Bag limit went up in Quebec....

[Charley B]

Hi team mates!
Last week, we had that news from the federation of anglers and hunters of Quebec, the spring season will start earlier, April 25 and the bag limit will be two bearded birds...  The news came out first via the federation instead from the ministry involved in hunting...
The leader of this federation alone pushed this demand without the agreement of the rest of this federation.  He made it alone.  We do not have any researches about the population estimate in Qc, it's pure speculation from 50-75 000 birds in Qc.  Based on intellectual calculation, nothing credible or verified.
I'm totally pissed I admit.  It's a BAD news in my mind.
We have a regular hunting season only since 2008, the wild turkey restoration stocking ended last year, and now, for ONE cry baby leading the federation, season is longer and bag limit is double.
I see dark days ahead, sadly....  Just wanted to let you know that money rules and always seems to win....  They will sale more license, but we will surely see turkeys number decline soon enough....
Charley

[longspur]

I don't know anything about the bird population up there, but if its as you say and only one person was for it, then I would agree that its not good. And on top of that bearded hens are legal, that's not good either. Some states in the US allow bearded hens but they probably have a better population. Yep, its all about the money. Every time, always.

[Charley B]

I was v-p of a NWTF chapter in Quebec, but since they quit Canada, we no longer have the same strenght behind our position facing the other non-profit organisation who pushes the gouvernement.  Even if we claim that the new regulation is too permisive and are a threat to all the efforts done to acheive a semi-healthy turkey population, we are seen as green horns from now.
Frankly, It's a shamed, it took 15 years to Ontario from restocking to finally bring up bag limit, but in Qc, it's another story.
Time will tell I guess...

[kevin2]

Lucky dogs! Just one here, but it beats none! Used to be hard to get drawn in a tag lottery years ago here in Michigan. Kept me from hunting them for a couple decades.

[Charley B]

Lucky dogs! Just one here, but it beats none! Used to be hard to get drawn in a tag lottery years ago here in Michigan. Kept me from hunting them for a couple decades.

It makes no sens that on the verry northern edge of the wild turkey realm, like Quebec that we are allowed to kill 2 bearded birds....  Even if we have some sweet spot, turkeys are not evenly spread out trough the southern part of the province.
At least,we have no draw.  I hope hunters will use common sens to judge if the area can sustain or not harvesting two birds...

[West Augusta]

They won't Charlie.  If they can kill two they will if they can find them and call them in.

[Charley B]

They won't Charlie.  If they can kill two they will if they can find them and call them in.

Yep, that's what I think also, it's in the human nature.
I think we should take from nature only what she can afford to share with us...

[kevin2]

well, in Michigan, there was a time when we had just about zero Turkeys. Now, we have loads of them everywhere. If they allowed some, oR all, of us to take 2 turkeys, then I'd say that knew there was to many turkeys for the land to sustain. Or, there was enough turkeys to support such a hunt. Furthermore, I'd imagine they would surely change it back to 1 OR NONE, if we went low on Turkeys. We piss and moan about the DNR here in Michigan NOT knowing what is going on, but I'm thinking they know more than I do. That is what we pay them for. So, I'm going out on a limb and thinking they may very well know what they are doing in your part of the world as well. Until they prove otherwise at least.

The very last thing I'm going to do is pass judgement on a law abiding hunter that bought his tags and then filled them. OR in my case, bought 12 tags for my 2 kids and I for deer and turkey season here in Michigan last year AND didn't fill a single one. They know fools like me won't shoot small deer OR Jakes, so they cash in on that! Can you blame them. That is also human nature!

Lucky dogs! Just one here, but it beats none! Used to be hard to get drawn in a tag lottery years ago here in Michigan. Kept me from hunting them for a couple decades.

It makes no sens that on the verry northern edge of the wild turkey realm, like Quebec that we are allowed to kill 2 bearded birds....  Even if we have some sweet spot, turkeys are not evenly spread out trough the southern part of the province.
At least,we have no draw.  I hope hunters will use common sens to judge if the area can sustain or not harvesting two birds...

[hotrod3h]

Charley... I hear ya. DNR's are all about making money that's for sure it's the same wherever you go. I heard somewhere from someone that you can't stockpile turkeys. In other words DNR's don't take into account lean years, etc. My area of WV has had several bad hatches in a row so old turkeys but not many new ones to replenish dwindling numbers. I hoped they'd cut limit from 2 to 1 but they're bot going to do that. Non residents wouldn't wanna cone if only able to get one bird. Just go with it and get your 2 birds! The good thing about turkeys is a couple good hatches and things start looking much better!

[West Augusta]

Charley, What part of Quebec are you from?  I used to visit parts of Quebec.  Some beautiful country.
I mainly visited the Saguenay area.  I work for an Aluminum company that had a plant up there.

[Charley B]

Charley, What part of Quebec are you from?  I used to visit parts of Quebec.  Some beautiful country.
I mainly visited the Saguenay area.  I work for an Aluminum company that had a plant up there.

Thank's for your opinions guys, I really appreciate your point of view.
Wow, West Augusta, you problably work for Alcan?  I was bord in the Saguenay area, but mooved in the Laurentian when I was 5 yo.  My grand-father worked at the Aluminium plan his whole life.  In Saguenay, they have a growing population of whitetail and a good amount of moose and black bear, but no turkeys, it's too far north.  Turkeys are founded on the southern part of the province.

[West Augusta]

I worked for Alcan for many years until the merger and then they sold off our side of the company.
I got to visit Saguenay and the Three Rivers area.  I liked both areas.  Great people up there.  The caster was shut down so it isn't likely that I'll ever get up there again.