This is the beginning: Shortened Season

[Covehnter]

“Punishing those without private access.”

Your friend should inquire about joining our hunting lease. Last I heard we have an opening?

I'm not interested in paying money to hunt turkeys when there is millions of public acres available, I don't need your opening. I wasn't implying "look out for the little man." What I said questioned the idea of you take care of your land and let them take care of their's mentality. The public land is "ours," we should pay attention.

 

[Garnto88]

I’ve addressed this before on here. The conversation about public land and promoting it on a public forum especially specifics is not wise if you want to keep a place to hunt. Land is a lot more accessible than it once was. I miss the days I could get away from folks . Still can but it is more difficult now with “improved access” . Remember trolls lurk these forums so be careful. I say this from perspective of post during the turkey season and referencing areas during the off season and bringing attention to it. I have people asking to go hunting with me all the time but my rule and first question is “ do you have a place we can go?” I don’t take people to places I frequent. Talk and boast and soon you will be wondering where all the turkeys are. People listen.

All that said. We will follow the rules of the law no matter what is passed.

 

[Mark K]

I believe the term is, Loose lips sink ships.
I hear people complain about our WMA’s down here in the South about them cutting trees and locking gates. They fail to see the land management practice and the fact that you don’t have to worry about someone ruining your hunt by driving up on you.
I can tell you this from a private land point...trap your predators and you WILL see an increase in all game animals. Trapping or predator hunting does work. I will ruin a turkey hunt if a coyote shows up and won’t think twice about it.

 

[Curvebow05]

I would argue there is no problem. I don’t ‘get’ the notion of reducing the length of turkey season when there is less hunting pressure than 20 years ago as a state. This youngest generation of deer and turkey hunters simply don’t know what it’s like to have to hunt slim pickings. Today’s pickings are rather plentiful compared to when I was a wee-hillbilly, and certainly my father before me.

A lot of the hunters in my generation and younger grew up with the internet and immediate happiness. I remember the pre internet days and the struggles of the floppy disk. Unfortunately Mother Nature doesn't care about you wanting a deer to walk into the field at 6:00 sharp, or a turkey for that matter. We have lots of new hunters, but too many are scared of the woods and swamps. I can't remember too many times coming out with clean boots, but I see animals almost every time I go into the woods. The reports of people not seeing animals are because they can't get off of a road and see for themselves. I haven't seen a hurting population of anything since I've been hunting. Maybe I don't know better, maybe I've just gained a lot more of those rare woodsmanship skills over the past 18 years. I don't know, but I do know there are sure a lot more things left for me to learn.

 

[Curvebow05]

Sorry to be the odd ball here but how bout everyone do what they think is needed for a healthy turkey population on there own property!!!
The state will do what they think needs to be done, (or test ideas) on public property.
Private property take care of yourselves!

I get what you're saying but the public land IS our property. I don't like seeing that get misconstrued. We have simply "hired" people to manage it for us. I don't own any property other than what is managed by the state. On that note I have to trust someone more educated than me on land and wildlife management to do so. Now, I have never completely fallen on my face when it comes to putting meat in the freezer on public land so maybe I don't have a dog in this fight. I just work hard, hunt smart, learn all I can from those that hunted before me, and have fun doing it.