Be a responsible consumer and Mississippi

[AndyN]

Obviously time for total reciprocity.  If my state's residents can't hunt your state's public nationally owned land with your residents during a part of the season then your residents can't hunt my state's public nationally owned land for an equal time period.  I guess the Big Cypress and the Ocala National Forest will be the place for the Florida resident to be in the early season while chasing the Osceola.  No pesky MS or others from a few nearby states will be there.  Of course if your state doesn't discriminate enjoy the freedom of being an American with equal access to Florida's, and the nations',  public land.  For some reason the word "hypocrites" keeps popping up in my mind.   

Just because you're a "public land owner" doesn't mean you can do as you please outside of states harvest recommendations. Nobody is restricting your access to that ground. You can go walk around it all you want, you just can turkey hunt unless drawn. I could buy ground as an NR in IA and guess what, I'd still have to draw for deer and turkey.

[joey46]

Reciprocity for all.  Anything else is hypocritical.  Don't want to see any resident of these non-res restricting states in a Florida area such as Big Cypress or any of Florida's three NATIONAL Forest until the season is two weeks old.  As my mother always said "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".  I can't hunt your nationally owned land for the first two weeks you don't hunt mine for an equal period. 

[deadbuck]

I drove through a nearby local piece of National Forest in N Miss Sunday evening and talked to a couple OOS hunters that had been hunting 2 1/2 days. They said they came to Miss because it was the only thing open beside Florida this early. They also said just because it is open early does not mean it is good. They said they have more birds where they came from.

[arkrem870]

Alabama delaying there regular season 10 days and farther delaying public land until April 1 has a lot to do with the situation. Also add Georgia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma from an early season to the delayed season group...... more turkey hunters than ever pursuing turkeys on public lands influenced by social media. It's the perfect storm. 

I had a good discussion Saturday with a young man with a camera and a pinhoti hat.  He told me about all the guys coming to hunt from out of state and it used to not be near this bad.  I explained to him the evolution of Arkansas duck hunting and now the evolution of turkey hunting taking place before our eyes. I hope he took it to heart. Loose lips sink ships.  Hunt because you love to play the game. Don't hunt because you need to be validated by strange men online.

[ruination]

We need hunter recruitment, young men have no interest anymore...

"Not like that!"

[arkrem870]

I've been hunting the southeast for 30+ years and it's always been crowded here. Recruiting turkey hunters may be good for up north or out west but not around here.  The people recruiting hunters are brands that profit from public land hunters. Onx, first lite, mossy oak, thp etc.

Woodhaven turkey calls was a huge contributor to our current situation when they helped THP pimp out Alabama public.  Now they are selling calls partnered with them. Mossy oak is pushing pinhoti. They are all laughing headed to the bank.

[Shiloh]

I stand with HowieG.  Y'all take up crappie fishing................I hear it's a blast!!

[sixbird]

Mississippi added a required $100 turkey permit on top of all the other fees. Be a $500 hunt now. Not to mention a non resident draw requirement to hunt all public lands including national forest and fed ground.

This is a disturbing trend that's playing out all across the country including my home state Arkansas. Directly related to the major increase in non resident hunters

Social media is the driver of the trend. I urge everyone to be a responsible consumer / user this season.

Good luck to everyone and remember loose lips sink ships

I understand the frustration, believe me.
The other side of the coin is, we have a finite resource. Everyone sees the decline in populations and part of that is harvest driven .
Everyone, including me, wants more opportunity and more turkeys but they don't want to limit harvest, or increase license fees.
If you want habitat development to increase populations, that costs money.
The alternative is do nothing, collapse the populations and the problem will solve itself.
So, I guess it comes down to increase license costs or let it go...
As much as I hate it, I'll tough up and pay I suppose...


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[Jbird22]

Mississippi really needs to start there season april 1st

Wrong!!

[Jbird22]

Reciprocity for all.  Anything else is hypocritical.  Don't want to see any resident of these non-res restricting states in a Florida area such as Big Cypress or any of Florida's three NATIONAL Forest until the season is two weeks old.  As my mother always said "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".  I can't hunt your nationally owned land for the first two weeks you don't hunt mine for an equal period. 

Again, when is the last time you hunted MS?

[ruination]

No idea.

The point is that what is in the table.  Not buying more, but selling.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2022/02/23/mississippi-hunting-public-land-black-prarie-wildlife-management-area-charles-younger-senator/6827262001/

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[J-Shaped]

I've been hunting the southeast for 30+ years and it's always been crowded here. Recruiting turkey hunters may be good for up north or out west but not around here.  The people recruiting hunters are brands that profit from public land hunters. Onx, first lite, mossy oak, thp etc.

Woodhaven turkey calls was a huge contributor to our current situation when they helped THP pimp out Alabama public.  Now they are selling calls partnered with them. Mossy oak is pushing pinhoti. They are all laughing headed to the bank.

We're truly seeing a new era of market hunting. And we know how that ended last time.

[dublelung]

Reciprocity for all.  Anything else is hypocritical.  Don't want to see any resident of these non-res restricting states in a Florida area such as Big Cypress or any of Florida's three NATIONAL Forest until the season is two weeks old.  As my mother always said "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".  I can't hunt your nationally owned land for the first two weeks you don't hunt mine for an equal period. 

Again, when is the last time you hunted MS?

There's a reason he's dodged that question twice jbird!

[WV Flopper]

 I like the idea of reciprocity. I haven't hunted MS but have hunted Florida several times. I have some boys in MS killing turkeys now, it won't be long before I am there. Probably next spring.

I will get they're pins for free, they're my boys!

We'll keep the pins tight, don't want to sink too many ships, just turkeys.

[joey46]

Reciprocity for all.  Anything else is hypocritical.  Don't want to see any resident of these non-res restricting states in a Florida area such as Big Cypress or any of Florida's three NATIONAL Forest until the season is two weeks old.  As my mother always said "what's good for the goose is good for the gander".  I can't hunt your nationally owned land for the first two weeks you don't hunt mine for an equal period. 

Again, when is the last time you hunted MS?

There's a reason he's dodged that question twice jbird!

Yes there is a reason because it means nothing in this discussion.  If you think it does you are missing the whole point.You have a problem with reciprocity ?