Has turkey hunnting become less popular

[eggshell]

My hunting buddy and I have been talking as we hunt and we both agree in our area it seems like turkey hunters have declined in the last 10 years. That is ok with us personally as we have less problems where we hunt, but we also know that the decline of hunting participation is a bad trend for the sport and wildlife. Do any of you feel the same way? I think the NWTF over sold it in their early years and many people just drifted away after trying it. It's a pretty physically intense hunt style. Maybe it's too much for some.....thoughts?

[Happy]

I think probably in overall numbers it has probably grown slightly. However compared to the nonhunting population it has probably decreased. If that makes any sense.

[guesswho]

There's a shortage of turkey hunters in the Southeast, but no shortage of people trying to play the part.

[Sir-diealot]

I see more here in the Northeast, but I do not like some of the tactics I am seeing. I am seeing more people helping the very young but not those in their teens that are just starting out, wish I had somebody to help me a bit when I first started and I started in my mid 20's

[Muzzy61]

There's a shortage of turkey hunters in the Southeast, but no shortage of people trying to play the part.

^^^^
A lot of truth in this

[Southerngobbler]

Here in N/W Florida we're getting bombarded. Saw more out of state tags last year than Iv'e ever seen. More turkey hunters every year, residence and non residents. Also noticed with this influx of hunters its no longer the normal to drive on to the next place if someones already parked there. This seemed to be a the widely excepted practice for so long but just in the last year or so it doesn't seem to matter who got there first, just pull on up, park next to me and come help hunt that one bird that's gobbling back there.

[bobk]

In my part of the Northeast, I am observing far less hunters in the mountains. Talking to freinds it seems that most hunters are hunting fields. Not sure if the overall number of hunters has changed.

[Sir-diealot]

In my part of the Northeast, I am observing far less hunters in the mountains. Talking to freinds it seems that most hunters are hunting fields. Not sure if the overall number of hunters has changed.

I think that is largely due to the fact that we as a Nation are not in as good a shape as we were in previous decades/generations. More people are obese, more smokers that don't have the wind to hike those mountains and also more of the Adirondack Region has become private property or closed to hunting.

[mikejd]

I hunt in NY and can tell you I see a third of the turkey hunters I saw 10-15 years ago. I usually hunt for the first 10 days of the season strait through the first 2 weekends. I would assume those would be the busiest times. I rarely run into a turkey hunter anymore.

[RutnNStrutn]

To my experience, it has become increasingly more popular. In Florida permits to hunt public land are getting increasingly more difficult to be drawn for. Access to private land is becoming more scarce, and the prices are getting ridiculous. In SC, where my hunting camp is, it's hard to find private land to hunt, and the price per acre is increasing. So nothing I can see would make me think turkey hunting is becoming less popular.

[RutnNStrutn]

There's a shortage of turkey hunters in the Southeast, but no shortage of people trying to play the part.

  Ain't that the truth!! Lots of bumbling Wally's walking around the woods these days saying they're turkey hunting.

[eggshell]

I feel for you guys in Florida. I was down there in 2012, of course to finish my grand slam, and it was getting tougher then. Even in  the last 7 years I have noticed prices have sky rocketed for guided hunts and with that I'm sure lease rates have gone up. People have no other option for an Osceola. A buddy of mine winters in Florida and says it's not even worth trying anymore, he just quit hunting down there. I think you can thank all the hunting videos, shows and NWTF for that. It used to be that bad here way back in the day as we had the best part of the state to hunt and there were only birds in a few counties (I'm talking 1970s and 80s). As the flock expanded it lightened up. That is not what I meant however, I know probably half the local hunters have quit turkey hunting or only hunt a few days. No one fall hunts. Deer are the rage here in Ohio and We are getting bombarded by out of state traffic and out of staters buying up leases. Lease prices have tripled from 10-15 years ago. Have I told you I hate leasing!! It is too the point I can not even walk out my back door and hunt, 1,000 acres I used to freely hunt is now leased all around me, and all out of state people. Two years ago some of the lease holders tried to run my buddies off my land, said they had it leased. My buddies called me and they said the fools actually took off running when they heard my truck coming through the woods.  There is still a group of land owners who have joined me in standing against leasing and don't lease our lands. We have about 2,000 acres the local Joes can still hunt. I think nothing else has hurt hunting participation more than leasing. If people don't have a place to hunt they just give up, because public land is too crowed.

[BigSlam51]

I feel for you guys in Florida. I was down there in 2012, of course to finish my grand slam, and it was getting tougher then. Even in  the last 7 years I have noticed prices have sky rocketed for guided hunts and with that I'm sure lease rates have gone up. People have no other option for an Osceola. A buddy of mine winters in Florida and says it's not even worth trying anymore, he just quit hunting down there. I think you can thank all the hunting videos, shows and NWTF for that. It used to be that bad here way back in the day as we had the best part of the state to hunt and there were only birds in a few counties (I'm talking 1970s and 80s). As the flock expanded it lightened up. That is not what I meant however, I know probably half the local hunters have quit turkey hunting or only hunt a few days. No one fall hunts. Deer are the rage here in Ohio and We are getting bombarded by out of state traffic and out of staters buying up leases. Lease prices have tripled from 10-15 years ago. Have I told you I hate leasing!! It is too the point I can not even walk out my back door and hunt, 1,000 acres I used to freely hunt is now leased all around me, and all out of state people. Two years ago some of the lease holders tried to run my buddies off my land, said they had it leased. My buddies called me and they said the fools actually took off running when they heard my truck coming through the woods.  There is still a group of land owners who have joined me in standing against leasing and don't lease our lands. We have about 2,000 acres the local Joes can still hunt. I think nothing else has hurt hunting participation more than leasing. If people don't have a place to hunt they just give up, because public land is too crowed.

I was just about to bring up ohio, the out of state deer hunters, and the leasing lol. It's pretty bad right now, and I'm in northeast ohio. My buddy and I had planned on hunting some public that I grew up hunting last weekend and got beat there by some guys from Pennsylvania. I guess that's what happens when ohio is the closest midwest big buck state to guys from the east and has some of the cheapest licenses available considering our trophy animals.

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[Greg Massey]

In my area of Tennessee numbers are still average. Back around 7 years ago the number of turkeys were a lot more and guys were taking up turkey hunting because , they were thinking it's easy to kill a turkey. After numbers leveled off and it became not so easy, a lot of the 3 time a season hunters stop turkey hunting, which i have no problem with these group of hunters not hunting anymore. I had lot's rather be in the woods with a season turkey hunter, if nothing else for safety reasons.. You also can't tell numbers are down if you go to the NWTF convention in Nashville it's packed with people all day from all ages ....

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

Over the last few years it has become more popular here. I believe social media has a lot to do with it. Gotta have the hero pics.