Ol Chucky got us good for the 2020 turkey...

season. Opener is 3/21/20. They're convinced opening on the 15th prevents all of the hens from being bred. Next step is opening even later, reducing the limit or both. Heard it from the horses mouth(ass)

The douchebag has actually said at one point that part of the reasoning for moving it is that a weekday opener "isn't fair" for weekend hunters.

jackass

A hunting buddy of mine emailed them complaining about it and actually got a prompt response from a wildlife chief and from Chucky. They said the biologists are convinced that we're interfering with the breeding process and want to move the opener ever farther back than they have, but Chucky is such a friend of the hunters they only took away 6 days this year. This ain't over yet

I'd like to see some science behind that answer/.

That's great. So, that means that they're gonna stop all that large scale burning during the vital breeding process on land that they own or control. I highly doubt it.

Isn’t it just the 3rd Saturday now? If so it’ll open the 15th in 2025

If that’s the reason give us the days back in May.

It was the 21st until about 25 or so years ago.

It was 20th until 2002. I think habitat destruction and nest raiding varmints is the problem, not hunters

So it’s based on science? Must be science fiction if he thinks 6 days matters.

it opened on the 20th for most of the last 50 years.....

Accordin to my litte book here march 21-may 3

You’re right. And, pretty much 5 times out of 7 it opened on a weekday. Of course, we could kill 6 each season in those days.

the six limit was only for a few years in the early 80 or mid 80's, been five all the rest of the time.

I’m sure you’re right. Seemed longer, but then again I thought the season was “salt and pepper” in those days.

It was legal to hunt them with rifles when I first started in the mid-60's....and Dallas county had a fall season also.

But no dogs or dekes, right?

Nope....no dogs or Dekes.

MmmHmmm

They did give us some back in May. Hunting in May blows in LA so I guess I'm going to go see what all this Jackson County talk is about

The horse allowed the use of decoys, youth season and hunters came up with loads to make 80 yd shotguns. The odds have been tipped in the hunters favor in the last decade. Then add in predators and hogs thriving populations. It's a wonder we have any turkeys left a day or 3 shorter season should not hurt to much.

They were done here by the end of April. Started seeing poults around 1st of May

Come on up flat lander, but no whining about pulling these mountains in the heat of May.

Ya'll get too upset over little things.
Dates are just numbers on a calendar page. Go hunting.

With that reasoning they will do away with spring season all together and go back to fall hunting like the old days.

I've got a Boykin Spaniel which was originally bred back in the early 1900's in S. Carolina to hunt Tuckeys in the Fall/Winter....I'd Luv to try him out on them!!

I hunted TN last May and could spit onto jackson county. I didn’t see any mountains 😀

Brother, I think your pup is a little old to still be going hunting...

Glad someone mentioned nest raiders and predators being an issue, They take out more of the population and hinder breeding more than we ever could. Their in the woods 24/7/365.

Not the end of the world. Used to open on March 20 and end of April 25. Will have 7 weekends to hunt in 2020. Not too shabby IMO.

I have all the weeks I want. Since they put an indignant asshole over the wildlife section, I have zero respect for the rules anymore. I just do whateverthehell I please, wheneverthehell I please.

Take your Free Whine and Cheese.....and Yo Purse....and Get Back in th' Kitchen!!

Come to my kitchen, Chuck. I'll be glad to cook for you.

Alright, Alright, Alright! Yea Cmon

I guess im the only one that actually likes the change. Normally turkeys haven't started yet until around the 20th and so many get killed and have heard every call in the world before they ever open there mouth.

I hope chucky breaks his leg or something for putting this evil on us. noone should ever have days taken away during the best part of the year

When I predominantly hunted north of I-20, the best week was the first week of April sometimes. Living and hunting south of Hwy 80, south of the Black Belt, and it’s drastically different. March 15th was just about right down here, if not a little late. These birds are cranked up and acting like turkey by March 1 every year.

Pushing the season back here is completely unnecessary. And adding days for us in May is pointless.

There isn't any. And that's why you havent seen it.................... if they had anything at all supporting their position, it would have been published and made public at the same time they announced the season change. It's your typical, "well I think it might have an impact so let's change it and see what happens."

I understand what you are saying, but to delay the opener until the turkeys “get right” would be the same as telling deer hunters we aren’t opening deer season until the rut. Regardless of whether the turkeys are gobbling or “right” we still like to get out and play the game. And we can’t do that if the season is delayed.

Mine gobbled a whole lot better on the roost the last two weeks of deer season than they did once turkey season opened.

There actually is data. The shorter the season, the less birds get killed, period. Reducing limit doesn't help much, because good hunters just recruit a new shooter to pull the trigger. I don't like a shorter season, but they're wanting less birds killed, and taking away huntable days to get there. The data is from South Carolina, I believe.

South Carolina DNR has been studying the problems, which are real, with turkeys. Season changes were offered and as expected, yelled about, screamed about, decried as not being based in any science or biology, changed, tinkered with and finally set.

Split season, 1 bird the first 10 days, charging for "turkey tags" and more changes coming in the future. Expect other SE states to follow suit at some point.

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/south-carolina-makes-big-changes-for-2020-turkey-seasons/

There ain’t no turkeys in Jackson County anyway.

What we need is more Govt control.

Well if that is the case, I'd expect Chuckie to just cancel turkey season all together in the near future. That would save even more birds.

That would be interesting if it was cancelled for 2 years or so. Be neat to see how the 1st season back would be. Would there be much more gobbling, birds work easier, not be scared of decoys, population increase or decrease.

Some of us ain’t getting any younger and I damn sure wouldn’t give up 2 yrs on a dang experiment.

Ben2 would like this idea. I hope a copperheadedrattlemoccassin slithers in your bed tonight

I like any experiment like that just to see what would happen
Same with fishing, if you closed half the lakes in the state would the fishing on those the next year be awesome? Be interesting to see is all I am saying.

Kind of selfish. Jk