IMAGINE IF.....

[CAPTJJ]

Imagine if shotguns were outlawed and everyone had to bowhunt turkeys, that would really help the population and many hunters would quit.

I'll give up using decoys when you stop using a gun, lol.

Guns and bows are for wimps, get an atlatl and hunt like a "REAL MAN"

Lol. What about spears, pretty sure they are legal in  Nebraska.

[aclawrence]

I'd like to imagine going back in time and hunting on one of the Alabama farms with Bobby Dale chasing gobblers then coming back to the ranch house for some of that cooking he talked about in his book. Or sitting against one of those big ole cherry bark oaks Tom Kelly wrote about back in the day. Or chasing one of those bad birds that Gene Nunnery wrote stories about. That would be fun! 

[Paulmyr]

Imagine the country side filled with huge American Chestnut trees with trunks 10' in  diameter before they became virtually extinct the early 1900's because of an invasive species virus causing chestnut blight. Imagine the mast crop from a forest full of trees that size!

Check out the pic at the top of the page in this link. Extraordinary!

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2019/04/29/what-it-takes-bring-back-near-mythical-american-chestnut-trees

[Sir-diealot]

Imagine if shotguns were outlawed and everyone had to bowhunt turkeys, that would really help the population and many hunters would quit.

I'll give up using decoys when you stop using a gun, lol.

Guns and bows are for wimps, get an atlatl and hunt like a "REAL MAN"

Lol. What about spears, pretty sure they are legal in  Nebraska.

Sling and Rock like David.

[bbcoach]

If IF's and BUT's were CHERRIES and NUTS what a WONDERFUL WORLD this would be.  But it's not.

[Sir-diealot]

Imagine the country side filled with huge American Chestnut trees with trunks 10' in  diameter before they became virtually extinct the early 1900's because of an invasive species virus causing chestnut blight. Imagine the mast crop from a forest full of trees that size!

Check out the pic at the top of the page in this link. Extraordinary!

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2019/04/29/what-it-takes-bring-back-near-mythical-american-chestnut-trees

Now the Ash are being wiped out.

[squidd]

I'm still waiting for next spring - imagine that?

[Farmboy27]

Imagine a world where hunters could put aside their differences, quit worrying about how others hunt, and focus on real problems that we face!!  Until that magical day comes, nothing will change! 

[WV Flopper]

 I remember the day when Winchester XX were the shells to shoot. At the end of that time was when Flambeau started marketing decoys, both were in the mid 80's.

There were less turkey hunters then. There were less turkeys killed then. The population was on the rise as well.

Hopefully the newer generations will figure out that the decoys, reaping, TSS "I use TSS" are all not needed to kill a turkey. I purposely don't use most of this stuff because I consider it dead weight. I do not need it to kill a turkey.

I welcome the population dips, as I will the hunter number dip that will follow. Most of the guys that pack all this dead weight will be the first to drop out.

In my time, as Eggshell said, I will see Jesus first.

[Neill_Prater]

Personally, I would like to go back to a time when we weren't critical of others' hunting methods or tactics as long as they were legal, and seemingly everyone blames someone else for the reduced number of turkeys in their area, whether it be the YouTube crowd, or those seeking the slam, or those with a sackful of decoys, or somebody using a GPS, and the list goes on and on.

Unless you have never hunted on land owned by anyone other than your own family or a government entity in the state in which you reside, never hunted outside of that state, never took a novice hunter hunting or called in a bird for someone else after filling your tags, or shared information about a hunting area with friends, never shot at a bird over 40 yards, or shoot TSS , or hunt from a blind, there are those on this forum who thinks you are part of the problem.

I don't feel that I have the right to criticize how others choose to hunt, as long as they are not exceeding the legal limit and are obeying the other laws in the areas they hunt anymore than someone else has the right to criticize me for the TV programs I choose to watch or the books I choose to read.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[joey46]

It appears it is going to be a L O N G off season on this forum with more than it's share of .

[eggshell]

I'll add another thought to consider. The forum members of Old Gobbler are a huge minority in the general hunting public. If any agency is looking at majority constituent opinions, ours is insignificant as a group. So our bitching carries very little weight. Sure many share in our various ideas, but in the end the general public wants a hunt that is as easy and slanted to their advantage as possible. It's the self gratifying philosophy of the day....

just a thought to throw out there, not a position stance or anything.

[Greg Massey]

I imagine i will continue to hunt gobblers the way i have for years. I do enjoy this forum and i have learned a lot over the years from members. I guide myself in what i feel helps make me successful in hunting these gobblers. I have learned over the years, it's not always about the kill, but just enjoying yourself and not worrying so much about what others think or their opinions. So imagine this or imagine that is all up to that person. I'm already imagining what Spring of 2024 will bring in hunting / chasing gobblers and what new hunting gear / calls, i might buy before next spring. My passion is my passion to imagine that next gobbler, gobbling at my calling and coming into my setup and playing the game with him. We all have to remember we are the predators who are trying to kill these gobblers regardless of the equipment we are using in tricking him into coming into our killing range. Imagine that we all have our opinions. 

[GobbleNut]

I'll add another thought to consider. The forum members of Old Gobbler are a huge minority in the general hunting public. If any agency is looking at majority constituent opinions, ours is insignificant as a group. So our bitching carries very little weight. Sure many share in our various ideas, but in the end the general public wants a hunt that is as easy and slanted to their advantage as possible. It's the self gratifying philosophy of the day....

Exactly.  At the end of the day, wild turkey managers are tasked with the responsibility of sorting through all of the opinions and desires of that entire constituency and making management decisions that attempt to conform with what they assess to be an overall consensus (that has some biological validity),...while at the same time balancing that with the primary management mandate of protecting the resource.  I'm fairly certain that the "overall consensus" of that casual-turkey-hunting majority probably doesn't match up closely with the desires of many of us here on OG.

[Greg Massey]

I'll add another thought to consider. The forum members of Old Gobbler are a huge minority in the general hunting public. If any agency is looking at majority constituent opinions, ours is insignificant as a group. So our bitching carries very little weight. Sure many share in our various ideas, but in the end the general public wants a hunt that is as easy and slanted to their advantage as possible. It's the self gratifying philosophy of the day....

Exactly.  At the end of the day, wild turkey managers are tasked with the responsibility of sorting through all of the opinions and desires of that entire constituency and making management decisions that attempt to conform with what they assess to be an overall consensus (that has some biological validity),...while at the same time balancing that with the primary management mandate of protecting the resource.  I'm fairly certain that the "overall consensus" of that casual-turkey-hunting majority probably doesn't match up closely with the desires of many of us here on OG.

X2  ... Agree