State season alignment opinions

[TurkeyReaper69]

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

One thing I'll shout from the roof tops is Florida sorely needs to cap non residents when it comes to draw hunts. It's not fair a guy who lives in LaBelle is able to hunt his local state forest the same frequency as some dude from Mississippi. I would cap NR at 8%. Give the locals more opportunity. Sorry non residents either lace up your boots and hit Corbett or pay for private.

[sasquatch1]

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

So you need the govt and their seasons to force you to travel around lol

30 days to hunt is 30 days of hunting. Period

If you can't self control and pick where you want to go and when, and need two separate 15 day seasons to force your decision to travel then so be it.


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[sasquatch1]

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

One thing I'll shout from the roof tops is Florida sorely needs to cap non residents when it comes to draw hunts. It's not fair a guy who lives in LaBelle is able to hunt his local state forest the same frequency as some dude from Mississippi. I would cap NR at 8%. Give the locals more opportunity. Sorry non residents either lace up your boots and hit Corbett or pay for private.

Residents should have some priority I agree.

But, as said time and time again, if states had coordinated openers (idk how big to make the zones etc etc. but, I'll never be convinced the birds on one side of an interstate breed differently than birds on the other side.) some pressure would naturally spread out and not require such stringent restrictions to keep popping up.

Louisiana duck season is one example of ridiculousness. Two zones separate the state. Mostly East and west too, when birds migrate north/south. This puts a lot of pressure in one part of the state for the first week. The earliest opener half of the state gets the amount of hunters of the whole state.

It just don't make sense to me. But hey, I'm not a real hunter


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[Hook hanger]

Screw it i take everything back i said! Let seasons be super long with extra tags available. I'm ready  to kill 100 long beards this year by myself. (Its been to long since I killed the last one)

[sasquatch1]

South Florida gets pounded and yes a lot has to do with it being the only place with Osceola

However it also gets a ton of pressure just due to people wanting to get down there and hunt an extra week or two of the year!!! I'd almost wager that's the bigger portion of the pressure too now days

If it wasn't a lot of those people could hunt Osceolas in parts of the state that open later.

But, for good reason the earlier hunts are harder to draw.


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[sasquatch1]

Just for thought....South Florida has tomatoes hanging on a plant before I have put a plant in the ground.

In Florida to help the resources the best I think you can, lobby to make one state start time. Obviously it would be the later and align with the north.

I personally think this would help a little, but not much. It will turn your remaining non quota hunt areas into quota hunt areas real quick. In 3 years all of the public areas would be quota only.

And, not all of your Non Res hunters are sleeping in their truck or tent. Lots of us old guys like a bed, shower, AC, set down dinner. And maybe we pay money into Pittman Robertson in our home state that goes to others as well.

Public, is public.

By doing that you'd almost perfectly open it the same as when Mississippi does. How ironic

I also don't understand how spreading out pressure will make MORE areas quota hunts. Please elaborate on that angle, what am I missing?

Possibly open up more areas into peoples radar?


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[sasquatch1]

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

A lot of good ideas in this


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[quavers59]

    Pennsylvania  has a  huge army of Turkey Hunters in that big State who without a doubt take part in the early Lottery phase for Spring Turkey in New Jersey.
   Pennsylvania hunters will also compete for any Permits that are left over on the " over the counter" day in late March.
   Too bad everything can be done online now. Who will type the fastest at 10am on that day to Snag as many Turkey Permits as possible  in 1 or more Zones.
    I know most replys are about Florida here- but it would be nice if the Northeast States all opened on the last Saturday  of April.

[Jstocks]

I don't see this ever happening, way too much political involvement with these government agencies for this to ever happen. It's all about showing me the money we can generate from sales in each state. It has very little to do with the good of the turkeys. IMO.... It's been going on for years and it will continue.... IMO.... All geographical areas of the country have a difference in the start up of spring and of course this plays a part in the opening of the seasons... Some of these states take pride in being the first one to open for the spring turkey season...

Exactly. Very little to do with the turkeys at all. Follow the money.

What do you think this is doing to the private lease prices in Mississippi and other southern states with early openers? One Osceola guide I know has raised his price by $700 a hunt and still can't keep up with booking requests. One fella I know is paying $6 an acre for turkey only leases in another southern state. One guy was asking me to pay $8k for turkey rights to a place that had 5 gobbling turkeys on it last year.

I can assure you, the states aren't gonna line up and work together because each person who has the privilege of influencing those decisions has their hand in the cookie jar some way or another.

[snoman4]

Sasquatch said,

"Regional start date idea isn't about making people happy

It's about helping the resource without being pounded all at once. Think South Florida

Tell me how that could be BAD for the resource?"

I have a hard time taking your posts serious.  You advocate for making all turkey hunting start at the same time to better manage and help the birds to take pressure off them.  Then you come to South Florida, hunt public land, before your home area or state opens.  Practice what you preach, young man.  If not, it's nothing more than hypocrisy.

[WV Flopper]

 .

[sasquatch1]

Sasquatch said,

"Regional start date idea isn't about making people happy

It's about helping the resource without being pounded all at once. Think South Florida

Tell me how that could be BAD for the resource?"

I have a hard time taking your posts serious.  You advocate for making all turkey hunting start at the same time to better manage and help the birds to take pressure off them.  Then you come to South Florida, hunt public land, before your home area or state opens.  Practice what you preach, young man.  If not, it's nothing more than hypocrisy.

Yep I sure did! And if the season was more aligned I wouldn't have! And that bird would've been saved

Because I ONLY did it because it's the ONLY thing open

Which is exactly my point!!! Align some season that that won't happen near as much!!

Or if it mattered to me to hunt south Florida I'd sacrifice hunting home and come anyway. Yet, the vast majority won't!'

I play the hand I'm dealt, I don't throw my cards away. Hence I didn't come for the 18th or later. I can't change the world on my own.

People will align their priorities, mine are to hunt as much as I can. No matter what state!! I hunt for days, could care less about the state I'm in unless I reach a limit first. If im not working I'm hunting, simple as that.


I'm glad you can read into a "what y'all think about this" and turn it into I said "my god ppl quit traveling and hunting!!!!"

Besides, why worry about me. I'm not a real turkey hunter so I hear

However thank you florida for giving me some extra hunt time! It was nice

No matter if I go or stay, the same amount of people would've hunted where I did. And who said I was on public land?
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[Mallard1897]

So from what I'm seeing the season alignment is only to try and take pressure off of states for the openers? Once those in neighboring states get their limits or season closes they "have to" travel to the next state. It sounds more like an opening week(s) limited to residents only would keep the pressure down while not limiting opportunities by cutting seasons back.

The only traveling I'm able to do at this point, having young kids at home, is to a neighboring state but I have no issue with those who do travel for earlier openers.

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[sasquatch1]

So from what I'm seeing the season alignment is only to try and take pressure off of states for the openers? Once those in neighboring states get their limits or season closes they "have to" travel to the next state. It sounds more like an opening week(s) limited to residents only would keep the pressure down while not limiting opportunities by cutting seasons back.

The only traveling I'm able to do at this point, having young kids at home, is to a neighboring state but I have no issue with those who do travel for earlier openers.

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Yes essentially. Just no residents only section was in my idea. I see both sides there but, if the seasons aligned a little there'd just be less need to have residents only seasons as the pressure wouldn't be so narrowed down to begin with. However I also do understand a state should take care of their residents in some way also.

All I am trying to say is, if there was a way to balance regions (turkeys don't act different in every single state needing 49 separations) it would spread the pressure out. Now does that mean 4, 8, 12, 20 opening days? Who knows. It's a simple discussion that people can't wait to get emotional over and start putting words in other peoples mouth.

Put it to the extreme for clarity. If every state had a 1 day season, and all those seasons were separate days, each state would house the whole damn countries worth of hunters at a time. You could see the chaos that would bring!

Example. All south florida would have to do public land wise is make the draws for residents only that first week and it would make a big difference. (Even if that does affect me)


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[snoman4]

Sasquatch said,

"Regional start date idea isn't about making people happy

It's about helping the resource without being pounded all at once. Think South Florida

Tell me how that could be BAD for the resource?"

I have a hard time taking your posts serious.  You advocate for making all turkey hunting start at the same time to better manage and help the birds to take pressure off them.  Then you come to South Florida, hunt public land, before your home area or state opens.  Practice what you preach, young man.  If not, it's nothing more than hypocrisy.

Yep I sure did! And if the season was more aligned I wouldn't have! And that bird would've been saved

Because I ONLY did it because it's the ONLY thing open

Which is exactly my point!!! Align some season that that won't happen near as much!!

Or if it mattered to me to hunt south Florida I'd sacrifice hunting home and come anyway. Yet, the vast majority won't!'

I play the hand I'm dealt, I don't throw my cards away. Hence I didn't come for the 18th or later. I can't change the world on my own.

People will align their priorities, mine are to hunt as much as I can. No matter what state!! I hunt for days, could care less about the state I'm in unless I reach a limit first. If im not working I'm hunting, simple as that.


I'm glad you can read into a "what y'all think about this" and turn it into I said "my god ppl quit traveling and hunting!!!!"

Besides, why worry about me. I'm not a real turkey hunter so I hear

However thank you florida for giving me some extra hunt time! It was nice

No matter if I go or stay, the same amount of people would've hunted where I did. And who said I was on public land?
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Where did I say you said people shouldn't travel?  You used South Florida as a specific reference in this thread and pressure being taken off if everyone's season opened at the same time and that is what I specifically called you out on.  In your blackbird thread you said you got your butt kicked on public so a natural assumption would that at some point you hunted public in South Florida.

Why should South Florida have to wait to hunt to align with other states?  If you actually truly understood South Florida you would understand its unique habit and hunting seasons that open to align with the unique habit, both deer and turkey.  Why do they open way earlier than every state for turkey? Why do they open deer season in late July as the deer are rutting?  I'll give you a hint, it has to do with historical water levels when the young would be born to ensure highest survival rates of fawns and chicks.