While we may not agree I can see where you're coming from. The main problem I think a lot of us are concerned with is (Will these loss of opportunities return?) I know I have my doubts, major doubts. One reason I doubt is because with the increase of hunters the flock will need to be bigger just to maintain where its at now. Therefore if we do get the the ball rolling the right way, we very well may just end up at the position of balance, (a flock that could withstand the new pressure but cant expand enough to take on additional pressure of relaxing the regs) this would make agencies keep the new regs in place. For instance, I've long hunted Mississippi as a NR, its the closest place for me to have decent turkey hunting. I've always happily paid for the license etc and even champion for paying more. Hunters don't pay enough and bark at little increases while spending fortunes on other flashy S****. No matter how many turkeys the state grows from this point on I am very reluctant to think they would ever remove the draw requirements being implicated, Due to resident voices and there still being more pressure then there was before.
There should be Public land permits not just WMA permits, and for the acreage we can hunt it should be a min $100. This money could go a LONG way to helping the resource. Trapping would help if we could do it during turkey season, but many are like me and don't have the time to travel hours to trap, Ik that sounds ironic but its just the truth. The closets half decent turkey hunting to me is 3 hours away. I have to pull a lot of stuff to get off work to hunt some for those two months, I and many cant do it all year. However we could fund these agencies wayyyy better. Sell the permits and earmark the money for certain things. Hell the wardens and biologist are under paid, we could earmark money for trapping. Maybe they would do a lot of trapping themselves too if they could get $5 per rodent turned in, and they in the field already daily??? Bonus money for those who want or need to make more?
More hunters aren't always bad but I feel social media brought a diff type, maybe I'm wrong idk. I think the best way to get more hunters that align with the old school mentality is by friends taking out more friends. The old school way for the old school style. However I've been burned like that many times too by being run out of my own spots by so called friends. Hell I enjoy the videos myself, guilty as charged, but I think the location naming could go differently and help. Just like the old videos didn't flood the public land like now. That's due to peoples doubt, (I cant do like those guys, they have fancy private land) therefore I'm not going . The ones who don't have such doubt and go out trying on their own are a different breed that I believe more so align with the old way. The brand new only social media flames are the new culture by large.
Originally Posted by Cove
[quote=sasquatch1]Dave, to your first paragraph. I agree the (old school way was disappearing) and needed to change.
I can definitely agree with much of what you're saying. I also think it's ridiculous some of these states do not have some type of small fee for applying for a permit? I wouldn't take issue with paying $10 or $15 to apply for an opportunity.
Another thought- your underpaid biologist and enforcement got me to thinking- man power is typically the response when faced with the daunting task of trapping. What are the possibilities of agencies contracting trappers for an intensive effect immediately prior to nesting season? Grants from NWTF super fund or the like could step into foot the bill? They already contract some of the large scale burning that's labor intensive. Seems feasible to me.
I'm all for it, but it don't need to be dedicated to certain contractors. A random bounty would do or could be in addition to. What most people focus on is money but they also get lost in it. Everyone focuses on cost but they lack understanding that the money is the EASY part. It sounds goofy but it is just truth, spending a little more money to help a resource is infinitely easier than getting out there and trying to make a difference in small groups. This is what deerhunt88 is implying on how hard itll be to scale trapping and such on the huge swaths of public land. However i think we could allow some sort of not related to game animals bait to be used. Marshmallows maybe? Gonna be hard for someone to bait turkeys with those.
I live where the nutria were and still are a problem. However the $5 per tail turned in ($6) now bounty, Brought out people in droves to kill these things and I can tell you they Killed and still kill ALOT. With the right boat one could make a decent living just killing nutrias from that bounty, and they do.
These agencies have got to take in more earmarked money, but in doing so they also have to show results and action. A lot of the money gripes always stem back to people seeing it as a waste. Missouri and their funding shows infinitely. Now most states wont ever get funded like that but its an example of where you can see results, Both through the MANY small properties and conservation areas on top of how well they are managed. To those who think more expensive permits and such are Ludacris go purchase yourself enough land to hunt, manage it, care for it, pay taxes on it etc and get back with me on how expensive it is to hunt states public land. ( (Every child support paying father in the world complains about what they pay but if you'd ask the average single mom raising the kids mostly solo, I bet their opinion is alot diff lol)
