Season dates poll.

[hitch]

Dangit JD, and I thought the season started too late. I guess those nests I found on opening day were just the few early hens. Oh well, glad we got kentucky hunting forums experts to keep me from making the same mistakes next year. Maybe we should petition the commisioners to start the season in late may and run through june.

I honestly wonder if there is any other group of "hunters" that are dumber then some of the folks who "hunt" western KY. No one is asking to shift the season later, close it as it does now and I am happy. But if you whiners got your way it could seriously impact those who do routinely hunt gobbling birds through early may. Think for a second, I know it is difficult, but try. Fine with me if it opens earlier, I could care less, as long as the season stays open as long as it does now.

 

[Tha' Hat]

I honestly wonder if there is any other group of "hunters" that are dumber then some of the folks who "hunt" western KY. No one is asking to shift the season later, close it as it does now and I am happy. But if you whiners got your way it could seriously impact those who do routinely hunt gobbling birds through early may. Think for a second, I know it is difficult, but try. Fine with me if it opens earlier, I could care less, as long as the season stays open as long as it does now.

Aren't you a pro-staffer of some sort? Do the companies you rep for know you jump on hunting forums and write off entire groups of hunters who don't agree with you as "dumb?"

 

[pentail]

Aren't you a pro-staffer of some sort? Do the companies you rep for know you jump on hunting forums and write off entire groups of hunters who don't agree with you as "dumb?"

He figures it's ok because he refuses to use his real name while he insults a third of the state

 

[buckfever]

The insults are flying around so much in this thread that it's even making me blush. I can't even figure out what tee'd him off so bad.

We all know that JDmiller is one of those up-in-your-face-hard-charging types that seems to really rub folks the wrong way with his condescension, but he was unusually mellow in this thread. I'm just not seeing anything too over the top from him. He must've gotten Hitch's goat in some other thread.

Heck, it's so bad that I'm feeling guilty for actually agreeing with Hitch's original premise that May is a good month for hunting.

 

[ecmbowhunter]

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Same closed minded arguement....different year.

 

[JDMiller]

We all know that JDmiller is one of those up-in-your-face-hard-charging types that seems to really rub folks the wrong way with his condescension, but he was unusually mellow in this thread. I'm just not seeing anything too over the top from him.

BF....appreciate the candid comments but that was in the past. I've turned over a new leaf...."reformed" as I was told. They said I had to learn how to accept criticism & control my anger or I would have to go back. Staying on the meds....meeting my scheduled appointments....told to avoid contact with small arms for awhile. So far...so good.

I honestly believe if I had'nt stole them crawdads when I was little ....things would be different now. Definitely a lesson to pass on to your children.

 

[jayder85]

I have no issue whatsoever with the season being just as it it. Being a hunter that hunts mostly public lands, i find that i am able to deal with less hunting pressure during the week and late in the season. Turkeys mate until way up in June and i know this for a fact as i have seen and heard them.

 

[billproxs]

Why do you want to raise the limit to 3? And what part of Kentucky do you usually hunt in? What County?

And that very well may be for the way you hunt, the property you hunt etc etc. However, for other areas, properties etc etc May is a better time. Thus the reason I would like to see the season open the weekend closest April first and close the weekend closest to May 15th. It makes everyone happy.

Nothing would be worse for us who like May hunting then for them to shift the season up, and nothing would be worse for you all then for us to get them to shift the season later. It seems like an easy solution, and while they are at it, raise the limit to 3.

 

[billproxs]

What I am saying is that, southwest KY is usually greener by the time the KY Turkey Season starts. So actually there is a large difference in the quality of Turkey hunting a hunter may have depending on what part of the state he or she lives in.

I can absolutely see the impacts that seasonal flooding could have on overall population size, and late season gobbling. Naturally, if there are only a few hens, they will get bred quickly and be setting early as well. If there is no presence of jennies or large populations to keep gobblers interested then your theory would be correct.

However, this would be isolated to certain properties or areas which are prone to flooding during the nesting period. It would also take freak coincidences to occur year after year after year during the short window that the nests are vulnerable. In other words, crappy luck.

I am saying that no biologist worth his salt, and that knows anything about turkey breeding behavior would publish that birds in Western KY are through by the end of April. As I have said before it would go against every shred of research which has been done by turkey biologists from Florida to Minnesota, regarding breeding cycles.

The simple biological answer is that birds which live at more northerly latitudes have been programmed genetically to time their clutches to arrive later in the year to avoid being decimated by cold snaps, availabilty of bugs, and predation due to lack of foliage. You all think it is green and thick in Western KY, and it is, but compared to S. GA or Florida right now, it is practically open.

The only way I could see this theory holding up, is that the crappy luck I mentioned above was a routine thing (happened every year for 20+ years). It could be conceivable that the birds which survived were hatched earlier before the nests were flooded out, thus shifting breeding cycles up by happenstance. However, that is a 1 in a million chance and would take an incredible amount of coincidences to occur, but is possible. But in the same breath, hens will renest and thus it should cancel itself out by hens which renest and raise clutches later into June.

You have to understand, that what you are saying is that Western KY is dramatically different then the exact same habitat types and climates, some of which are further south, east, and north. Yet the birds in Western KY are on a completely different time clock then birds which are located in more southerly regions. And according to every thing published about this stuff that simply is not true. There are many more factors that could be at play, rather then the birds being "done".

 

[billproxs]

Quote written by Hitch Your theories are proven incorrect time and time again by biologists and others who have spent their entire lives studying turkeys and turkey behavior.


But were those Biologist on your land, or my land, or JD Millers land, probably not.

Hunting is site specific, and not all Turkeys are equal, and they don't act the same for many reasons. So no offense, but I usually do not care for statistics, because they usually do not mean anything to me personally on my land, or your land.

As, I have said before, Biologist have probably never stepped foot on 99% of land in Kentucky, or any other state, so these population estimates are not accurate, and most of these studies, are basically just personal observations based on the specific place where the study was conducted.

The biologist could come to my hunting lease, and see different behavior, than they have on other properties. IMO


But, I would love to see the Kentucky Spring Season start around April 5th, that would be great, and if it lasted until mid May, that would be fine also.

But, is should be clear that most Turkeys are taken in April, and it's the prime time to call in a Bird, or at least it is at all of the places, and states I have Turkey hunted in over the years. IMO

 

[turk2di]

36000 birds in 2010...32000 in a weather affected 2011...yea, things need to change..it's just not working!

 

[turkeyhunter1943]

36000 birds in 2010...32000 in a weather affected 2011...yea, things need to change..it's just not working!

Nobody said it wasn't working. I just would rather hunt gobbling turkeys. Instead of birds that have been breeding for 6 months.

 

[CSS archer]

Turkeys breed in KY from mid March to June every year. Hunting pressure is what suppresses gobbling. I've heard multiple birds gobbling every day for the last week.

I like hunting more after the leaves are on, birds can't spot me setting up. Early seasons are more apt to have weather shut things down.

Again this year, the last week was the best for response to calling for me, mainly because fewer hunters out there and more hens incubating eggs.

 

[GrandSlammer]

Nobody said it wasn't working. I just would rather hunt gobbling turkeys. Instead of birds that have been breeding for 6 months.

Its all about hunting pressure!!!

 

[carter county cuckler]

Turkeys breed in KY from mid March to June every year. Hunting pressure is what suppresses gobbling. I've heard multiple birds gobbling every day for the last week.

I like hunting more after the leaves are on, birds can't spot me setting up. Early seasons are more apt to have weather shut things down.

Again this year, the last week was the best for response to calling for me, mainly because fewer hunters out there and more hens incubating eggs.

I always thought the earlier the better but here at the house Turkeys were gobbling hard a month before season.I personally havnt seen the season that way off base before here at the house but let me tell you CSS you are right about the last week of the season.My 6 year old boy could have called one in.I never heard so much gobbling in my life,especially shock gobbling.