FALL TURKEY HUNTING FOR ALL 49 STATES..

[quavers59]

What do you think about this members?? I have a strong feeling that alot of turkey hunters in States like Mississippi would welcome even a 1 week Fall Turkey Season. My own State of New York is down to 2 weeks after being cut from 6 weeks and the take is cut from 2 birds to just 1. And New Jersey has a 1 week Fall turkey season. I think that the most important thing is to get more young people involved in turkey hunting and a Fall turkey season would help out in every state that has a wild turkey population. Your thoughts on this members- both for and against a Fall turkey season in your State if you don't already have a Fall Turkey Season.   See you all next Friday on this library computer-Quavers.

[guesswho]

I wouldn't mind a week or two of gobblers only fall season.   Not a big fan of hens being legal.  But I've hunted states that allow hens to be killed in the fall and the populations don't seem to suffer any.  But here in the South out numbers have been declining for a while now.   The killing of hens surely wouldn't help reverse that trend.   Another issue I have with a fall season is the fact that a lot of the birds killed are 2 to 4 months old.   Just does't sound like something I'd be interested in seeing happen around here.

[Chris O]

I guess I figured that most states that had a spring season would have a fall one to. I doubt if the fall seasons are as popular because a lot of people are deer hunting that time of year and that might be a reason some states don't offer a fall turkey season .They may be afraid of hunting accidents if both seasons are open at the same time. I think that all states that have strong populations should have a fall season.Atleast make it so the bird must have a beard to be legal to shoot.

[nativeks]

Looking at closing it in KS or severely reducing it

[fallhnt]

Fall turkey hunting is a great time

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[Kylongspur88]

I enjoy our fall season and it's been open here for 10 + years. However hunter numbers and harvest numbers are very low in the fall. Most guys are deer hunting that time of year. They don't know what they're missing. 

[bbcoach]

The most important thing about turkey hunting is making sure the turkey numbers are there to support a fall season.  Many states don't have the numbers to support a fall season. 

[SteelerFan]

I started my turkey hunting in the fall. Specifically hunting turkeys - not a byproduct of another hunt, like squirrels, deer, or pheasant. It was a great time to be in the woods...late October, leaves changing colors and the smell of "fall". But, that was also a time before I bow hunted for deer, or chased grouse with a gun.

I don't see a fall season as a recruitment tool for young hunters. I think times have changed as far as that is concerned. I've read the other threads about shooting turkeys on the fly when pheasant hunting - and admittedly that's a foreign concept to me.   

I agree, if a population can sustain or withstand a fall season - then by all means it should be there. But honestly, I don't see fall hunting specifically for turkeys as a growing trend. Maryland added a "winter" season for turkeys in January... just because. It's for no other reason than to allow for the opportunity to hunt, and that's usually a good thing.

[Happy]

We have a fall season in Md and Wv and to be honest I never hunted it. To busy try to get venison in the freezer. It's just not the same as hunting them in the spring. I love spring hunting like nothing else but I have no desire to kill a hen or a jake and any tom we take means one less we can kill in the spring so I am out. Least that's how the rules used to be.

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[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Most states are experiencing declining turkey populations and fall seasons tend to allow hen harvests.  I don't agree with harvesting hens considering their criticality in sustaining the species.

It also seems like most fall turkey harvests are the result of opportunistic deer hunters carrying a turkey tag in their pocket.  If you want to hunt turkeys in the fall and the population can sustain it, I believe you should be required to hunt them with a shotgun and traditional turkey shot.  Either hunt turkeys or hunt deer; take your pick.

[Hooksfan]

As much as I enjoy Fall hunting where I live in Missouri, no way would I support Fall hunting in many other states.

[ceejay]

The answer to declining turkey populations is conservation through habitat improvement.  I would prefer people, other hunters in particular, put their energy and focus on that rather than trying to keep seasons reduced.   I'd hate to see hunters lose opportunities to do what they enjoy out of necessity to stabilize the population. 

[quavers59]

Really good replys here!   Nothing beats hearing a jake half gobble to my cutting on a slate in the early morning. Almost as good as Spring!

[Kylongspur88]

Most states are experiencing declining turkey populations and fall seasons tend to allow hen harvests.  I don't agree with harvesting hens considering their criticality in sustaining the species.

It also seems like most fall turkey harvests are the result of opportunistic deer hunters carrying a turkey tag in their pocket.  If you want to hunt turkeys in the fall and the population can sustain it, I believe you should be required to hunt them with a shotgun and traditional turkey shot.  Either hunt turkeys or hunt deer; take your pick.

I agree with only hunting them with turkey tackle in the fall. Here your only allowed to use a shotgun or bow and shotgun is split into 2 weeks with one in October and the other week in December.

I have mixed feelings on killing hens. It's not uncommon to see flocks of hens with 40-50 birds where I hunt but I also know a few bad hatch years could change that fast.

In the end I will legally take hens as long as the law says I can and defer to the biologists at fish and game to make the call on the seasons and bag limits.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

The answer to declining turkey populations is conservation through habitat improvement.  I would prefer people, other hunters in particular, put their energy and focus on that rather than trying to keep seasons reduced.   I'd hate to see hunters lose opportunities to do what they enjoy out of necessity to stabilize the population.

I'd gladly see hunters, including myself, have fewer opportunities to hunt if it meant the wild turkey had more viable sustainability.  Dead hens don't lay eggs.  You can have the most ideal habitat in the country and none of that matters if you're not minimizing hen harvest.

History does not lend a kind reputation to hunters; they tend to be a gluttonous group.  As far as I'm concerned, the woods were a more enjoyable place before turkey hunting became trendy, before high percentage tactics became customary practices and there was more honor amongst those who pursued the grand bird back in the day.