Surveys are going out

[arkrem870]

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

[3bailey3]

I filled out my Missouri one yesterday!

[Ihuntoldschool]

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.

[arkrem870]

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

[CALLM2U]

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

[arkrem870]

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. 

[Hook hanger]

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.

[CALLM2U]

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. 

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?

[arkrem870]

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

[Ihuntoldschool]

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.

[zelmo1]

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

[Clif Owen]

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.

[arkrem870]

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.

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

[Happy]

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.

[arkrem870]

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