Bird Numbers Down/ Decrees The Limit ?

[g8rvet]

Bothers me too Joey that I have been a lifelong Florida hunter and once I turn 65 I get the same free license as someone that just moved here.  Just does not seem right, but it is what it is.  Florida has never been wise.  Very happy with the Harvest Report starting and maybe they can learn the number of OOS harvests of Osceola and start charging.  I have no problem with a tag system.  Did it for years with doe permits, not a big deal. 

I like the limit idea.  Draws are already tough for Spring Quota with most of ours in the North going to South hunters that put us down as a lower option.  We all part of the same state, so I don't see that changing.

[Dtrkyman]

I was traveling and killing turkeys long before limits were decreased!

Things will get worse in some places before they get better!

The influx of travelers is a small issue in the grand scheme of Turkey available to hunt!


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[joey46]

I was traveling and killing turkeys long before limits were decreased!

Things will get worse in some places before they get better!

The influx of travelers is a small issue in the grand scheme of Turkey available to hunt!

Agree 100%.  So few turkey hunters can afford to travel the country, buy non-res licenses, fly, rent cars, stay in motels, eat in restaurants etc etc that they are a non factor.  States with limited public land could be an exception. Maybe.

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[Borsy]

Regarding the OPs original question, I wonder what percent of the spring harvest in TN is filled by non-resident hunters?

[Greg Massey]

Regarding the OPs original question, I wonder what percent of the spring harvest in TN is filled by non-resident hunters?

Good question, i wonder what that number is myself ...

[Marc]

I would rather see a tightening of the regs regarding legal means of harvest than a decrease in bag limit. Make it harder to kill them = more turkeys.

I would agree with that...  No decoys on public land, restricted decoy use on private...  No electronic decoys (or  electronic calls).

But...  I have a suspicion that you could dramatically decrease the number of harvested birds, and we would still see a decline.

Pheasant populations plummeted here in California, and there is nobody hunting them anymore (primarily cause there are not enough to hunt).  Populations are NOT increasing. 

Habitat is the limiting factor...  Improve the habitat, and turkey numbers will increase.  Something similar to CRP but on a larger scale...  Hunters and hunting organizations would have to fund such programs.

[eggshell]

Decreasing limits does reduce the number of Out of state hunters when a neighnoring state stays at their original limit. I see it here in Ohio since we went to one bird. It was very common to see Out of State tags before and now it is rare. I know two leases that have OOS lease owners and both quit turkey hunting, because it's not worth it for them to travel in their minds. Does this make a difference in the flock, no not at all. The birds are just killed by locals anyway and your talking 2 birds per lease on average. I have hunted Ky for 38 years and the last two I have seen 2-3 times the number of ohio plates in Ky. I actually hunted more days in Ky than Ohio last year, mainly because of the limit here. I live an hour from the border. In the end it matters to hunters, but very little to the birds. I do not think liimit restrictions are a sound management strategy at all. Shorter seasons and regulating methods would do more. Ohio went to two gobblers way back when we had less birds than now and the flock still grew, why does it matter now? The short answer is it does not. Most limit reductions are just a way to appease the hunting community. we all scream, "do something" and changing limits is the fasttest and easiet way to say, "we hear you". Biologically it's a farse and false prohecy. Something else is reducing our flocks not an extra gobbler harvested here and there. Research shows in our state only 40% of hunters actually fill a second tag.

[Happy]

But...  I have a suspicion that you could dramatically decrease the number of harvested birds, and we would still see a decline.
I agree somewhat, Marc. However,when you take a lot of areas in the midwest or any large agricultural areas for that matter and factor in how most of the turkeys in those settings are killed. I bet you would be shocked. I am not saying nest and predator control isn't a factor. But more people are hunting turkeys, and more people are killing turkeys due to new advanced equipment and high-odds methods. Private landowners loading up on corn and hunting it isn't helping.

[TonyTurk]

The above posts by Marc and Eggshell are spot-on, IMO.  Human hunters in most areas are not the biggest problem causing populations to be down.  I think Florida might be an exception.

I used to hunt one state almost exclusively because the 3 bird limit was enough to keep me happily hunting all season.  Since that state dropped their limit to 1 bird, I now travel more and hunt a neighboring state, that I probably never would have hunted otherwise.

And when it comes to decreasing bag limits, be careful what you wish for.  Once opportunity is taken away, it won't be given back. 

[zelmo1]

I dont think any one state is 100% right. There are pieces that make sense in my state but not in others. Most of the birds shot here are during the youth season and the first week. You can shoot 2 in a day if you register the first bird, then a second bird is legal. Jakes are legal targets here too. Personally, I would like to see a 1 jake limit per season and only 1 bird during the youth hunt and first week of the season. These are just the ramblings inside my head, lol. But seriously, turkey hunting is my passion and I want to see more positive efforts to protect the resource. I understand there is a monetary side to this problem. Limits and seasons are the same here for everyone. If you are paying triple for a license, you should not be penalized again. Z

[quavers59]

    All States  should  confer with each other and say- OK- No Decoy  Use on Public in 2024.

[joey46]

Won't happen.  Total fantasy since game departments are very territorial and don't often care what other states do.   Turkeys are now Big Business.  Just received my latest NWTF magazine.  The February convention drew 67,368 attendees and had 512 exhibitors.  That's a bunch of potential turkey hunters and millions of dollars.  The "evil" out of state guy isn't the problem.  If their is a solvable problem it is the new influx of resident hunters and too liberal bag limits.  Boo hoo TN reduced it's limit from three to two.  Probably should have done that a long while ago when these statistics started showing decreased bird numbers.  Again - any state that allows an OOS to take multiple birds is foolish.  Any state that allows it's residents to take more than two is foolish.  A few western states may currently be an exception. 
I finally made an OOS hunt last May and after several months of research specifically picked a state with a one bird limit.  I tagged out pretty quickly and was offered a chance to cross over into an adjoining state for another hunt. It was only 20 miles away and the license was over the counter.  Passed.  One was enough.  This bird is now my avatar.  Florida is now closed and I'm looking for another trip as an OOS.  It will be to a one bird state or I will only buy one tag. 

[Old Timer]

New York has half the birds it use to but seems also half the turkey hunters. Last year they shortened the fall season and went to a 1 bird limit. DEC kept spring season the same. Strange deal deer hunting we see trucks constantly from out of state at some of the areas we hunt. My son was having a cow over this and I had to tell him calm down. He said dad you don`t understand I put in a lot of pre season work to get some good spots for you as your older then these guys show up. Well son our state does not limit out of state licenses. They are legal to hunt as we are. Let`s just move on. At my age im happy to be in  God`s great outdoors. But it really does not sit well with him. It`s all about the money in this state. Good day.

[Greg Massey]

I feel if they decrease the bag limits to the residence people of that state to save turkey population, then i feel they should do away with OOS people traveling to that state for couple of years or have a limited number of tags, as everyone has said we have more and more people turkey hunting NOW...  It's all about the future of saving the turkeys RIGHT?   SOMETIMES man can be the predator or worst enemy to the future of the turkeys... IMO.... lots of good posts... Let's take Public land as a resident tax payer WHY should i have to pull up to a public piece of land and see 5 out of state vehicles and not one local vehicle. I mean we have it posted on the forum all the time about the numbers of out of state people camping out at gates and the number of OOS people.  Again if you decrease the turkey limit you should decrease the overall number of OOS travels... IMO....

[POk3s]

I came here specifically to mention the Nebraska thing. I see it was just brought up. Everyone seems okay with it fit now. They found a number they could live with and cut down the total amount of non residents able to kill turkeys there. 10,000 was their magic number. They were for sale for longer than I envisioned before selling out.