.
Great post, Here4Fun.

Before the decoys were legalized, along with scopes for muzzleloaders, there wasn't a ton of outcry about decoys other than from traditionalists.

"This ain't the way to hunt turkeys!' they clamored, although Alabama was at the time one of only a few states (if not one of the only) to outlaw decoys. Their cries weren't about harming populations or anything other than "This ain't right!"

And yet they'd giggle and wink and nod about "a little yellow helper" or sticking a Coca-Cola can on a stick in a field of chufa to mimic a turkey.

It was about what they wanted, instead of having options. It's an option to use a decoy. It's a option to use a scope on a muzzleloader, or to use an inline muzzleloader, or to use a .410 or 20-gauge for turkeys instead of a shoulder-breaking 3.5-inch whoppermagnum 12-gauge, or myriad other regulations and OPTIONS that we can choose from.

And yet now without any hard data whatsoever, nothing more than anecdotal "we're not seeing as many turkeys" reports and people wanting to blame SOMETHING for that, we have more regulations and restrictions on hunting. There literally is zero hard, firm, confirmed, provable -- big word there, PROVABLE - evidence that not using decoys for 10 days will have any effect whatsoever.

But sure, let's add another restriction.

Never let a crisis go to waste so more regulations, rules and "Do something!" feel-good tactics can be imposed.


"Hunting Politics are stupid!" - Farm Hunter

"Bible says you shouldn't put sugar in your cornbread." Dustin, 2013

"Best I can figure 97.365% of the general public is a paint chip eating, mouth breathing, certified dumbass." BCLC, 2020