Season date need a little work

[WalnutCreekDoc]

They are starting to hammer here. Wish they would open season the second weekend of March. Would make hunting a lot better.

The birds are done before the season gets started. They know that too. Is about like opening up the first weekend of Feb. They just aren't mating yet and they are done when they let us hunt.


Crazy!!

[beards-n-bone]

Here we go again........There are so few turkeys that they want to be sure all the hens get bred.:rolleyes: I mean I saw a flock in Feb that only had 78 in it:eek:

[GUTPILE243]

no kiddin, they keep movin the season up, we will be hunting turkey in the freakin rut!!!!!!! my .02

[philipfleek]

I think it's fine where it is. Let them do their jobs-and just hunt the way the dates fall....

[rme hunter]

I think that the seson is perfect. Last year Knox opened in the middle of March and very few people had any luck.

[turk2di]

When i first started hunting, it came in a few times April 21st! We will be fine!!

[kylongbeards]

any more as long as the youth season is right on i don't care ,seems like everyone i know manages to always fill their tags anyway,just more challenging to test your skillz and patience,more concerned with my kidz getting their birds !!!pass it on !

[Realtree GA]

Well Georgia opens up in Mid March, but it's hard to get a Tom to come in because they are pinned up with a flock of hens. It's not until April when they have bred most of that flock that they start to roam looking for other hens. April is when all the action happens down here even though it opens in March. Of course I kill most of my turkeys by patterning and ambush so I usually will get a shot the first weekend. Hopefully I'll have you guys a picture in 2 weeks. ;)

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

I'm just extremely grateful that we have enough turkeys now to have both spring and fall seasons to hunt 'em. I don't see anything to complain about, considering there weren't any turkeys to hunt here when I was younger.

[1shot 1kill]

I'm just extremely grateful that we have enough turkeys now to have both spring and fall seasons to hunt 'em. I don't see anything to complain about, considering there weren't any turkeys to hunt here when I was younger.
You took the words right out of my mouth!:D

[quacksnracks]

walnut creek dont worry they always get warmed up here early i think but it should make for a great youth hunt .....but dont worry u know how our weather is well get some snow or aniother cold snap to slow them back down.... today was a good day for gobbles here at the house i heard what i thought was 6 different birds....

[WalnutCreekDoc]

When i first started hunting, it came in a few times April 21st! We will be fine!!


that doesn't make it right.

You would think there was a shortage of them. Anyone who really hunts and doesn't just give lip service will tell you we are covered up with them.

I am not a newbie to this stuff either and here the toms are done about 3-5 days into our season at the very best. Some years they are almost done by the start of season. Either way the season should be moved up to take advantage of mating birds.

They DO NOT BREED all year! The Toms know you are some nut with a call not a real hen by the middle of season. The hens have mostly laid out by then and the Toms are cooling off. To the point of being COLD. You guys can say what you want but where I hunt that is how it is.....With that said why would anyone want to hunt these birds this late? Would be like saying let's hunt rutting deer in March.

[philipfleek]

that doesn't make it right.

You would think there was a shortage of them. Anyone who really hunts and doesn't just give lip service will tell you we are covered up with them.

I am not a newbie to this stuff either and here the toms are done about 3-5 days into our season at the very best. Some years they are almost done by the start of season. Either way the season should be moved up to take advantage of mating birds.

They DO NOT BREED all year! The Toms know you are some nut with a call not a real hen by the middle of season. The hens have mostly laid out by then and the Toms are cooling off. To the point of being COLD. You guys can say what you want but where I hunt that is how it is.....With that said why would anyone want to hunt these birds this late? Would be like saying let's hunt rutting deer in March.

You cant do anything about it. If you want to hunt then hunt.....Or just stay at home! I know which one i'm going to do....DUH

[turkeyfan]

It doesn't matter to me so much except for it coming in on a Saturday closest to the 15th. It believe it should open on the 15th.

[Mepperson]

I think the season dates are about right. Let'em breed to make sure we have plenty to hunt next year. Besides, it adds a little excitement when we have to actually "hunt".

[quacksnracks]

mike im with u if everyone got one everytime we prolly wouldnt call it hunting...i dont care if it in june im gonna try it

[jettdog68]

that doesn't make it right.

You would think there was a shortage of them. Anyone who really hunts and doesn't just give lip service will tell you we are covered up with them.

I am not a newbie to this stuff either and here the toms are done about 3-5 days into our season at the very best. Some years they are almost done by the start of season. Either way the season should be moved up to take advantage of mating birds.

They DO NOT BREED all year! The Toms know you are some nut with a call not a real hen by the middle of season. The hens have mostly laid out by then and the Toms are cooling off. To the point of being COLD. You guys can say what you want but where I hunt that is how it is.....With that said why would anyone want to hunt these birds this late? Would be like saying let's hunt rutting deer in March.
I hate to differ with you here, but you have it backward. If you want to see it easy to kill a Gobbler in the NKY area and most of the state then the season should open May 1st. Our season is RIGHT in the middle of the breeding season. The reason you think they are done is because they are actually breeding hens at this time. This is why you have a lull in the gobbling in the middle of the season. Most people are doine hunting by the first of may, because they are tired of getting beat up, Killed out by then or cant get kitchen passes anymore. So they dont get to see how well gobblers respond to calling in the later season.
If you dont believe me, go out sometime and try and call a bird in the 3rd weekend in May or even 1st of June! You will be amazed how easy it is.
I think you will see how good it will get with the later closing date this year.
I know there are a few others on this board that Know what Im talking about.

[matewsq2]

i hate to differ with you here, but you have it backward. If you want to see it easy to kill a gobbler in the nky area and most of the state then the season should open may 1st. Our season is right in the middle of the breeding season. The reason you think they are done is because they are actually breeding hens at this time. This is why you have a lull in the gobbling in the middle of the season. Most people are doine hunting by the first of may, because they are tired of getting beat up, killed out by then or cant get kitchen passes anymore. So they dont get to see how well gobblers respond to calling in the later season.
If you dont believe me, go out sometime and try and call a bird in the 3rd weekend in may or even 1st of june! You will be amazed how easy it is.
I think you will see how good it will get with the later closing date this year.
I know there are a few others on this board that know what im talking about.
i know what your talken about,i sat out here last weekend in may 07 worken on boat an listened to a bird hammer for bout 4 hrs,whent to the house an got a call an set in the boat an called him bout a 1000 yrds across the road to bout 70 yrds it was cool as ne hunt other than not getting to drop the hammer.

[slickhead slayer]

Ky's turkey season is set to coincide with the END of their breeding season. The main reason they do this, is because hunter success is better toward the end of their breeding season. Gobblers are still ready to breed, hens are going to nest, or staying on nest.
You don't want a march season.

[kidd rock]

How many want to place a wager that if they DID move it up, there would be a thread on here next year at this time complaining about the season being tooo early?????


Never gonna please everyone. I think what we have now is OK.

[GSP]

Ky's turkey season is set to coincide with the END of their breeding season. The main reason they do this, is because hunter success is better toward the end of their breeding season. Gobblers are still ready to breed, hens are going to nest, or staying on nest.
You don't want a march season.

Agreed. I have been out several times on youth seasons in the first week of April and you'll see 3-4 strutters with 20 hens. If you kill one of those you probally head chopped one when they walked by. You are not going to call them to you.

[turk2di]

How many want to place a wager that if they DID move it up, there would be a thread on here next year at this time complaining about the season being tooo early?????


Never gonna please everyone. I think what we have now is OK.

You got that right!!

[Feedman]

If you kill one of those you probally head chopped one when they walked by. I called two away from 4 hens last yr. My son killed one of them. They will still come.

You are not going to call them to you.

I disagree

[Iceman35]

that doesn't make it right.

You would think there was a shortage of them. Anyone who really hunts and doesn't just give lip service will tell you we are covered up with them.

I am not a newbie to this stuff either and here the toms are done about 3-5 days into our season at the very best. Some years they are almost done by the start of season. Either way the season should be moved up to take advantage of mating birds.

They DO NOT BREED all year! The Toms know you are some nut with a call not a real hen by the middle of season. The hens have mostly laid out by then and the Toms are cooling off. To the point of being COLD. You guys can say what you want but where I hunt that is how it is.....With that said why would anyone want to hunt these birds this late? Would be like saying let's hunt rutting deer in March.

Wrong. I had 4 gobbling like madmen for 2 hours 3 days before the end of the season last year, and 2 years ago saw a Tom attempt to mount a hen during the last week. I also heard them gobbling for 45 minute one morning in Sept during deer hunting. Maybe we should start the season then?

To say that an animal with a brain the size of a walnut can hear me call and think to itself, "Oh my God, thats a Hunter, I better not go over there!" is WRONG. They might not come to your call because they have been bumped or shot at a lot, but they don't have reasoning skills to determine whether its a real hen or somebody dressed like a tree.

[retiredbowhunter]

How many want to place a wager that if they DID move it up, there would be a thread on here next year at this time complaining about the season being tooo early?????


Exactly...the same crowd would want heads to roll in Frankfort!:eek:

[beards-n-bone]

It doesn't matter to me so much except for it coming in on a Saturday closest to the 15th. It believe it should open on the 15th.
I agree 100%. No wondering not debatable. Ease the turkeys into pressure. But I am self employed, and dont adhere to a specific schedule. That being said, I am usually so depressed on april 15th I dont need to be handling a gun!!!:(

[Labrador]

If you want instant gratification, trade your X-bow in for an X-box.

(Sure, "shotgun" makes more sense; but I thought putting "X-bow" and "X-box" in the same sentence was cool.)

[notimlmit]

Last year was an exceptional year for turkey as far as breeding, it went on and on and lots of poults were born through out a streched out period which is great-- I hope they do get to breed a lot before season and keep the population on the up swing -- sooner or later they will add another bird to the tags and possible longer seasons

[whiteoakcreek]

I hate to differ with you here, but you have it backward. If you want to see it easy to kill a Gobbler in the NKY area and most of the state then the season should open May 1st. Our season is RIGHT in the middle of the breeding season. The reason you think they are done is because they are actually breeding hens at this time. This is why you have a lull in the gobbling in the middle of the season. Most people are doine hunting by the first of may, because they are tired of getting beat up, Killed out by then or cant get kitchen passes anymore. So they dont get to see how well gobblers respond to calling in the later season.
If you dont believe me, go out sometime and try and call a bird in the 3rd weekend in May or even 1st of June! You will be amazed how easy it is.
I think you will see how good it will get with the later closing date this year.
I know there are a few others on this board that Know what Im talking about.

I agree with you 100%. I have had some of my best hunts the last week of season. I have had two doubles on the last day of season. I'm looking forward to hunting the week and a half in May we've got this season.

[TEmbry]

Anyone griping for a March season here in KY has never hunted a March season like AL and other states offer. Birds are MUCH less call responsive in March than they are in April. Just because a bird gobbles alot during the beginning of March, doesn't mean the hunting is going to be better.

Here is a cool article about why turkey seasons are placed when they are, as explained by the South Carolina DNR...

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/springseason06.html (http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/springseason06.html)

[WKYHNTR]

I agree that the season comes in just right, the hens usually don't start nesting until the 1st or second week of April and thats when all the turkeys bust out of the flocks. This makes the hunting a heck of alot better because the turkeys are spread out everywhere and the toms respond to calls a whole lot better.

[CHL]

The season is SPOT-ON with exactly where it needs to be...which is what most of you think anyway. There's never going to be a way to make everyone happy unless the start of season gets moved up to March 1st and the end of season gets moved out 'til May 31st--and still only allow the harvest of 2 bearded turkeys. But then "somebody" will complain about that as well, and somehow that it's not working either and they'll want to use a rifle instead of a bow or shotgun. We should be extremely thankful we have such a plentiful amount of birds to hunt for 23 days/year in the spring. Maybe it's your callin' if the birds aren't responding to you???

[Kybirdman]

So many factors to take into consideration. Remember not all hens become receptive at the same time. A hen has to reach her maturity before she is able to conceive. If there are late hatches the previous year in your area than birds will still be breeding into May. If a hen's nest is destroyed she will re-nest, this may carry in through May. Late nesting will mean late poults which in the following Spring may lead to late breeding again. Tight lipped toms in the later part of the season may have had an extreme amount of pressure put on them. IMO the season is set to the hunter's advantage. Late season hunting will increase your chances on a long spurred gobbler. Toms will roam just like an old buck. Don't think the toms you have in your area at the start of the season are the only ones that will be towards the end of the season.

[jettdog68]

so many factors to take into consideration. Remember not all hens become receptive at the same time. A hen has to reach her maturity before she is able to conceive. If there are late hatches the previous year in your area than birds will still be breeding into may. If a hen's nest is destroyed she will re-nest, this may carry in through may. Late nesting will mean late poults which in the following spring may lead to late breeding again. Tight lipped toms in the later part of the season may have had an extreme amount of pressure put on them. Imo the season is set to the hunter's advantage. Late season hunting will increase your chances on a long spurred gobbler. Toms will roam just like an old buck. Don't think the toms you have in your area at the start of the season are the only ones that will be towards the end of the season.

i agree 100%!!!!!

[beards-n-bone]

With all that has been said, I will say this. I do like it when the closest sat to the 15th is the 12th instead of the 18th. I'll get my birds regardless.:cool:

[Brandon313]

I think the season comes in about right. The last 3 or 4 gobblers i killed were between the 17th and 20th of April. No complaints here.

[TLRanger]

To say that an animal with a brain the size of a walnut can hear me call and think to itself, "Oh my God, thats a Hunter, I better not go over there!" is WRONG. They might not come to your call because they have been bumped or shot at a lot, but they don't have reasoning skills to determine whether its a real hen or somebody dressed like a tree.

Good post! I keep telling everybody that turkeys don't know that hunters are making those calls but you will never convince some of them.