I know most time I just don't have time to set decoys out. Usely kill 2 in spring. Didn't this year had to work and weekends was bad weather,and my #2 was hard bird that won! .,...... So if no decoys ... No long range shells.. (that I don't use anyways) what about blinds or camo is that unfair? And the predator thing they don't just kill turkeys it's rabbits, quail, grouse, farmers livestock your dogs, and even people's kids if given the chance ... I'm a" trapper" I'd like to see high fur price but just because it's low don't mean I let up ! . I have good population of turkeys jump rabbits all the time and last 2 years I've seen a covey of quail . Just my 2 cents worth...
Exactly Trapper. They single out reaping, decoys and long range shells, lmao. I bet if they eliminated those blinds, camo, hevi-shot shells (just use lead), etc, etc, etc. I love how people try to push their beliefs and agenda's on others.
It's human nature to want to continuously improve and innovate with technology to make one more successful, or at least boost confidence and the potential for success. That's how we got to where we are today as an advanced society. I'm all for anything that comes a long that gives us an edge. Outlawing products that do not cross the line of being "unsportsmanlike" does nothing but give the powers to be more control than they need. And complicates matters because where do you draw the line?? I read an interesting article on facebook that the Drury's posted. The article discussed how having seasons earlier (as most hunters are in favor of, easier to kill overall) is illogical as many males are taken out of the flock prior to reaching their full breeding potential for the season. In my opinion the season definitely doesn't need to be any earlier with the shape our turkey flock is in as a whole. Reduce the spring limit to 1 bird for a few years, encourage trapping by including the permit in the sportsmans license and boosting fur prices, quit bush hogging every inch of property, and pray for a few good hatches. That's all we can do. Outlaws will still do as they please no matter what regulations. That's why they are outlaws. So even considering the number of illegal turkeys harvested is irrelevant as that will stay relatively constant. We must consider what the real sportsmen and women will abide by.
I want to know how many complaining about the turkey pop tagged one or more the last two years.. May save your breath to save your bullets first.
I'm not pushing anything if it's legal go for it. I said "I'd be interested in the harvest numbers if decoys was illegal". Chill out man we're not petitioning at Frankfort.....yet
Are there any states where decoys are illegal? Just wondering. Just seems like that’s pretty much the way it’s done everywhere these days.
Well there were plenty of poults before the season even started where I hunt. Early hatch for several hens. I’d say it was the same in many areas. Of course, predators like poults about as good as eggs.
So what if if someone is new and they have to pay some dues to have success? I know we are now an instant gratification society, but what happened to learning and earning success? I can assure you when I started decoys were illegal, and we managed just fine after learning how to play the game. Same can be said for thousands of other turkey hunters back in the day. long range shells fall into the same category as how many birds are being killed and or wounded that otherwise would’ve survived? You don’t clean miss at 70 yards btw, that bird is getting pellets in it, they may not be lethal at that moment but certainly can be later if infection sets in. Your oh well approach is pretty disgusting, what type of slob hunter shrugs his shoulders at a 70 yard attempt and says who cares let’s try it? You honestly believe that if decoys were illegal next year the exact same number of birds get killed? If you truly believe that then your head is stuck deep in the sand and any measures to improve numbers aren’t of interest to your type. the full strut decoys, fans etc just became popular fairly recently compared to lots of things and no one with any amount of levity would ever try and claim they didn’t change the game dramatically especially on henned up field birds. too many selfish hunters these days and an unwillingness to adjust what we do to improve the population. Conservationist are gone from this sport, it’s now just shooters looking for the easy way out
And if it took hanging up my camo, fine if that’s what needed to be done to save birds and improve the flock statewide. I shoot lead for the record. Alabama was decoy free until a few years ago, they were illegal. Since making them legal their harvest and population has tanked. Plenty of research being done there on the negative impacts of decoys taking the dominant breeding birds out of the population and many hens going unbred each year leading to the decline. I killed zero in KY this year, not because there weren’t birds, and not because I couldn’t have easily killed my two, but because I didn’t feel the population could handle it where I hunt. For me I’m willing to do whatever to improve things, even if it negatively affects the way I hunt. Pretty obvious some are more concerned about themselves than the future
I don't know. I think alot of this new decoy deal (reaping,strutting dekes) is brought on by the filming industry. They can set a blind up with 3 cameras and a film crew to get that perfect "action shot". I got no prob if you and your buddy wanna self film your hunt. But the TV shows are making it seem like a necessity IMO
If you want to increase turkeys, ban blinds and decoys and go to a one bird limit in the spring. Stop hunting at 1 pm like it was in the old days.
You act as if using a decoy is a sure thing, its not. Like I said earlier, many turkeys shy away from decoys, if you believe decoys always work then you're not much of a turkey hunter. Young hunters can learn and pay their dues with or without decoys. I've never had any success using them personally but those that do I'm glad for them. Your long range shells theory is also a joke. Far more turkeys would be pelleted and wounded with the cheap, shit shells you use than a better shell. The only difference is those shells may make hunters shoot a little farther but most wouldn't anyway. Your full strut turkey decoys don't kill more gobblers than anything else and they've been popular for years. Knight and Hale used to use them all the time, but I'm sure they're not real hunters. I've never had success with those but I've tried them. The only selfish hunters on here are you apparently. You're the one trying to act as a biologist and solve problems that may or may not even be considered. All you are is some slob hunter who sets behind a keyboard and acts like you have all the answers and probably couldn't kill a turkey in a pen. You may be able to use your holier than thou performance on your poor wife or boyfriend but it won't work on here. I, for one, don't give a rats ass what you think about turkey hunting. You're just a mouth that likes to down others and attack their posts, you wouldn't do that in a real setting however, I guarantee that.
Everyone of us on this board would do whatever it takes to better our turkey population you can believe that. You're nothing special. Also don't care if you shoot marshmallow shells, no idea what your point is that you shoot lead, so? There you go again acting like a biologist when you don't know a thing about Alabama's turkey decline or the reasons or Kentucky's either, for that matter. So you didn't feel the population could handle it but you could "easily" kill 2 turkeys and there were birds around. Did you put out a questionnaire and let the turkey's sign it, that they weren't there? Or are you assuming there wasn't anymore birds just because you didn't hear them gobbling all the time? Not sure how you could kill two turkey's "easily"? You mean you can kill turkeys "easily" without decoys and long range shells?? Hum, well then I guess whatever tactic you're using to kill turkeys "easily" needs to be banned and stopped for all of us. Since you don't use decoys, reap or use long range shells, you need to share your technique to get the rest of a turkey "easily".
