Beyond Silent Spring-WATCH YOUR STATE GAME DEPTS!!!

[quavers59]

I did get plenty of replys to Silent Spring. Members here should read that article in the APRIL- Outdoor Life. If you live in one of the states where there is a wild turkey decline----your state game dept (might) take steps. They might shorten your spring season before they mess with the bag limit. ALABAMA is list at a 20% decline and MISSISSIPPI has a larger decline. Some of those states listed do not even have a FALL turkey season!
    I live in NEW YORK and this just happened to us! Last summer their was a (45 day) public input about changing the FALL TURKEY SEASON. I had no idea and found out by accident! Quickly i I wrote a 5-page hand written letter and mailed it in. All the turkey hunters that I talked to on the street also had no idea and were pissed to put it mildly. It was all done under the table! My Fall season was (SLASHED) from 6 weeks to just 2! And the bag limit was cut by 50%---from 2 Fall birds to just 1. So, by all means WATCH your own state game depts and make sure this does not happen to you as well!

[TrackeySauresRex]

I would hope this was all a temporary measure taken, so populations can rebound.

[Happy]

If populations drop and I would expect seasons shortened and bag limits reduced. I am all for it if it needs to be done. I love to hunt these birds as much as anybody however I also want them to thrive as a species. Now I believe that all the affiliated governing bodies to be up front about it but I believe in many areas we need to slow our roll a bit. Turkey hunting is becoming hugely popular and with all the new fads out there more birds are being killed than ever before. Throw in the decline of trapping, predator numbers rising and add in a few wet springs and you have a recipe for a huge drop in bird numbers. I have my own ideas on how to take care of some of those issues but they wouldn't be popular with many people.

[sswv]

if your state has a declining turkey population just have your officials contact the WV DNR and offer them something useful like house cats, or flying squirrels or maybe umbrellas. they'll jump on that trade and trap a truck load and bring them right to you. 

that might sound sarcastic but it's true. they've traded our turkeys for some strange things in the past several decades.  our turkey population goes up and down in different areas not always due to natural occurrences but due to the DNR trapping them from those areas for trade fodder.   

[Spurs]

This has happened in Arkansas over the past several year...for just about all hunting.  Turkey season doesn't open until April 16 this year, deer population is threatened by CWD due to the introduction (and under harvesting) of elk, hogs have taken over due to them dragging their feet, and NOW they is talk of banning 3" or longer shells on public land for duck hunting!!!!!!!!

IMHO, I see Arkansas going in the same direction as many other states.  Slowly regulate the hunting to diminish the amount of hunters.......some call it conspiracy, I call it history.  Check out Illinois/Iowa turkey season and then check out the population....more birds than you can shake a stick at, good luck hunting them.


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[snapper1982]

Why should Would anyone be mad that the state is trying to help the population and make it grow? That is just greedy and foolish!

[M Sharpe]

If populations drop and I would expect seasons shortened and bag limits reduced. I am all for it if it needs to be done. I love to hunt these birds as much as anybody however I also want them to thrive as a species. Now I believe that all the affiliated governing bodies to be up front about it but I believe in many areas we need to slow our roll a bit. Turkey hunting is becoming hugely popular and with all the new fads out there more birds are being killed than ever before. Throw in the decline of trapping, predator numbers rising and add in a few wet springs and you have a recipe for a huge drop in bird numbers. I have my own ideas on how to take care of some of those issues but they wouldn't be popular with many people.

Could not have said it better myself!!

[Spurs]

Why should Would anyone be mad that the state is trying to help the population and make it grow? That is just greedy and foolish!

I don't think that is the issue...it has happened so many times in the past that a "game authority" steps in too soon or too late, most of the time it is due to under research and shots in the dark.

[perrytrails]

I participated in a Ohio small game survey.

In the comments I asked why there was no BIG GAME or deer and turkey survey. Numbers where I hunt are very low for both. Comments from many others around my area are the same.

A Wildlife biologist replied to my questions with their is a deer and turkey survey.
Funny I've never been sent or invited to one.

I think they don't want to hear what we want to say. I replied to him, State Farm insurance reported a record low for deer collisions in our state last year. I bet they are happy now.

Maybe we have better, more aware drivers? I think not.

I also referred him to your article Beyond Silent spring. As of now I've gotten no reply.

Imo, I think tags for both should be cut to 1. At least for a couple seasons here in Ohio. But that's less income for the DNR. I'd fully support shorter seasons.

[Bowguy]

Good to see the common sense thoughts. We need to conserve when necessary n be more lenient in harvest when populations are good

[SteelerFan]

I've worked with, and know, numerous game biologist. Contrary to some belief, it is not their goal in life to p*** off hunters. They are stewards that have been tasked with MANAGING wildlife, for the benefit of all - hunters, citizens, and the wildlife itself. Maintaining a sustainable, huntable population of game species sometimes requires adjustments. Season length and bag limit changes are usually the first to be scrutinized - since they are the tool which achieves the results.

The biologists that I personally know that are in charge of deer, bear, turkey, etc. actually hunt themselves. They are hunters. They are one of us.

It's easy for us, as individuals, to cast opinions about the size of flocks and herds in our own neck of the woods but most of the time there is a bigger picture involved. As hunters we have a tendency to quickly criticize that which does not suit us.

[Bowguy]

Why should Would anyone be mad that the state is trying to help the population and make it grow? That is just greedy and foolish!

I don't think that is the issue...it has happened so many times in the past that a "game authority" steps in too soon or too late, most of the time it is due to under research and shots in the dark.

The game depts do move way too slowly. However you used to be able to drive through lots of NY where he is discussing n see birds from the road, in every field n gravel pit. This year the population is slightly up from the previous couple of years but nothing like 20 or so years ago. I say it's about time to fix things

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If populations are dropping I want seasons being shortened and bag limits being reduced.


New York waited 5 years too many to do anything about its turkey numbers just like many southern states have as well.  We need a faster more responsive approach by DNR and less selfish hunters who are focused more on the health of the resource instead of how many tags we can fill.

[wvmntnhick]

There are several counties in WV that haven't had a fall season in years. Some say it's because of "this" or "that" but I've gotten a chance to speak to a few of the biologists for reasoning behind this. The answers were simple and to the point and made some sense in some regards and hardly any in others. Here goes:

"Some counties don't offer a fall season because of the low spring season kill. If there's not enough birds there in the spring, why kill them in the fall?" I understand this to some degree. However, when looking at Jefferson county that's loaded with birds and everything is tied up in private hands that only allow a few family members to hunt it, probably not the best logic. When looking at Braxton and Lewis counties that have the highest number of predators that I've ever seen, it makes total sense to me. These counties are going to need higher regulation to keep the populations growing or at least stable.

"Some of the counties that are off limits to fall hunting are "trapping" counties. This is where we catch birds and move them to another part of the state." Totally get it. It would suck to be hunting birds in the fall, get ready to pull the trigger and watch a huge net get blasted over the top of the entire flock.

While I don't feel things have been done well in this state to conserve our deer population, they've done a much better job at trying to conserve our turkeys. I'm thankful for that. I've said in many previous posts that I've been primarily a rifle hunter when it comes to turkeys. Most have still been shot while within easy shotgun range. A few otherwise but they have been the exception to the rule. We get lots of guys that will not even bother to carry a call and will simply watch a field to shoot one at 200+ yards. If the state said today that they're doing away with rifles to help save the turkey population, again, I'd be up for that too. Kind of makes me sound like a typing contradiction but I've switched to the shotgun anyway. They gotta do what they gotta do. Apologies for the long post.

[ilbucksndux]

I did get plenty of replys to Silent Spring. Members here should read that article in the APRIL- Outdoor Life. If you live in one of the states where there is a wild turkey decline----your state game dept (might) take steps. They might shorten your spring season before they mess with the bag limit. ALABAMA is list at a 20% decline and MISSISSIPPI has a larger decline. Some of those states listed do not even have a FALL turkey season!
    I live in NEW YORK and this just happened to us! Last summer their was a (45 day) public input about changing the FALL TURKEY SEASON. I had no idea and found out by accident! Quickly i I wrote a 5-page hand written letter and mailed it in. All the turkey hunters that I talked to on the street also had no idea and were pissed to put it mildly. It was all done under the table! My Fall season was (SLASHED) from 6 weeks to just 2! And the bag limit was cut by 50%---from 2 Fall birds to just 1. So, by all means WATCH your own state game depts and make sure this does not happen to you as well!

Sounds to me like they are doing the job they are paid to do. You should feel lucky that the state is so proactive about it. As already mentioned with the problems in Arkansas,we have had ups downs and way downs with our deer population. Starting to sell gun tags over the counter,unlimited archery doe tags,and 2 summers of a BAD EHD left our deer population lower than I had seen it since the late '80's . The state did noting and several years the population was bad. Places that you could in the past see 8-10 deer in an evenings sit you could sit for days and see 2 or 3. Yes there were pockets that the numbers were still up but over all . The state did nothing,because the insurance companies were happy. We took matters into our own hands. Our household would only kill 2 does period and a buck had to have at least 4 points on one side.

The deer have made turnaround but there are still places I wont shoot a doe.

I honestly wish they would just get rid of fall turkey hunting here and re vamp the way we can hunt in the spring .