This Forums' Direction

[joey46]

Refuse to reply again to the "closet reapers".  It has turned into, with a few exceptions, nothing more than:
The self-righteous, echoed by the elitist, then applauded by the whiners.  Have any of you actually looked  at some of the knee jerk regulations now been enacted or proposed in many of the southern states because of this hysteria and call to "just do something"?   A conglomeration of this ban, that ban, non-resident restrictions, beard restrictions (heaven help you if you take a jake if you are over ten years old) and more ad nauseum.  Even have supposed officials from one state suggesting their resident hunters are a bunch of cheaters. Of course the season lengths and resident limits don't change too much and of course the resident license fees stay ridiculously low. No politics involved there I'm sure.  If the resident hunters are happy we're all happy.  Doesn't take a genius to see this is BS and nothing more than appeasement.  At least my native state of Ohio did do something.  They reduced the limit.  They didn't ban this and that or try to stop non-residents from crossing the Ohio River - Yet.
For the record I don't reap, do often use decoys (even the dreaded male decoy), shoot TSS, and often deploy camo netting.  I will use the standard old style game cameras to scout on both public and private grounds. I have and use a GPS. I will do so until some of you short sighted individuals accomplish your goal and make any of the aforementioned illegal. I also dare to view social media and YouTube.  No problem with THP but I'll bet he gets death threats.
The state forums I view are mostly worried about and try to limit the pesky non-resident.  Any other concern usually takes a back seat.  This is the only forum that runs the whole "ban everything we don't like" gamut.  You are the epidemy of the "cool guys".
I'll probably take a short forum hiatus tomorrow but still be around.  Seeing how things are trending gives me some solace in being an old guy knowing my future seasons are limited.  Ten years from now you nitwits will have banned everything and still find that the only solution to your crisis was reduced limits and shorter seasons.  You'll be under quota systems.  Ask the Florida hunters how those work out.  Good luck.  You'll need it.  Kiss kiss - for now.

[Howieg]

Nitwits !! Now there's a word I haven't heard in a while !
   My late grandpa called me a nitwit often ...   Speaking of my grandpa ,  he killed his share of
Gobblers with just a piece of cane reed a homemade box. No decoys etc .. I reckon he was an elites also .
As for me ,, I'm proud to carry on what he taught me .

[joey46]

Glad to see someone else up at 3:15am. I use "nitwit" often.  I know one when I see one. Yes I've also had a few. Lol.
Are these forums fun or what?  Good luck.

[Happy]

I've been up for a while myself. I like open and civil discussion,  when people say what they think, and I don't necessarily have to agree with them. I don't see it as complaining at all. Merely a point of view. However, this thread strikes me as a complaint. And that's a bit confusing as it's coming from someone who supposedly doesn't like complainers. Anyways, I have weights to lift, and I hope you get whatever it is you're looking for.

[Boykin Hollow]

I just say Bless Their Hearts which means to me What a Dumb A - - !!!!!!

[Gooserbat]

I find myself interacting less than I used to here.  Some very good people here but as with anything there is always a contingency of the minority who cry the loudest and thus are heard the most and precived to become the majority. 

Honestly I get tired of the noise. 

[idratherb]

This popcorn just doesnt taste that well with coffee

[Tom007]

I hope I do not offend  anyone with this post. Quite frankly, I love this forum and the knowledge shared here. I participate often, I don't always agree with some of the threads/topics, but that is what a forum is. It's a sharing, debating, and informational platform that welcomes everyone's ideas and input. Yes, there is controversial topics, heated debates, and rigid disagreements from time to time. I deal with most of them by "sitting" them out. With regard to legal/illegal, ethics and preferred hunting styles, I say this is a matter of personal choice. I myself have a preferred, simple hunting style that I enjoy and am obsessed with. I have seen the good, the mediocre and the bad years since 1980. Yes, I've had to adapt to the pressure and scarcity of birds. I will never give up this sport until I know there is nothing left to pursue. In the meantime, I hope we all continue sharing our experiences here. Thanks for listening....

[eggshell]

Sadly most forums end badly. Politics and personal agendas lead to bitter arguments followed by members leaving. Soon they can not support themselves and are taken down. Even with the current disagreements, this forum is by far the best managed and run one I have ever been a member of. The discussions are very civil compared to most forums. Sure we get irritated and disagree, but I see most posters actually reading and respectfully responding to opinions. I have changed my mind on some issues over these discussions and I think they are valuable. I wish we could sit down with all the wildlife agencies and have these open discussions civilly, but I have been a part of those attempts and saw some ugly results. I have seen it bad enough law enforcement had to escort officials and biologist away from the event ( myself included). As a wildlife official I accepted every invitation to sportsman's events I could. I have been cornered, threatened and afraid for my well being more than once. I have been called names I never imagined. I was once threatened to be thrown against a wall and beat senseless because a man didn't get the number he wanted. In most cases the audience was very attentive and grateful for my work. They had opinions and voiced them and I took them serious. I can think of more than once they made points that really made sense and when looked into, we as an agency adapted their suggestion.

My point being, every problem is best solved with open and honest discussion, even heated debate. I think this forum does a great job at moderating that and I still say is the best one I have ever joined. The common thread is we all have a deep concern for the American turkey and the American way. So please be patient with each other and gracious.

Joey, I personally think Ohio's limit reduction was a knee jerk reaction to public outcry to do something, but I could be wrong. I can't see how it will make a difference. Now a shorter season I think would make a difference.

[arkrem870]

Wait..... Ohio just went from two gobblers to one gobbler limit.  Pot meet kettle Joey

[arkrem870]

It was a knee jerk reaction by Ohio dnr because of the massive influx of hunters and specifically non resident hunters.  These same hunters were "influenced" to travel and hunt by the very YouTube videos you support through viewing their content.

[Tail Feathers]

Don't let the negative people ruin your enjoyment of this site.  Don't let a keyboard "warrior" get under your skin. 
It is a big old country we live in and hunting terrain, conservation issues and hunting traditions vary.  We won't all do it the same way and that's OK.  If you don't like a particular technique, don't use it. 
I think a respectful discussion of these topics is good.  We can take our opinions to the state wildlife agencies after studying and discussing the issues.

The key word is respectful in that paragraph.  Keep the discussion civil.  Now I'm off the read that thread.

[ol bob]

First I love this forum. One of the good things about riding this rock around the sun almost 80 times, is you reach a point where if it legal, you don't give a rodents rear, what anyone else says or does. Just wish I would have learned it a long time ago.

[bbcoach]

There is always a Few Bad Apples that try to ruin the Whole Bushel.  It is up to us along with the Administrators to weed out those apples.  Don't allow those Few Apples to deter us from sharing Quality information about this GREAT sport.  Most of these NITWITS are trolling or phishing their STUPID DRAMA.  DON'T get caught up with the NITWITS!  If we don't post to their, WOULD I, COULD I, SHOULD I, mentality MOST of the NITWITS will shut up and go to another Site.  Let's remain a SOLID Family and ignore the NITWITS!   

[g8rvet]

I like coming on here and talking turkey. 

I cannot fathom giving the slightest da** about what anyone else thinks about the way I hunt or the need to defend it to anyone.  The only thing I care less about than that is the way others hunt that don't affect me. 

People whining on a random board have exactly ZERO effect on a State's biological plan for wildlife. Let me restate-ZERO EFFECT.  Unless the person lecturing and whining actually serves on a governing body, their opinions are completely disconnected from the reality of what happens in their state with the sole ability each of us have to go to meetings and have our voice heard.

I usually just stay off the reaping/decoy/TSS threads, except with an occasional smart alec drive-by for humor.  It has all been said before.  Also, the block feature is really effective and easy.