Top States for Non Residents?

[joey46]

For some reason I received a link to  a F and S article on the best states for nonresident turkey hunts.  They listed Texas but stated it is around $450.00 for a non-res.  Is that true?  Even if I could afford that I would pass just on  principle.  The price of some non-res licensing is becoming ridiculous and no more a concession to resident complaining.  I'll write off Texas.  Whew!

[Gooserbat]

Has to be Arkansas

[Tail Feathers]

Texas spring turkey for OOS is like $132.  A full year hunting license for OOS is $315. 

[joey46]

I thought that was true but the article was misleading.  Typical anymore that ha!f what you see online is not accurate.

[btodd00]

I just bought a Texas license last week, it was $126

[POk3s]

Texas may be more expensive than most, but I think it's for 4 tags...unsure!

[joey46]

Just re-read the misinformation shown by FS on line.  It does show $450.00 as the cost to hunt turkey in Texas.  I looked for the actual magazine but couldn't find it.  I'm afraid paper magazines may be a thing of the past.

[POk3s]

Talk about confusing. Trying to look it up online and texas turkey license plus the needed $7 upland endorsement $133 is the total. One website says to have that license and a "general nonresident hunting license" is unawful. Another website says it's needed to purchase the turkey license but I don't think that's the case. So $126 is pretty cheap.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/licenses/hunting-licenses-and-permits/hunting-licenses

[2flyfish4]

If the non resident license cost are throwing you off, than the cost for a private land hunt will be a non starter for you. Texas public land turkey hunting is a joke, yes there are a few birds shot on public land every year but our public land is very limited and extremely over hunted and under managed. If your coming from out of state you better be hunting a private ranch if you want a realistic opportunity at harvesting a bird.

[joey46]

Thanks - I'm always "shopping" for out of state turkey opportunities.  The $450 really was a shock.  If accurate it would have been a deal breaker.  I wasn't looking for Texas public land hunts since the almost total lack of public land in TX has long been known.  The private ranch outfits, that vary greatly in price, always mention that the cost of the license is not included. Adding $450 to their prices would have been a no go.
I too was confused by the Texas government web site. 

[ScottTaulbee]

I'm almost certain it has to be KY. I'm not sure where these guys got their info but every piece of public land within 150 miles of where I'm at has looked like a circus daily and the plates have been more colors than the rainbow.


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[joey46]

I lived on Kentucky Lake for 9 years and "lived" in LBL.  I know KY.  If I were to go there again it would be over in the Daniel Boone.  KY an TN are also now in the way too high non-res license fee states.  Resident whining is the way to try and limit completion so they push for it.  Florida hunters cry every March when all the Osceola hunters descend on the state.  Some are asking for a $1000 non-res turkey tag.  That would cut down on the grand slammers. Just the way it is now.  Too bad it has come to this..

[Kylongspur88]

I'm almost certain it has to be KY. I'm not sure where these guys got their info but every piece of public land within 150 miles of where I'm at has looked like a circus daily and the plates have been more colors than the rainbow.


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This. It's been unbelievable this year. The locals aren't thrilled. I'd never mess with someone's truck or set up but I've heard of more oos guys trucks etc... getting messed with on public land this year than in recent memory. Given what the commercial leasing companies have done to private access in this state and with more people than ever either choosing to hunt public land [because of shows like hunting public] or being pushed onto already crowded public land out of necessity I'm not surprised the frustration is boiling over with some folks. There was a time when even I'd point the odd oos guy in the right direction but if I hunt public land now that's never going to happen

[ScottTaulbee]

I'm almost certain it has to be KY. I'm not sure where these guys got their info but every piece of public land within 150 miles of where I'm at has looked like a circus daily and the plates have been more colors than the rainbow.


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This. It's been unbelievable this year. The locals aren't thrilled. I'd never mess with someone's truck or set up but I've heard of more oos guys trucks etc... getting messed with on public land this year than in recent memory. Given what the commercial leasing companies have done to private access in this state and with more people than ever either choosing to hunt public land [because of shows like hunting public] or being pushed onto already crowded public land out of necessity I'm not surprised the frustration is boiling over with some folks. There was a time when even I'd point the odd oos guy in the right direction but if I hunt public land now that's never going to happen

I guided my dad on his neighbor's 30 acres opening day until about 12:30 and then went off to hunt the public that I favor. I drove 400 miles round trip, and covered 5 counties. Between WMA tracts and National forest I found 1 pull off that didn't have a vehicle in it and hunted it, was working a bird, he was within 100 yards strutting and all of a sudden he perked up and walked off. A couple minutes later here came two guys walking past me at 50 yards without a clue that I or the turkey were in the world. I backed out and left. I've hunted most of this land for 13 or so years and have never seen more out of state guys as I have this season. Typically we get a couple, as in less than 5 at these places. This year there were 25 out of state trucks at 3 pull offs on 3 tracts of the same WMA during that opening day drive. And the tracts combined total less than 700 acres.  Not considering the 4 on another 120 acres. Or the ones on National forest. I figured it would have fizzled out after opening weekend but 9 days in to season were still seeing a steady number. Mostly from Ohio, Michigan, and New York. But I have seen a couple odd balls, 1 from New Mexico, One from Oregon, and a truck full from Louisiana. In 6 days of our season more birds were taken off that particular WMA than the season average was from 2018 through 2021. The 2022 season is when we had a heavy rise in the OOS guys and there were nearly double the birds taken for the season off that WMA than in previous years.  Other hunters I know in other counties are seeing the same on their home public pieces. There were two shot opening week that I know of. It's getting to the point now where if you're not at the gate the night before you won't hunt at all unless you jump in behind them. I'm thinking about just switching over to fall hunting exclusively the way it's been this spring.


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[Kylongspur88]

I'm almost certain it has to be KY. I'm not sure where these guys got their info but every piece of public land within 150 miles of where I'm at has looked like a circus daily and the plates have been more colors than the rainbow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. It's been unbelievable this year. The locals aren't thrilled. I'd never mess with someone's truck or set up but I've heard of more oos guys trucks etc... getting messed with on public land this year than in recent memory. Given what the commercial leasing companies have done to private access in this state and with more people than ever either choosing to hunt public land [because of shows like hunting public] or being pushed onto already crowded public land out of necessity I'm not surprised the frustration is boiling over with some folks. There was a time when even I'd point the odd oos guy in the right direction but if I hunt public land now that's never going to happen

I guided my dad on his neighbor's 30 acres opening day until about 12:30 and then went off to hunt the public that I favor. I drove 400 miles round trip, and covered 5 counties. Between WMA tracts and National forest I found 1 pull off that didn't have a vehicle in it and hunted it, was working a bird, he was within 100 yards strutting and all of a sudden he perked up and walked off. A couple minutes later here came two guys walking past me at 50 yards without a clue that I or the turkey were in the world. I backed out and left. I've hunted most of this land for 13 or so years and have never seen more out of state guys as I have this season. Typically we get a couple, as in less than 5 at these places. This year there were 25 out of state trucks at 3 pull offs on 3 tracts of the same WMA during that opening day drive. And the tracts combined total less than 700 acres.  Not considering the 4 on another 120 acres. Or the ones on National forest. I figured it would have fizzled out after opening weekend but 9 days in to season were still seeing a steady number. Mostly from Ohio, Michigan, and New York. But I have seen a couple odd balls, 1 from New Mexico, One from Oregon, and a truck full from Louisiana. In 6 days of our season more birds were taken off that particular WMA than the season average was from 2018 through 2021. The 2022 season is when we had a heavy rise in the OOS guys and there were nearly double the birds taken for the season off that WMA than in previous years.  Other hunters I know in other counties are seeing the same on their home public pieces. There were two shot opening week that I know of. It's getting to the point now where if you're not at the gate the night before you won't hunt at all unless you jump in behind them. I'm thinking about just switching over to fall hunting exclusively the way it's been this spring.


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I don't blame you. I killed on private land opening morning and went to a small piece of public the next morning for a quick hunt. I'm an early bird and was at the pull in over 2 hours before sun up. It was already full and there was a group from Illinois camped out with one guy sleeping on the hood of the car. This is not a huge piece of land and there already been something like 13 gobblers killed on it. Kill ratio to acreage that's a whole lot of birds. I thought Kentucky dropping to one bird per wma would knock down some of the pressure but it hasn't. The only piece of public I'll even consider hunting again this season is a piece of forest where I doubt any oos guys would venture. You've pretty well got to be tribe to get in and out in one piece of ya know what I mean. If turkey hunting is such a big deal in this state I'd like to see us go to a draw system with application fee. The department is missing out on a lot of potential revenue they sorely need.