With all the changes that have affected non residents and also resident public land hunters. I would like everyone to post state regulations that changed and took away opportunities from us since the great popularity boom that started 6-8 years ago
It'd be nice to have one spot like this to show them all.
Things like shorter seasons, draw hunts, delayed openers etc etc. post it all here
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I'll start
Mississippi——-Made it a limited draw for non residents for the first two weeks of the season.
Nothing as far as regulation changes other than them cutting our fall season numbers due to spring hunters whining about turkey numbers when our spring harvest numbers is 55:2 what our fall harvest numbers are in 3 weeks vs 6 months of fall season. But we have lost a ton of hunting opportunities due to over crowing on our public lands
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Indiana Non Resident tags increased massively.
for instance deer bundle went from $350ish to $550ish
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TN
Limit reduction from 4, to 3, to 2.
Pushed season start back by two weeks.
Many WMAs that were open have gone to draw. So a place you were used to hunting several times a season you can now hunt 2 days every 3-4 years.
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Thought this thread would explode.
FL - finally brought fees and quota restrictions into the 21st century. The nine days non-resident restrictions an overreaction caused by resident whining. End result is the high dollar outfitters just got into the astronomical high dollar category. Saw a post for a $5500 two day Osceola hunt. Anyone paying this is nuts.
Quote from: J-Shaped on April 27, 2025, 10:10:48 PMTN
Limit reduction from 4, to 3, to 2.
Pushed season start back by two weeks.
Many WMAs that were open have gone to draw. So a place you were used to hunting several times a season you can now hunt 2 days every 3-4 years.
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I will also add Covid year to our problems in Tenn ... People who never turkey hunted before with telling local wardens etc we didn't see or hear turkeys.. It's like we have never recovered from the Covid turkey year, all this was, was an excuse to change the season etc in Tenn... IMO
NE is now limited entry permit only for NR.
FL, as stated above and heading for more of the same, I'm sure.
OK is going to a draw for NR.
OK lower limits.
SC lower limits.
AL lower limits.
TN lower limits.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on April 28, 2025, 12:43:37 PMNE is now limited entry permit only for NR.
FL, as stated above and heading for more of the same, I'm sure.
OK is going to a draw for NR.
OK lower limits.
SC lower limits.
AL lower limits.
TN lower limits.
Most AL public has delayed/shorter season too
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Georgia
Shorter season
3 bird limit to 2
Kansas non resident draw
Nebraska quota
Arkansas very delayed season (4/21 open)
One gobbler first 7 days.
Black hill quota draw.
More coming.
N. Florida: WMAs that used to be open and were some of my favorite spots went to quota hunt only to address overcrowding. Now when I see people posting a photo and video with the WMA sign in it, I cringe. That's the first step toward the same fate.
I should add the greatly increased cost of an AR license for OOS'ers. Someone mention another state was up there in the $500 range. I suspect there is more of this to come.
And my season in E. Texas opens April 22 each year, and most of the counties in this area are closed to turkey hunting.
Ohio has a 1 turkey spring bag limit now. Used to be 2 for years. Population looked good to me when i hunted there not long ago.
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Ebb and flow. Things change.
I remember when Nebraska was a draw state except for the NW corner. 2 tags IF you drew a limited tag. An archery tag was not good for gun either...archery all season and no early archery season. Then it went to 2 general tags, then 3 with tags good for either archery or gun. Now 2 tags with NR limited.
In another state there was a smallish limited unit, all limited tags. Went from 15 tags to 25, then 35, then 50 with private land being a general tag. Recently it went down to 40 tags, now 30. Still private being a general tag tho.
Turkey hunting got easier and popular. With the guns, decoys, blinds it's just easier than when it was when you used a full choke gun with magnum duck & pheasant loads and sat on a piece of foam...no decoy.
Oh well...things change. Adjust or pout...not much you can do. Ya just get one life...just one. Don't worry...be happy. 🙂
"Oh well......."
Words to live by
Quote from: arkrem870 on April 30, 2025, 11:47:56 AM"Oh well......."
Words to live by
Notice how you left out the "adjust" part in your little quip there.
Been traveling for 20 + years. And hunting turkeys for 30+. Average 8-15 states a year. I know all about adjusting. Adapting. Etc. losing opportunities is real. It's a big deal to many of us.
Yeah, big deal to me too. I started state hoping in 1994. Hunted 6 to 8 weeks a spring. Lots of draws and other limitations back then but things were expanding. Then opportunity leveled off. Now its shrinking. I have adjusted where I can but some things there is nothing I can do. My point was I appreciate and enjoy what I got.
Ya never know whats coming tho, and maybe I am off here (I hope I am), but we ain't seen nothing yet. Our public lands are in danger of getting sold off now. What is that going to do for opportunity.
Quote from: Treerooster on April 30, 2025, 04:11:11 PMYeah, big deal to me too. I started state hoping in 1994. Hunted 6 to 8 weeks a spring. Lots of draws and other limitations back then but things were expanding. Then opportunity leveled off. Now its shrinking. I have adjusted where I can but some things there is nothing I can do. My point was I appreciate and enjoy what I got.
Ya never know whats coming tho, and maybe I am off here (I hope I am), but we ain't seen nothing yet. Our public lands are in danger of getting sold off now. What is that going to do for opportunity.
Oh well, Adapt
They say
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I have and I am.
A big part of being a "realist" is knowing when to say "Oh well" and when to adapt to changing times. Helps keep the blood pressure down. On most, if not all, of these similar threads very little is accomplished other than a whole lot of whining and complaining that others have now discovered that turkey hunting is a whole lot of fun at times. I may have started the "adapt". Good for me. I'll add "get over it". Time to realize that shorter seasons, reduced bag limits, heavy non-resident punishments plus quotas are in the cards. This forum, which is social media btw, has certainly turned into the "whiner forum" at times. Get over it.
So much hypocrisy in threads like these:
- Too many non-residents - I travel X number of states every year
- OnX ruined public lands - Let me drop another pin on my map
- Turkey hunting is an absolute blast - Too many people are enjoying this experience
- Social media is ruining hunting - As I post on social media
- Technology has got too good - just picked up another box of TSS and a new Fastfire
It's more entertaining than watching YouTube.
I said all that a week or so ago
Hunters against hunters. Do you think the states care? Their thinking give me the money. I've been dealing with less birds now for years but I'm enjoying the hunt. Good day
We got 1 bird in Oklahoma. Used to be 3.