Fed up

[Strick9]

Myself and other biologists and concerned public land hunters have formed a group so that each public land hunters voice can make a difference.

Without a unified public voice it will be business as usual.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/150085468852259/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

[Spurs Up]

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

Sounds like the original poster needs to learn how to hunt heavily pressured, well educated gobblers. As for pure strain Osceola's, Big Cypress will always have a huntable population for those who know how to find, call to the gun, and kill them.  If Mother nature, The Miccosukees and Seminoles, and myself and my kin have not been able to wipe them out, than nothing will

Equating yourself and kinfolk, along with the Miccosukees and Seminoles, to Mother Nature is a big mighty big statement.  I would ordinarily agree that Big Cypress would be an Osceola stronghold during even the Zombie apocalypse. Only in some our lifetimes, sea level rise is gonna be a big deal for the Big Cypress.  Either roll up your britches or keep to the hills.

As OG said Osceola turkeys, and especially hunting of them, ain't gonna be what it use to be.

[Greg Massey]

"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.

X2

[Bowguy]

All due respect that's the wrong attitude. If you need a break take it.
In NJ the 1990s into early 2000s had birds everywhere. Bad winters, bad hatches, poult survival rate, predators, etc all took their toll.
Now finally the birds are swinging up.,
Same thing happened w our deer, we have unlimited antlerless and the ability to kill 2 at one time before we check em in n cominue, remember it's unlimited so you can kill as many as you selfishly like in a day. Some guys kill 20+ a year. It's a shame cause half the guys don't even eat them.
Now the deer hunts have been getting worse. Finally too that is upswinging.
The benefit of things going bad is many folks quit. You can see you're feeling it too.
Once that happens the animals rebound n you have the woods to yourself a few years. Keep your head up n remember it's going to get better, don't sell everything off. If you do you'll regret it

[turkeywhisperer935]

Guys I've caught a lot of heat on this and I'm sorry I guess but truth is I like the gobble. That's the reason I hunt, if I wanted to just sit there and listen to the wind or a mocking bird that'd be great but that's what hooked me. I do care nothing about hunting high pressured so called educated turkeys that don't gobble. I ain't gonna lie just not fun to me never has been. Much respect goes to those who do cause they are probably the most difficult animal in the world to kill. My point is there is something wrong when you used to see birds everywhere and when you go to seeing a handful in a span of 3 to 4 years that's a problem. From some of the comments I've received on this post I've also been reinforced that we are our own enemies. I was explaining an issue I have with state wildlife and the nwtf in general but this has got misread or something. People can say they go for whatever reasons they want to but their is not a one on here that doesn't go to kill a turkey. If that's not what we're there for then why and when you're spending hard earned money on super expensive tools for lackluster results then why? There is no one who has read this that would not be frustrated if they went out everyday and not even heard a gobble. Sorry but wether anyone admits it or not I know that's true. We don't buy licenses, shells, calls, decoys etc. just to sit in the woods.

[Greg Massey]

I can sum this up in one statement.. The reason i go turkey hunting is to hear him Gobble...if i kill him or not... I do understand this guy's pain...we all get frustrated............So far this Tenn season i have miss just 2 days... and no i don't hear one or see one every morning...BUT I GO TO HEAR HIM GOBBLE .... I have be fortunate to kill 2 gobblers this year....

[Spurs Up]

I can sum this up in one statement.. The reason i go turkey hunting is to hear him Gobble...if i kill him or not... I do understand this guy's pain...we all get frustrated............So far this Tenn season i have miss just 2 days... and no i don't hear one or see one every morning...BUT I GO TO HEAR HIM GOBBLE .... I have be fortunate to kill 2 gobblers this year....

Yep. And we can yet again simplify this statement if you think about WHY you go to hear him gobble.

Congrats on killing 2 this season. I hope you hear many more in your future.

[Spurs Up]

Guys I've caught a lot of heat on this and I'm sorry I guess but truth is I like the gobble. That's the reason I hunt, if I wanted to just sit there and listen to the wind or a mocking bird that'd be great but that's what hooked me. I do care nothing about hunting high pressured so called educated turkeys that don't gobble. I ain't gonna lie just not fun to me never has been. Much respect goes to those who do cause they are probably the most difficult animal in the world to kill. My point is there is something wrong when you used to see birds everywhere and when you go to seeing a handful in a span of 3 to 4 years that's a problem. From some of the comments I've received on this post I've also been reinforced that we are our own enemies. I was explaining an issue I have with state wildlife and the nwtf in general but this has got misread or something. People can say they go for whatever reasons they want to but their is not a one on here that doesn't go to kill a turkey. If that's not what we're there for then why and when you're spending hard earned money on super expensive tools for lackluster results then why? There is no one who has read this that would not be frustrated if they went out everyday and not even heard a gobble. Sorry but wether anyone admits it or not I know that's true. We don't buy licenses, shells, calls, decoys etc. just to sit in the woods.

No heat from me. I agree and think I understand too.

I just wanna kill 1 more, preferably the next time I go. And, I hope he gobbles.

[Happy]

We all like to hear them gobble and yes we are our own worst enemies. It's great to have a booming population and birds that work easy. Just isn't the case in a lot of places anymore and a lot of it is the hunters fault. Between using quicker, easier ways to kill them and the internet we are rapidly turning great areas into a thing of the past. The hunter is supposed to be a conservation  first and foremost. Not the case with most hunters anymore. It's all how fast and easy can I kill one. If we value what we have then we should do our best to protect it. And if you have a honey hole please keep your mouth shut and enjoy it. And if birds are scarce then take note and throttle back a bit. Look at what is happening to Kansas and Tennessee. Great hunting that is getting mauled by hunters that don't give a second thought to what they leave behind. I really wish we took the aspect of conservation to heart.  Our greed will be our downfall.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk

[turkeywhisperer935]

X2, and no concideration for other sportsmen.

[Tom Foolery]

Even though our limit is 4 birds I've never killed more than 2 birds in a season.  On the pieces of land I hunt I feel that taking 4 is just too much.


Most people think I'm crazy

[Cutt]

Some of these people with the smarta** comments on here must have a lease or club they're in cause they must not understand what I'm frustrated about.

Probably more hunters here than you think, also deal with some of the same issues as you? I know I don't have access to any leases, and mainly hunt Public. Bird numbers here have seemed to dropped off over the years and pressure has gone up, yes it  can get frustrating at times, but have no other choice than to deal with it.

[Gobble!]

I like it. Tell others so they stop too.

[Tom Threetoes]

I think the OP hit the nail on the head! No I won't quit, but it's hard sometimes to watch something you love so much go down hill the way the way turkey hunting has. Hunting videos and the rush to make a buck off the popularity of turkey hunting has helped hastened the decline of our sport. I can see why the NWTF won't admit there's a problem, they want to sell memberships and any mention of turkey populations being on the decline would hurt them in the pocket book! Our DNR won't admit there is a problem for the same reason. Nest predators are a big problem in Indiana but what do we do? We reintroduce the bobcat and give it protected status, the logic behind our DNR is a mystery. Our season has opened for years in the middle of April, this year for some reason it doesn't open till the middle of the last week after the peak of breeding has passed and the temps are so high that most birds would rather play it cool than battle the heat.

[BB30]

Generally speaking with everything, what goes up must come down. In Mississippi, before my time my grandfather said he can remember when there were no turkeys you could go a whole season and if you heard 1 bird it was a success much less actually laying eyes on or killing one. From what I understand we hit a peak in the 90s and in some areas there has been a decrease. I think with everything there will again be a rebound. Things are generally cyclical. All I have heard here the last couple of years is TN and KY is the new MO. Stick with it there will be a rebound at some point.