Fed up

[turkeywhisperer935]

Like I said if anyone knows of a club or lease with an opening give me a shout I'm in west tn in Decatur county about 2 hours between Nashville and Memphis. I called some before season opened but they didn't have any openings.

[SteelerFan]

 

"over paid game wardens..."

Obviously you don't know many.

[dublelung]

Turkey hunting during crappy years always separates the men from the boys. When you going to list the for sale items and where?

[Daddy rat]

That makes me more determined to succeed... not pack my tent up & head home...everyone is hunting to same conditions

[chadly]

I hear what your saying about fighting with the large population of hunters.  That's always frustrating.  I hunt all public and sharing it with others sucks.  However,  its better that not hunting at all.  DNR here in Iowa says our bird numbers are fine but I would say not so.  I just don't see many birds like I did 10 years ago.  Just go at with the attitude of relaxing and having fun.  If you see or hear a bird its a bonus.  If your really frustrated take a little time off don't give up.  Good luck.

[Old Gobbler]

Florida is worse guys ,worse than your worst nightmare  we kill ONLY about 700 .....seven hundred ...that's right , turkeys per year on public land , and half of those are eastern or hybrids -those of us who have been around know it's not gonna get better , it's gonna get worse as the state is predicted to grom  from 19 to 45 million by the year 2045

Private land is scare , expensive and shrinking fast , the core population of Osceolas is smack dab in the Orlando disney area and development is BOOMING

No BS ...south central Florida turkey hunting has 25 years tops left and it will be distant memory ---a real impact will be felt in 10 to 15 years time , if anyone differs in opinion I say , you don't know what your talking about

There is no back up plan for the sub species of Osceola turkey , it would have been nice if they transplanted Osceola to hawaii , but somebody didn't think of that and instead they have rios and easterns

[Jbird22]

"over paid game wardens..."

Obviously you don't know many.

If they're not earning what they're being paid then wouldn't that make them overpaid?

Y'all can chastise the man all y'all want but til you walk a mile in his shoes, you have no idea what you would or wouldn't do.

Take my portion of MS for example, we don't have many birds at all. We did as few as 3-4 years ago but the population dropped sharply the past few years. If I couldn't afford to be in a lease or hunt other public land within somewhat reasonable driving distance, I'd be in the same boat as him. And I totally get what he's saying about his state's game and fish doing nothing to help the problem. It's much the same here in MS. There are several portions of public land statewide that should be closed to turkey hunting until populations rebound and stabilize. It'll never happen though due to the almighty dollar. As long as the revenue pours in the seasons and bag limits are here to stay. Maybe I missed something but he came across as a guy who sees a valuable resource diminishing right before his eyes while game and fish turn a blind eye. It's a dang shame and I feel his pain. Thankfully, I can afford to go hunt turkeys elsewhere. However, that's not a guarantee for tomorrow let alone next year.

[Tail Feathers]

We have Easterns here in the Piney Woods of East Texas.  The population is thinning and season is closed in my home county and about 15 others around me.  I hunt in a neighboring county that is one of the few remaining open.
I hear you Shannon.  We have a one bird limit and they set the season to open April 15 each year.  Most breeding is done already and it's hot already.  Birds aren't gobbling much, and it sure seems that there are a lot less of them this year on my lease.
I understand the OP being frustrated, but I bet he's back out there next spring after some time to think it over.

[FL-Boss]

OG is right. Central Fla turkey hunting  ,especially public land, will be near impossible in 10 years. Central fla is a complete zoo.


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[guesswho]

If they're not earning what they're being paid then wouldn't that make them overpaid?

Y'all can chastise the man all y'all want but til you walk a mile in his shoes, you have no idea what you would or wouldn't do.

I know I'd have the mans shoes and a mile head start, and the GW's would all be in boats on the lake so the chances of him or the GW's getting his shoes back would slim!


Seriously, about all you can do is accept it for what it is and just deal with the frustration, or pay up and join a lease (which may not be much better if any), or purchase your own land which isn't an option for a lot of folks.   

[Spurs Up]

Please give the guy a break.  And, if you can, show a little empathy.  Ask yourself WHY do you turkey hunt?  At your core--if you will be honest with yourself--you probably do so because you enjoy it.  Nothing more.  You can talk about the challenge; maybe connecting with nature, sharing the experience with friends and family, liking turkey meat, it's an addiction...

Those are reasons you enjoy it, not really the reasons you hunt.  You can do most of those outside of turkey season.

Perhaps, as other posters have suggested, it's about your manhood, competition, or grit. I hope not, but no matter.  You choose to turkey hunt because you enjoy it.

Its a recreational pursuit that we (mostly) all enjoy.  Turkey hunting arguably adds nominal value to our lives, but it's really just a pleasurable--often passionate--aside, at least for those who do not earn a living in the hunting industry. 

When I no longer enjoy it, for my own reasons whether it's not hearing birds, interference from other others, or add your own pet peeve, I too will hang it up.  I just won't bother coming on here to let you know. 

[SteelerFan]

I understand frustration. I get it.

The OP said: "All the money goes to is over paid game wardens that do nothing but ride in trucks all day long or stay in boats on some damn lake and try to bust drunks."

Maybe that's how it is there. But I doubt it. Maybe turkeywhisperer935 could contact his local warden and ask to meet with them to show them specific areas of concern. Is it poaching? Exceeding bag limits? Hunting over bait? 

Maybe those over paid wardens are actually leaving their house every morning for weeks on end to sit on baited areas to catch the illegal hunters? This after spending weeks walking miles to find illegally baited areas.

Maybe those wardens are busy running on trespassing complaints? Maybe some are working the wildlife areas while others are on boats because it is spring and people are on the water too?

Just sayin'...

[Kylongspur88]

I understand the OP's frustration. Never felt that way about turkey hunting but I put my bow down for a season a few years ago.

[Jbird22]

Maybe but maybe not...

I guess it can be said that in every profession there are those who don't earn their pay, not just GW's.

Keep ya head up turkeywhisperer935, hope your hunting opportunities improve!

[HawkeyeGobbler]

That sucks man I feel for you. Thankfully turkey hunting here in Iowa is the only thing that isn't rightly well screwed. We went from being one of the perennial top 3 for pheasant harvest in the nation to a near single digit percentage of what we once had. Gone are the banners on every hotel bar and sport shop saying "Welcome Hunters." Deer hunting was real good a few years back but when people think Iowa is the holy land they are outdated or mistaken. Confirmed CWD in the northern counties here, and Lee and Tiffany and a bunch of other tv show jokers have locked up southern Iowa. There's a few places in between of decent private ground but a bunch of pot bellied accountants from Naperville and their ritzy buddies pay half a years salary to keep the ground totally locked up even though they are only physically here hunting maybe a week.

The only thing saving turkey hunting is here it isn't a "heritage" thing. Entire families don't go hunting for toms, heck dad and grand dad don't even know what a turkey looked like, didn't have them in their day. I know continued participation and youth involvement is the lifeblood of the sport but its a real catch 22...25-30 years from now when those of us on the pioneer edge of turkey hunting in Iowa raise our sons, grandsons, nephews, nieces to all buy tags (plus everyone figuring out every other kind of hunting is screwed) we are in for some trouble. Thankfully we only have a 2 bird limit and make things tough on out of staters. If we were real liberal with OOS guys and bag limits we'd likely be in the same boat.

I have found OP, that when the going gets tough, you savor the small victories even more. Back in the hey day I had private ground at my disposal and it became a big rack contest. I wasn't happy with anything that Bass Pro wouldn't put on their wall. Well, private got bought up, numbers went down, hunter numbers went up, crowds ensued...nowadays I hunt deer on public and the few times I have harvested even a big bodied 6 pt buck I beam from ear to ear. It all becomes relative in time but I agree, the realization things are doomed in your part sure does suck.