What Started It All Hunting Shows of the Past / Television / Now YouTube

[El Pavo Grande]

I may be wrong in my interpretation of many of the comments above, but it appears to me that many of us are just arguing the same points from the same side of the fence.  The bottom line is that THE RESOURCE (i.e...turkey populations everywhere) should ALWAYS come first.  After stating that fact that ALL OF US should agree on, the question then becomes how to we go about ensuring the welfare of the resource?

There are a number of ways of achieving that goal, and that discussion seems to be where the debate is.  Choose your poison as to what position you want to take on it.  All of them come down to the simple formula that we can't continue to take more turkeys out of the population than are being replaced through reproduction (or other means). 

Until that happens, wildlife managers have no choice but to try to address the problem.  The path they choose to do that may or may not be the ones each of us might prefer.  The ultimate result of leaving obviously failing management strategies in place with fingers crossed that things will magically turn around by themselves could be one that none of us wants to see.

Great post.  100% my point...... turkey populations (the resource) should be top priority #1 and that's not even debatable.   It's like my service oriented field of work.  Without customers, we have no sales, no business, and I don't have a job.  But, we have certain employees (that didn't help establish the business from the ground up) that think the customers are privileged to do business with us.  It's a backwards mindset.  I just can't get on board with shrugging our shoulders and accepting it as a "sign of the times".  We are now an instant gratification, social media driven society and it has evolved the hunting culture into a less desirable one.  And the resource suffers from it.  We should be able to discuss and provide arguments of substance.  The reality is the community is as divided as many conservative and liberals in our country currently. 

Where are the non-profit organizations and hunting industry companies in this?  Why not educate and teach the "resource first" philosophy.  It might be in their words, but I don't see it in their actions.  What I see is hunters first, i.e. promotion and profits.  At the very least, have a message of caution, "Is this good for the resource?  Is this good for the future of hunting?"   Some do some great things, but seem to avoid the "elephant in the room" at all costs.

[joey46]

To paraphrase an old prayer:

Lord help me to CHANGE what I can change,
ACCEPT what I can not, and the
WISDOM to know the difference.

Very aprapo to this discussion.  When Primos sends a press release saying please don't buy our decoys and blinds or watch our shows and Apex voluntarily stops selling TSS you'll know mindsets have been changed.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Maybe next February will see demonstrators in front of the Opryland Hotel with DECOYS SUCK signs.  Maybe not.   Might just ban displays altogether and have several motivational speakers instead.

[Greg Massey]

SORRY you feel this way.... Sometimes you just can't change a person's way of thinking.... 

[El Pavo Grande]

To paraphrase an old prayer:

Lord help me to CHANGE what I can change,
ACCEPT what I can not, and the
WISDOM to know the difference.

Very aprapo to this discussion.  When Primos sends a press release saying please don't buy our decoys and blinds or watch our shows and Apex voluntarily stops selling TSS you'll know mindsets have been changed.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Maybe next February will see demonstrators in front of the Opryland Hotel with DECOYS SUCK signs.  Maybe not.   Might just ban displays altogether and have several motivational speakers instead.

I don't expect Primos to do that, anymore than I expect Micheal Waddell to quit pushing reaping decoys, Mossy Oak to caution of social media content, the NWTF to educate hunter etiquette in the social media realm, or THP to not name states or regions within states.   Each has too many reasons ($$$) not to.   What we could do is tune out or not purchase their products.  OR as you suggest... sit down, shut up, and adapt.  I'm not saying it will ever change on a grand scale, for that mountain is steep, BUT I do know accepting a turd leads to a bigger pile of turds. 

You might as well start learning Mandarin, and turn your guns in. 

[joey46]

Is that the best you got? I doubt if condescending and holier than tho replies gain much traction.  You seem to have a China fixation. Why is that?

[arkrem870]

Nobody has pimped the wild turkey more than mossy oak. And they are laughing all the way to the bank.     That's a fact like it or not.  More turkey hunters = more money. And they play it both ways. They sponsor people that exploit wild turkeys for profit while spending on conservation and talking the talk. It's the same thing thp does etc. with fundraising for chamberlain. Buy our merchandise (so we can make money) and we will donate a portion to wild turkey science. 

[El Pavo Grande]

Is that the best you got? I doubt if condescending and holier than tho replies gain much traction.  You seem to have a China fixation. Why is that?

Condescending and holier than thou?  You are the one slinging around labels..... "whiners" etc.  So, you disagree with everything I've said?

Answer if you have any substance to add....

Should the resource (turkey populations) be priority #1?

Do they or don't they (hunting industry companies, social media influencers, non-profit wildlife organization) profit from promoting hunter recruitment?

Do the above promote this recruitment above ALL else?

What are any positives for populations and hunting opportunities of promoting (highlighting) specific locales to hunt on for unlimited access?  WMA, National Forests, states?

Do you think it's acceptable for influencers promoting states for profit? 

Do you think it's acceptable to share OnX pins on social media outlets?

Do you think it's acceptable to share pictures at WMA signs? 

Just a few.  Don't want to overwhelm you with more, or waste more time if you choose not to answer these simple questions.   

No China fixation, just making an observation based on the suggestion to accept and adapt, regardless of what comes our way. 

I'll hang up and listen...

[joey46]

This has turned into a personal feud so I'm out.  I won't reply to this subject again on this or any related thread.  Good luck in the future.
I will attempt to add a few pictures from some central Florida land we hunt.  Some are private, some are public quota areas.  It is one reason I'm not too worried over turkey numbers in my remaining years.  Pictures on this forum drive me crazy on size limits so they will follow at random.  Hope they post.  Many will enjoy them.  Some Florida guys will be ticked I even posted them.  Oh well. They'll get over it.

[joey46]

This is a Florida WMA in the quota system.  One of three cameras I used to scout prior to a hunt we drew. Two of the three cameras that day showed birds.  Quota hunts IMO are the coming trend in almost all states.  Live with it.

[joey46]

As usual having picture problems.  Working on it.  One of the birds in the prior picture may be deceased.  Filled the WMA limit of one bird during the hunt in this spot.

Can't get more pics to post at this time.  Keep getting a security warning that this site not secure.  Later, have a life other than forums. LOL.

[El Pavo Grande]

This has turned into a personal feud so I'm out.  I won't reply to this subject again on this or any related thread.  Good luck in the future.
I will attempt to add a few pictures from some central Florida land we hunt.  Some are private, some are public quota areas.  It is one reason I'm not too worried over turkey numbers in my remaining years.  Pictures on this forum drive me crazy on size limits so they will follow at random.  Hope they post.  Many will enjoy them.  Some Florida guys will be ticked I even posted them.  Oh well. They'll get over it.

Not personal for me, just discussing / debating the subject of the thread.  But, as is typical in these discussions, no sound argument to support social media / industry influences regarding sharing of  specific information is ever presented.  As in Never.  Draw your own conclusions.