State Bag Limits- Too Many Or Too Few?

[Clif Owen]

As I see it; habitat loss is huge. And sometimes, somethinng weird just happens. Several years ago, a buddy of mine saw a bunch of jakes that particular spring while hunting. He probably let 4 or 5 groups of 4 or 5 walk away. We thought the next spring was going to be lots of fun..only problem was; the next spring, we never heard the first gobbler in any of those areas and only found 1 hen track. We have no idea what happened or where they could have gone. Wildlife and fisheries denies trapping them..says no reports of dieoffs..nothing.
I know the reports say that few guys collect more than 1 bird. But I know in some cases, some of these guys shoot far more than that. I know a guy who told me several years ago that he had gotten 10 the previous year by driving around on rainy days and shooting from the truck. He got caught last year for that exact violation..and not tagging the turkey. Years ago, a poacher was caught night hunting and had been selling the game. The report was he had killed over 1000 deer and turkeys in the previous 3 years. Just imagine the damage THAT did to the populations

[eggshell]

Bag restrictions can actually in rare cases work against a population. Game animals seem to do best when they are harvested to the allowable limit. It keeps them in recovery mode. Stock pile too many and you exceed the carrying capacity and nature will cull and correct the imbalance. She usually does it very cruelly by human standards and it's usually an over correction. Her favorite tool is Disease. Over abundance of predators, again from lack of hunting are overzealous killers. I hold a personal opinion that deer baiting has been very bad for our turkeys, it concentrates them and spreads disease. When entire flocks disappear suddenly I am guessing it's disease. My cousins farm has been intensely managed for years and within one year the entire east side flock disappeared (on 980 acres) . Hunting and predators didn't do that. There's a group of deer hunters that bait the neighbors and I wonder if they got some bad corn. Perhaps the avian flue hit them. I heard a veterinarian virologist say avian flue was 100% fatal to turkeys. I know one thing I believe as an absolute, removing one gobbler from a personal bag limit is a joke when it comes to saving turkeys. It's all fluff and propaganda. I done the numbers for Ohio and it came down to Approx. one gobbler per township +/- (23,000 acres) saved. That's a nothing number when it comes to flock preservation. The loud voices cry, "Do something" and the DNR do the most obvious and easiest. The NWTF and TFT are two very loud voices. They don't always get it right. The trouble is high ranking people see a problem in their little honey hole or state region  and cry, "The world is ending". It's not ending, but there are localized problems. What happens in Ga. may or may not apply in the northern states. 

[arkrem870]

Between wildlife commissions/dnr's using unproven theories to delay seasons etc, states retaliating against each other with non resident restrictions etc, a slew of people trying to be social media famous with no thought of the regular Joe local hunters left to pick up the pieces after they are long gone and the hunting industry (mossy oak etc) funding the entire thing for profit. We are in a mess for the near future

[EZ]

Her favorite tool is Disease. When entire flocks disappear suddenly I am guessing it's disease. My cousins farm has been intensely managed for years and within one year the entire east side flock disappeared (on 980 acres) . Hunting and predators didn't do that. Perhaps the avian flue hit them. I heard a veterinarian virologist say avian flue was 100% fatal to turkeys.

I know one thing I believe as an absolute, removing one gobbler from a personal bag limit is a joke when it comes to saving turkeys. It's all fluff and propaganda. I done the numbers for Ohio and it came down to Approx. one gobbler per township +/- (23,000 acres) saved. That's a nothing number when it comes to flock preservation. The loud voices cry, "Do something" and the DNR do the most obvious and easiest. The NWTF and TFT are two very loud voices. They don't always get it right. The trouble is high ranking people see a problem in their little honey hole or state region  and cry, "The world is ending". It's not ending, but there are localized problems. What happens in Ga. may or may not apply in the northern states. 

I've been thinking the exact same thing. It seems it's a problem that's very hard to figure out, but removing (or not removing) males of a species was never a population control method.

[slave601]

I wish Mississippi would adopt Missouri's season structure and bag limit. 2 for residents and 1 now for non residents. Cut the 6 week season down to at least 4 weeks. Also bump the start date back to match Bama's.

[deerhunt1988]

I wish Mississippi would adopt Missouri's season structure and bag limit. 2 for residents and 1 now for non residents. Cut the 6 week season down to at least 4 weeks. Also bump the start date back to match Bama's.

Mississippi is the evidence pushing season back doesnt help increase reproduction. So few residents kill 3 and so few non residents kill 2, dropping the bag limit will accomplish nothing at all on a landscape level. Yes it could.help on a small localized scale by increasing carryover (i.e. heavily hunted club) but ultimately youd just be taking away opportunity for all with hardly anything to gain in return.

[slave601]

If you really think most residents barely kill 3 you're sadly mistaken. You may work for MDWFP but you're very out of touch of what really goes on here in our state. 6 weeks is enough pressure on turkeys. My season shortening statement was to limit the pressure not as much as the reproduction aspect

[deerhunt1988]

If you really think most residents barely kill 3 you're sadly mistaken. You may work for MDWFP but you're very out of touch of what really goes on here in our state. 6 weeks is enough pressure on turkeys. My season shortening statement was to limit the pressure not as much as the reproduction aspect

We can disagree all day long, but I assure you I'm not out of touch with turkey hunting in Mississippi. Yes, a lot of birds go unreported. But its not like half your turkey hunters are killing 3 or more.  Ive lived/worked on both ends of the state and hunted/have contacts everywhere between.

Some things I think we can agree on:

1.) An astonishing number of turkeys are now whacked with the aid of bait. Turkeys that would not have died so quickly a decade ago.

2.) Turkey hunter numbers and hunting pressure are as high as theyve ever been.

Those two things alone have drastically changed turkey hunting quality across our state.

[slave601]

I can agree with those. Feeders and cell cams are depleting gobblers at an alarming rate. I just think that if the season was shorter and one less on the limit and non residents limited to 1 bird it could help. I've hunted Mississippi every year since I was 9 and I'm 41 now. I do not work during season so I hunt every single day of season. I'm putting boots on the ground day in and out. I've seen the changes. I KNOW what's really killing turkeys. I'm just stating a few legal changes that could help. Because at the end of the day unless it's a 1k fine and losing possession of a hunting license like "spot lighting" 75% of hunters around here are going to bait turkeys and shoot em over it.

[arkrem870]

Stop wishing for restrictions that make zero impact on turkey production. It's a crazy phenomenon. We must stop this madness.

Provide better habitat. Trap/kill predators. And turn in turkey baiters. Etc. That is what matters to turkeys.

[CALLM2U]

I've watched a few videos on turkey hunting in New Zealand lately.  They basically consider turkeys a nuisance species.  So, while hunting pressure may not be much as here in the US, the turkeys there have zero predators.  They roost about a couple feet off the ground.  It certainly gives you a clue as to the impacts of our population if we could get predators under control.   

[slave601]

Stop wishing for restrictions that make zero impact on turkey production. It's a crazy phenomenon. We must stop this madness.

Provide better habitat. Trap/kill predators. And turn in turkey baiters. Etc. That is what matters to turkeys.

I don't wish on season changes. I'm just saying Mississippi doesn't need a 6 week long season. 4 weeks are plenty enough. Yes the amount of baiting and varmints in the woods nowadays is causing a big effect. More people would rather cry and complain we don't have turkeys than to trap like they should be. If everyone would do their part I can guarantee the turkeys would profit from it.

[deerhunt1988]

Because at the end of the day unless it's a 1k fine and losing possession of a hunting license like "spot lighting" 75% of hunters around here are going to bait turkeys and shoot em over it.

If it was up to me, baiting turkeys would result in a license suspension! It is amazing how quickly the turkey baiting escalated after it was legalized for deer, and then during the instant gratification social media era. Baiting for turkey is even becoming more common on public land.

Stop wishing for restrictions that make zero impact on turkey production. It's a crazy phenomenon. We must stop this madness.

Provide better habitat. Trap/kill predators. And turn in turkey baiters. Etc. That is what matters to turkeys.

I don't wish on season changes. I'm just saying Mississippi doesn't need a 6 week long season. 4 weeks are plenty enough. Yes the amount of baiting and varmints in the woods nowadays is causing a big effect. More people would rather cry and complain we don't have turkeys than to trap like they should be. If everyone would do their part I can guarantee the turkeys would profit from it.

It is actually an 8 week season when you count youth. And personally, even though I know it has no impact other than a tiny bit more carryover on a localized scale, I'd be fine knocking 7-10 days off it. Mostly at the end. If that gobbler survives til about April 20 or so with all the pressure we see, he deserves to live!

[sasquatch1]

I can agree with those. Feeders and cell cams are depleting gobblers at an alarming rate. I just think that if the season was shorter and one less on the limit and non residents limited to 1 bird it could help. I've hunted Mississippi every year since I was 9 and I'm 41 now. I do not work during season so I hunt every single day of season. I'm putting boots on the ground day in and out. I've seen the changes. I KNOW what's really killing turkeys. I'm just stating a few legal changes that could help. Because at the end of the day unless it's a 1k fine and losing possession of a hunting license like "spot lighting" 75% of hunters around here are going to bait turkeys and shoot em over it.

So I assume, even though you take the WHOLE season off to turkey hunt, you also self impose those restrictions/limits on yourself?

Or are you another one that needs the government to regulate you vs do it yourself?

If you believe in it, start practicing it on your own.


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[slave601]

I can agree with those. Feeders and cell cams are depleting gobblers at an alarming rate. I just think that if the season was shorter and one less on the limit and non residents limited to 1 bird it could help. I've hunted Mississippi every year since I was 9 and I'm 41 now. I do not work during season so I hunt every single day of season. I'm putting boots on the ground day in and out. I've seen the changes. I KNOW what's really killing turkeys. I'm just stating a few legal changes that could help. Because at the end of the day unless it's a 1k fine and losing possession of a hunting license like "spot lighting" 75% of hunters around here are going to bait turkeys and shoot em over it.

So I assume, even though you take the WHOLE season off to turkey hunt, you also self impose those restrictions/limits on yourself?

Or are you another one that needs the government to regulate you vs do it yourself?

If you believe in it, start practicing it on your own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For one you don't know me to start making any accusations. I usually hunt 8-10 states on public ground every year. I'm gone from Mississippi by either the bama opener or Tennessee opener. I have 3 children and we work for their limits before I even attempt mine. So you can throw those comments else where 🫡