and then a step back on that ..quit with the games , legitimately close up the gaming loop holes and raise license fees across the board to make up with the shortfall ..people are driving $50 ,000 pickups and the FWC is worried about 10 bucks ...wake up

1) They need to raise the turkey stamp price up some for residents to $25 and start being so afraid of their shadow with all the licence fees

2) beard length rule like I think Arkansas and Mississippi has ? Aka (no jakes )

3) no hens ..not even in fall 

From there watch and see , honestly I seriously think if things keep declining every single management area will be quota ..and eventually if things don't improve do what other states have done and lower the harvest total ... 1 gobbler a year is a hard pill to swallow , but if we take corrective measures we can avoid that

Shannon the only hens legal in Florida, Fall or Spring, are bearded hens if I'm not mistaken.  I doubt very many hens get killed here in Florida.  I have only known one hen to be killed in my 40+ years of hunting turkeys here in Florida.  She had a 9" beard.

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[El Pavo Grande]

These state agencies better focus on more than just reducing seasons and harvest.   As shared previously, Arkansas is the prime example.  No jakes, no fall hunting, reduced days, later openers..... for years.  Greatly reduced harvest as designed.  And the decline continued.  Aggressive habitat improvements and balancing predator #s or otherwise it will be "peeing in the wind".  Absolutely we should be conservative in when we remove gobblers, but there better be much more to it.   

[Old Gobbler]

Non resident hunters are not that much of a issue in Florida, if any issue at all ..once you start playing games with limiting non res , then your neighbor starts doing it then there is a non res pissing war ..

the problem is ..simply turkey hunting is awesome and word has got out

The quota system is a JOKE , they let  you to bring a hunting guest ..so what people are doing is getting everyone in their family a application ...the state knows about it but they want the money ...hunting guests was never allowed until they yanked the transferability of permits ..they took one step forward ..and then a step back on that ..quit with the games , legitimately close up the gaming loop holes and raise license fees across the board to make up with the shortfall ..people are driving $50 ,000 pickups and the FWC is worried about 10 bucks ...wake up

1) They need to raise the turkey stamp price up some for residents to $25 and start being so afraid of their shadow with all the licence fees

2) beard length rule like I think Arkansas and Mississippi has ? Aka (no jakes )

3) no hens ..not even in fall 

From there watch and see , honestly I seriously think if things keep declining every single management area will be quota ..and eventually if things don't improve do what other states have done and lower the harvest total ... 1 gobbler a year is a hard pill to swallow , but if we take corrective measures we can avoid that

Shannon the only hens legal in Florida, Fall or Spring, are bearded hens if I'm not mistaken.  I doubt very many hens get killed here in Florida.  I have only known one hen to be killed in my 40+ years of hunting turkeys here in Florida.  She had a 9" beard.

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turkey of either sex is legal in some Archery and gun wma's  areas (I won't name them ) they are limited ..that needs to be yanked ..it's a crazy loop hole even though the state regs prohibit it

Bearded hens .. that's a deal where I think a judgement from a biological standpoint needs to be made .. something Florida doesn't do they simply do whatever they want

[snoman4]

Non resident hunters are not that much of a issue in Florida, if any issue at all ..once you start playing games with limiting non res , then your neighbor starts doing it then there is a non res pissing war ..

the problem is ..simply turkey hunting is awesome and word has got out

The quota system is a JOKE , they let  you to bring a hunting guest ..so what people are doing is getting everyone in their family a application ...the state knows about it but they want the money ...hunting guests was never allowed until they yanked the transferability of permits ..they took one step forward ..and then a step back on that ..quit with the games , legitimately close up the gaming loop holes and raise license fees across the board to make up with the shortfall ..people are driving $50 ,000 pickups and the FWC is worried about 10 bucks ...wake up

1) They need to raise the turkey stamp price up some for residents to $25 and start being so afraid of their shadow with all the licence fees

2) beard length rule like I think Arkansas and Mississippi has ? Aka (no jakes )

3) no hens ..not even in fall 

From there watch and see , honestly I seriously think if things keep declining every single management area will be quota ..and eventually if things don't improve do what other states have done and lower the harvest total ... 1 gobbler a year is a hard pill to swallow , but if we take corrective measures we can avoid that

Shannon the only hens legal in Florida, Fall or Spring, are bearded hens if I'm not mistaken.  I doubt very many hens get killed here in Florida.  I have only known one hen to be killed in my 40+ years of hunting turkeys here in Florida.  She had a 9" beard.

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turkey of either sex is legal in some Archery and gun wma's  areas (I won't name them ) they are limited ..that needs to be yanked ..it's a crazy loop hole even though the state regs prohibit it

Bearded hens .. that's a deal where I think a judgement from a biological standpoint needs to be made .. something Florida doesn't do they simply do whatever they want

Never knew they were legal in some of the WMAS.  They aren't up here in north east or north central in any that I know of or at least the ones I've hunted in past years.  Hens, other than bearded, have never been legal on private lands that I know of.

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[roberthyman14]

We have several Titanic issues facing Florida
1) is that the FWC is clueless ...did you know they only harvest about 500 turkeys in the entire state wma's !!!!And that half are really hybrids or eastern ..the rest of the private land is being developed at a alarming rate ..we got 21 million people in the state and they project a 45 million population by 2050 ...if you haven't turkey hunted in Florida...hope you plan on doing it soon !!

Central Florida Guides are getting $3000 per gobbler , I was informed there is a guide service that gets that in groups of 4-6 ...all 6 weekends of the season and averages %40 success! And gets 3 grand ..I told people 10 years ago this would happen ..and I'll tell you guides get $2800 in Florida for fulvous tree ducks ...in 5 years time it will be 5-7 thousand dollars for a real Osceola..and it will keep going up



Some of the better leases south of Orlando get $10,000 per year per member and you have to share that with other lease holders and that's for 2 birds

About the only thing they have done right is move the "line" of demarcation for Osceolas to near Jacksonville..a move yet again based on zero scientific data ..the foremost expert (Dr. Lovett Williams) and every real turkey hunter in the state will tell you Orlando and south for the real deal ! Anyways this simple act of buffoonery , may have saved Osceolas from over hunting as every cracker with a airboat is guiding out of staters to "get thier slam" all over north Florida ..and trust me the guide$ will tell you different! But those birds north of Orlando are hybrids, some a tiny bit , some a way bit

2) here is the hard facts ... with in 15 to 20 years all of the suitable land that is coded or will be coded for residential development will slowly checkerboard the horizon..urban sprawl will creep ever so quickly ...those WMA's that butt up to private land and pull birds in off those leases ..well the WMA's will be the only place with habitat..cause those leases will be shopping malls , apartment buildings , warehouses freeways and the like ...

20- 30 years from now Florida will issue tags like they do for Dall Ram and Elk in other states ..the preference points will go through the roof ..look for the FWC to start doing some crazy stuff once they figure out how bad the situation really is with the new online harvest check-in that is mandatory

BTW Alaska kills more Dall Ram than Florida kills turkeys on WMA's enjoy turkey hunting while you can ...

Hear me now .. believe me later

100% truth.  All the worry about is money.  We see it with charter fishing.  They get extra days n early start dates on certain species of fish.  Itll be like Canada soon. Only way hunt up there is with a guide if you are not a resident.  But florida will make the rule you can only harvest fish with a guide or kill turkeys with a guide.  And thatll be for residents as well.

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