Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

My email is blowing up with turkey hunter surveys right now.  I'm sure many of you that travel are seeing the same.  Please take the time to fill these out and I encourage everyone to push for real science based decisions. Not the later season, lower bag limit, non resident restriction feel good regulations that are being proposed everywhere.  Once we lose opportunity it will not return.  Ban for profit filming on public lands nationwide if you feel the need for a ban

I filled out my Missouri one yesterday!

Yes be sure and suggest a few "bans" of this and that.  No reason not to try and stop some from making a legitimate living or using a decoy or a blind or etc etc.  Selfish motives are always easy to spot.  The survey takers will see this and take them into consideration I'm betting.
Best suggestion would be to suggest they require any turkey hunting prospect to prove they have hunted them for at least 10 years in multiple states prior to covid because in reality we really don't want any "new guys" in the game.  It is all about us.  All these new guys are a real pain in the butt to deal with.  Suggest a total ban on any  "new guys".

Right because we all know sooooooo much more than the game biologists who help set the season dates and bag limits. 

Uh huh.

This is your 1 and only chance to really air out your frustrations, really show them how ungrateful you are and how much you dont appreciate the opportunities you do have.

These surveys are "hunter satisfaction" based. Very few involve wildlife biology or turkey reproduction and recruitment.

You think the govt cares about our opinions?  That's cute.

We watched as turkey hunting got pimped out for profit and few would stand up and speak out against it. We were called selfish, jealous, elitists etc.

Now exactly what we said would happen is happening. Hunting opportunity is going down the toilet. Whole thread on lost opportunity. I'm hearing 6-8 more states are about to drop the hammer.

So forgive me if I send emails, make calls, advocate online and in person.

I'm not one to sit and watch without speaking up. 

Let's ban Arkansas hunters to only being able to hunt thier own state! Less turkeys there are the more pressure are put on them each state should emplement more restrictive seasons and limits when populations of birds start dropping. It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if states only allowed out of state hunting for the last week of thier season.

Quote from: arkrem870 on May 15, 2025, 11:01:36 AMWe watched as turkey hunting got pimped out for profit and few would stand up and speak out against it. We were called selfish, jealous, elitists etc.

Now exactly what we said would happen is happening. Hunting opportunity is going down the toilet. Whole thread on lost opportunity. I'm hearing 6-8 more states are about to drop the hammer.

So forgive me if I send emails, make calls, advocate online and in person.

I'm not one to sit and watch without speaking up. 

Are you sending them while you're on one of your out of state hunts-crowding resident hunters?  While looking at public land access on OnX and posting on social media about how social media is killing turkey hunting?

Exactly. Let's burn it to the ground. Thats the spirit.

AGAIN - reduced limits and quota hunts are the obvious solution.  Attempting to ban filming on public land probably wouldn't stand a legal challenge.  Maybe smaller influencers such as THP couldn't afford to pursue this in court but I'll bet Rinella and big well established and heavily product sponsored influencers wouldn't bat an eye. Let's see next year's knee jerks.  Other than more non-resident screwing they won't amount to much.

Hunters complain about the decline of the turkey population. 

Wildlife agencies take steps to help population like later opening dates and reduced bag limits.

Hunters go in denial and try to pretend like more gobblers alive to breed more hens won't help population. 

Hunters go into blame shifting mode and point finger at predators. Predators didnt drive turkeys to near extinction the first time. And if it happens again it wont be from Predators.

Hunters greedy. Want more turkeys to hunt but complain when states try to give them what they say they want.

I try to fill out all the surveys that I get accurately. They are asking for our help and if we help them, it will be helping ourselves. I live in NH and the turkey numbers are pretty stable after a dip in the recent past. Hunter numbers are up and available land to hunt will always go down, therefore competition is tighter. We are relatively new to managing our turkey flock and I think we need to provide as much accurate info as possible. I am not a "non res hater", but wish all states would go to 1 bird non res limit. I see too many jakes being shot up here. Nobody, even a youth hunter and especially and adult hunter, needs to shoot 2 jakes a year. But that is my  :z-twocents: Z

I still find it amazing that some of you guys are complaining about out of state hunters in one breath and talking about their own personal hunts in a different state in the next. I went out of state once a few years back in the fall. Been deer hunting in MO. twice. Some of us ain't the problem.

Quote from: Ihuntoldschool on May 15, 2025, 01:19:06 PMHunters complain about the decline of the turkey population. 

Wildlife agencies take steps to help population like later opening dates and reduced bag limits.

Hunters go in denial and try to pretend like more gobblers alive to breed more hens won't help population. 

Hunters go into blame shifting mode and point finger at predators. Predators didnt drive turkeys to near extinction the first time. And if it happens again it wont be from Predators.

Hunters greedy. Want more turkeys to hunt but complain when states try to give them what they say they want.

You think the current spring gobbler harvest by hunters is more detrimental than predation of nesting hens /poults etc?

If you look you'll see fur prices and poult production charts follow similar trajectories. Predation is a major problem. Weather is a major issue. Increased pressure is an issue.....but more on the hunter satisfaction side of things than poult production.

I'm not aware of any studies that point to eggs not being fertilized.

Always interested in learning new things. Been a while since I worked in the wildlife biology world

Sign me up for no decoys, blinds or e-bikes on public lands unless physically/mentally handicapped. Also, no non-resident hunting on public land for the first week of season. No videoing hunts on public land for public viewing. That should tickle everyone. . And yes, hunters have a bigger impact than predators.

Ban the shooting of Jakes and possession of turkey fans while hunting!!

Ban everything. It's the American way.  Pathetic.  Some on here would qualify for the mentally handicapped exemption.

Quote from: arkrem870 on May 15, 2025, 05:42:53 PMBan the shooting of Jakes and possession of turkey fans while hunting!!

100 %

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

Quote from: joey46 on May 15, 2025, 06:11:58 PMSome on here would qualify for the mentally handicapped exemption.

Hmmmmmm...  :TooFunny:

Ban surveys.  They fuel the hopes of the desperate.

Quote from: joey46 on May 15, 2025, 06:11:58 PMBan everything. It's the American way.  Pathetic.  Some on here would qualify for the mentally handicapped exemption.

Hey! I resemble that remark! While we are working on our Christmas list to Sandy Clause. Can I request a free kick to the nards to anyone caught trespassing or shooting from a vehicle? Add roost shooting to that list as well.

Quote from: arkrem870 on May 14, 2025, 07:13:47 AMThese surveys are "hunter satisfaction" based. Very few involve wildlife biology or turkey reproduction and recruitment.

Exactly... We got a one bird limit in Oklahoma because 30% of those surveyed said they supported it and that's what the wildlife department will tell you.

I'm sure at some point several states in the MS knee jerk class will institute a filming fee.  Don't let any crisis go to waste. Those that are thinking that banning this and that will have any real effect are dreaming in fairy land. More hunters have discovered that turkey hunting is an enjoyable pursuit. How they discovered this is immaterial.  The secret is out.  The ship has sunk.  Limiting the participation through quota hunts on public land is coming. Spread the wealth and live with it.

It's like saying ..... I've got skin cancer. Hopefully they can remove it and with treatment I can get back to some kind of normal after a while. But by god I'm not wearing sunscreen or protective cloths afterward!

We must learn from our mistakes or we will repeat them

When you have no real solution - punt.  Maybe the invention of a time machine to take us back to 1995 would solve everything.

 :TrainWreck1:

Take a look at the "Spring hunt success for states" topic for some opinions on surveys!

Quote from: Ihuntoldschool on May 13, 2025, 07:18:00 PMRight because we all know sooooooo much more than the game biologists who help set the season dates and bag limits. 

Kind of an ironic comment considering how many changes we've saw in recent seasons that weren't exactly science based. It varies from state to state, but some states do take public comment in for major consideration. Normally depends on the wildlife commission of each state.

It wasn't turkey season, but I'm aware of an occasion where a few people showing up at a commission meeting for public comment helped get season dates changed for another bird species. Then a few years later the season went right back to what it was. lol.

Quote from: LB75 on May 16, 2025, 12:02:12 PMI have been hunting turkeys in multiple  states for years before there was THP or a pinhead project let alone Facebook or whatever the desperate for attention spend their lives staring at on a phone.
Most of the unethical mouth breathers you run into are fanboys of the Utube hero's. They probably couldn't spell Turkey hunt before they saw it on their phones. Stop the filming on public land and they'll go back to playing video games in the basement or dungeon's and dragons or whatever they did before. Most people are sheep and without direction they will have to do something else. It's made a few flat brimmed hat wearing retards some money and created a horde of wannabee fanboy sheep filing up the woods with stupid.
If you haven't seen a marked decline in the quality of public land hunting your either brain dead or haven't hunted public land enough for your opinions to matter. And none of this has helped the wild Turkey one single bit.

Correlation doesn't equal causation. Statistics 101. OnX, the pandemic, ubran sprawl, predators, farming practices, publication of state statistics etc the list goes on and on.   There is zero way to prove to what degree, if any, filming on public has impacted turkey hunting.

The emotional response to banning filming is no different than the states who moved season dates claiming it would improve numbers without any data or evidence. 

It IS entertaining to watch ya'll throw a temper tantrum though. Reminds me of November of 2016.   :TooFunny:

Quote from: LB75 on May 16, 2025, 12:02:12 PMI have been hunting turkeys in multiple  states for years before there was THP or a pinhead project let alone Facebook or whatever the desperate for attention spend their lives staring at on a phone.
Most of the unethical mouth breathers you run into are fanboys of the Utube hero's. They probably couldn't spell Turkey hunt before they saw it on their phones. Stop the filming on public land and they'll go back to playing video games in the basement or dungeon's and dragons or whatever they did before. Most people are sheep and without direction they will have to do something else. It's made a few flat brimmed hat wearing retards some money and created a horde of wannabee fanboy sheep filing up the woods with stupid.
If you haven't seen a marked decline in the quality of public land hunting your either brain dead or haven't hunted public land enough for your opinions to matter. And none of this has helped the wild Turkey one single bit.

Truth 100%.

Quote from: CALLM2U on May 16, 2025, 01:14:41 PM

Quote from: LB75 on May 16, 2025, 12:02:12 PMI have been hunting turkeys in multiple  states for years before there was THP or a pinhead project let alone Facebook or whatever the desperate for attention spend their lives staring at on a phone.
Most of the unethical mouth breathers you run into are fanboys of the Utube hero's. They probably couldn't spell Turkey hunt before they saw it on their phones. Stop the filming on public land and they'll go back to playing video games in the basement or dungeon's and dragons or whatever they did before. Most people are sheep and without direction they will have to do something else. It's made a few flat brimmed hat wearing retards some money and created a horde of wannabee fanboy sheep filing up the woods with stupid.
If you haven't seen a marked decline in the quality of public land hunting your either brain dead or haven't hunted public land enough for your opinions to matter. And none of this has helped the wild Turkey one single bit.

Correlation doesn't equal causation. Statistics 101. OnX, the pandemic, ubran sprawl, predators, farming practices, publication of state statistics etc the list goes on and on.   There is zero way to prove to what degree, if any, filming on public has impacted turkey hunting.

The emotional response to banning filming is no different than the states who moved season dates claiming it would improve numbers without any data or evidence. 

It IS entertaining to watch ya'll throw a temper tantrum though. Reminds me of November of 2016.   :TooFunny:

Are you being serious? 

The for profit filming on federal lands is a huge issue that does not get talked enough about. One of the 7 tenants of the NA model of wildlife conservation is the elimination of commercial hunting for game. If a guy is hunting, posting it online and making money, is that not commercial hunting? How have we just ignored that this is going on?

I can tell you the woods here in IN were full of guys from the south this spring (no offense to any of you). I for one would love if we would limit our season to residents only for the first 3-5 days ON PUBLIC LAND. I know that might rub the traveling group wrong but as someone that does some non resident hunting, I would totally get it if another state around me implemented this.

 :TooFunny:

Quote from: mdmitchell on May 16, 2025, 01:21:57 PMThe for profit filming on federal lands is a huge issue that does not get talked enough about. One of the 7 tenants of the NA model of wildlife conservation is the elimination of commercial hunting for game. If a guy is hunting, posting it online and making money, is that not commercial hunting? How have we just ignored that this is going on?

I can tell you the woods here in IN were full of guys from the south this spring (no offense to any of you). I for one would love if we would limit our season to residents only for the first 3-5 days ON PUBLIC LAND. I know that might rub the traveling group wrong but as someone that does some non resident hunting, I would totally get it if another state around me implemented this.

You are correct. Commercial hunting/filming on public land is not catch and release.  All public land hunters must give up something so the commercial film guys can get something for nothing.  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It's Newton's third law. It's not hard to understand why we are where we are. Many deniers are either on the take $ or fan boy status

Quota hunts, quota hunts, quota hunts, etc etc etc etc etc.  Make them resident friendly if necessary to appease the local boys and ignore the fact if they are occurring often on land owned by all the people in the country. Remember "it's always been done this way out west". The standard reply when this is mentioned .  To deny any influencers the right to make a living is total bull crap IMO.  Charge them an additional fee if that makes you feel better and superior. If some of you world travelers haven't noticed there are multitudes of guides and outfitters that ply their trade on public land. Some on here are the most selfish people I've ever encountered on a SOCIAL MEDIA site.  Spit!

Question - did the big fat one or the skinny one shoot "your" turkey on public land? Just asking.

Quote from: LB75 on May 16, 2025, 02:32:21 PMWhat makes me laugh is these fan boys with the Pinhoti outfits. I should have taken a picture couple weeks back when I saw two of them together, a big fat one and a skinny one both with the bino pouch, leg gaiters pin head hats and all. If those  two clowns weren't a perfect example of what the sport has become I don't know what is.

This statement says a lot more about your character than it does theirs. 

If you can kill a turkey and find enough enjoyment out of the experience to tell nobody then you are hunting for the right reasons.

Judge me if you'd like. But NOTHING is more selfish than those hunting and killing turkeys on public lands for self propagation and money. It's past time for hunters to take a stand on what going on

Quote from: arkrem870 on May 16, 2025, 04:23:41 PMIf you can kill a turkey and find enough enjoyment out of the experience to tell nobody then you are hunting for the right reasons.

You don't get the decide what makes people happy.  It sounds like you'd be much more happy living in a communist country. 

My original influencers were Harold Knight, David Hale, Ben Rogers Lee, Will Primos and a few others. I guess we can place them all in the scumbag category. They all often hunted public land in their dreaded influencing videos and (gasp) YouTube productions.  Yes I know BRL crashed his truck before YouTube.  His calls still bring a hefty price on E Bay (another social media site).  Should we ban that also?  Let's slip back into the 1980s when men were men and didn't watch this social media BS.  Get real and get a life that doesn't include pushing a "ban" agenda.

I'd like to add that I have nothing more to say on this subject but I'll bet I don't.  Calling out elitist is my cross to bear.  LOL

Quote from: joey46 on May 16, 2025, 04:31:38 PMMy original influencers were Harold Knight, David Hale, Ben Rogers Lee, Will Primos and a few others. I guess we can place them all in the scumbag category. They all often hunted public land.

Careful, they don't like their hypocrisy exposed.  Get ready for the "Well, that's different...." responses. 

I hope you earn your golden fan boy awards.

You reap what you sow. Never been a more true statement for this topic.

Your ship sunk.  Live with it.  Take up golf.

All forum elitist should watch the 1980s movie "Raise the Titanic". It is a fantasy equal to the fantasy that social media will ever sink and then the good old days resurface as the "Loose Lips" crowd hopes. Not going to happen.  Keep beating your head against the wall. Amusing at times to watch.
You call them "dabblers".  I call them legal hunters with as much right to be there as you do.  Argue that.

 ;D

and I'm gonna hold my breath until I turn blue.  Lol

I just want to go back to 1973.  No popup binds. Surplus camo.  No decoys.  Just going nearly every day and hearing gobbling turkeys.  Those were the times, and they are not coming back because of one thing.  PEOPLE!

I'm not quite old enough for my turkey hunting to go back to 1973 but I was deer hunting then. I'd like to go back to the early 80's here. I was able to hunt every morning and was blessed to hear several birds and kill my first couple.

1970 Census - 203 million people in U.S.
2020 Census - 331 million people in U.S.
2025 Census estimate -  334 million people in the U. S.

Went from three TV channels with rabbit ear antenna in 1970 to computers and 150 channel media access today.
Yes the times did change.
Enough said.