Dang, how did we go from the 468 "saved" that GC provides to 1500? I don't understand using that figure even on a theoretical basis. I am an amateur when it comes to turkey biology, and have no qualifications to do it for a living, but I am supposed to know something about human behavior.
The estimated 70% of AL turkey hunters who ignore GC are already illegal hunters. They are hunting outside of the law. Why would anyone think they are suddenly going to decide to be legal? They won't. The 468 number is the one to use when discussing this. We are talking about less than 7 per county.
Someone said there was only 35% participation in game check so the actual number based on that is closer to 1500. I know several legal hunters who just dont game check but fill out their paper harvest record but they still kill turkeys within the limit
Ben, do you disagree with my point that the illegal hunters who don't participate in GC will be unaffected by any change in the limit? I am sure there are hunters who fill out the paperwork to avoid getting a ticket and then never GC the bird, but I suspect the ones who do that and tell you they stop at the limit are lying.
Troy has often said that in his experience most hunters who have the resources to kill more than 5 will kill more than 5. That's what I have noticed as well. I am very pessimistic about the prospects of getting hunters who won't GC their kills to obey any hunting regs. They have already shown that it doesn't hurt their conscience to break the law. Again, I think this is all about perception and will have no benefit for the turkeys.
The ones I know wont kill over the limit
I believe that someone told you that, but I doubt they were telling you the truth.
Think about it - you can't hunt with a GC paper form that already has a turkey on it, and the kill is over 48 hrs and doesn't have a GC number. Anyone would know that will get you a ticket for sure if the GW checks you. So the only way they can get around that is to destroy their Harvest Record after every turkey and then print out a new one. Anyone who does this has made a cold and premeditated decision to break the game laws. And now these same people will decide that they have to abide by a reduced limit?
People are certainly capable of irrational thinking, and I believe those guys are great examples if they were telling you the truth. If you are sure they would obey a reduced limit, then you must have discussed this with them in depth. How did they justify their premeditated decision to break the regs on GC, and yet they would feel bound by a lower limit? I would really be interested in the thought process there.
My observation is that most people either decide to accept the authority of the DCNR, or to reject it. I certainly know of folks who have rejected it, but to a man they would tell you that they will laugh at any limit reduction.
I believe that there would be a high correlation of those who ignore GC and those who would ignore a lower limit. It may not be 1:1, but it would be close. Of course, most of them would also lie about it. I think your friends are pulling your leg; it just doesn't seem like normal behavior.
