S Carolina changing turkey bag limits and season dates

[RutnNStrutn]

S Carolina is reducing it's turkey bag limit down from 5 gobblers to 3 gobblers a season, and changing the season dates from March 20th to May 5th. That reduces the season length by 1 day, since the season used to run March 15th to May 1st.
I have mixed emotions about this. I've never taken more than 3 turkeys in a season in SC, but liked the possibility of doing so. Also, I just came off of my worst season ever in SC, but I know several guys that had awesome seasons. Your thoughts?

http://www.edgefieldadvertiser.com/2015/03/changes-coming-for-south-carolina-turkey-hunters-possibly-as-soon-as-next-year/

[29810434]

I think it's a great idea,when the population is down you decrease the limit.When it goes up you can increase it.Most people that live here know the population has taken a pretty big dip.There are pockets that have as many or more then in the past,I'm talking about the state overall.Same should be done with the deer.

[ccleroy]

It's purely political, none of this was done for the benefit of the wildlife........not the first study has been done to show our population is in distress other than the skewed harvest data that not every turkey hunter in our state gets. Show me where we have a problem, what the factors are that contribute to it and then let's find a way to fix it. Not by a knee jerk reaction like this that has no merit.

[silvestris]

More turkey hunters = shorter seasons and smaller bag limits.  Basic math.

[davisd9]

Season dates only apply to private land. All public stays the same.

As Ricky said, it is all political and no biology. They are using way out dated data. We whined and moaned about things they do not understand and politics won out over biology.


Sent from the Strut Zone

[BoWhoop]

Season dates only apply to private land. All public stays the same.

I don't see where it says this in the new law.  Can you show me this in writing somewhere, please?

[ccleroy]

Season dates only apply to private land. All public stays the same.

I don't see where it says this in the new law.  Can you show me this in writing somewhere, please?

http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=4554

[RutnNStrutn]

Turkey season will be longer.....

Where does the guy writing that article get that turkey season will be longer? We start 5 days later, and end 4 days later. That's a loss of one day.

[ruination]

So what political motivation us there to lower bag limits...get more turkeys to vote?

[trb136]

Surely You didnt think that having a 5 Gobbler limit would last did you?  SC has every flipping turkey hunter in a 3 state radius coming to hunt with that kind of bag limit..Its a wonder you have any turkeys left..

[howl]

So what political motivation us there to lower bag limits...get more turkeys to vote?

It's just politics. We will see more such as time passes and those that have more time to complain than get out and hunt outnumber the rest of us.

[BoWhoop]

Turkey season will be longer.....

Where does the guy writing that article get that turkey season will be longer? We start 5 days later, and end 4 days later. That's a loss of one day.

The longer season was only available in the low country.  The rest of the state started April 1, ended May 1.

[THattaway]

Turkey season will be longer.....

Where does the guy writing that article get that turkey season will be longer? We start 5 days later, and end 4 days later. That's a loss of one day.

Upper two thirds of state has always been April 1st to May 1st. With season change dates it will now be longer for the majority of the state.

My opinions on the changes?
Reducing the limit will not impact recuitment. Starting the season early will ensure a week or more of hunting before green up and in wide open grey woods with highly visible hunting pressure. Will just make it harder for folks who struggle now. Figure that was better than 50% of the problem this past season, we had a late green up but toms worked great for me the latter half. I have no problem with a three bird limit but don't think for a minute it will make a hill of beans difference for the population. As for this spring? Well the garden is dry as a bone except when I've watered it. That means awesome conditions for this year's hatch where the habitat is good. Lot's of talk about coyotes and am sure they take their toll but where I find good habitat I find turkeys year after year after year. I've hunted 30+ years here in SC and limited out 19 of the last 21 years. No biologist here but have kept a log book all that time and there are patterns if you look for them.

[THattaway]

So what political motivation us there to lower bag limits...get more turkeys to vote?

I've had correspondance with SCDNR turkey biologist Charles Ruth on this very subject. From his statements it boiled down to him saying that a limit reduction was the "only tool left" at his disposal in an effort to reverse the population decline. That's pretty much a direct quote. However, if you will read his annual report you will see that he uses a graph showing a portion of years that demonstrate a downward trend. If you view all years since records where recorded I see this as a cycle. I do not argue that numbers were down this past year but they are nothing near the lack of birds we had in 2006-2007. Oddly, you can look back two seasons ago where we were within 10% of the all time record harvest. So which is it? A downward slide with no chance of recovery or is this a cycle?

[Swamprunner]

S Carolina is reducing it's turkey bag limit down from 5 gobblers to 3 gobblers a season, and changing the season dates from March 20th to May 5th. That reduces the season length by 1 day, since the season used to run March 15th to May 1st.
I have mixed emotions about this. I've never taken more than 3 turkeys in a season in SC, but liked the possibility of doing so. Also, I just came off of my worst season ever in SC, but I know several guys that had awesome seasons. Your thoughts?

http://www.edgefieldadvertiser.com/2015/03/changes-coming-for-south-carolina-turkey-hunters-possibly-as-soon-as-next-year/

You hunt in the "lowcountry", which is about 30% of the state.  The rest of the state has been April 1-May 1, so this law extends the season for most of the state.

My thoughts?  I don't mind the reduction in limit, but extending a lot of people's season will affect the population more negatively, than the limit will affect it positively.  We shall see.