Still a 5 bird limit

Hard to believe they didnt succumb to the PC, not science based, pressure and lower the limit accordingly.

Yep. I am very thankful for that

Yep. But if you follow the science/data, it supports shortening the season....if you believe there aren't enough turkeys. Stone cold killers just limit out and then invite friends to kill more, with a lower limit.

With all due respect.....horsechit.

One MIGHT can make a case for a later season start to positively affect breeding dynamics and subsequent year turkey populations, but a shorter season and/or any male limit whatsoever does as close to nothing as one can get. Especially with the one a day limit. And let’s say the science was settled and all scientists bought into the dominant breeder stuff being thrown around, then they would be doing something to try and prevent the boss from 1. Being killed too early (later start) and 2. Being killed at all (IE get rid of the stupid arse decoys and fans which are about the only things that make him extremely vulnerable when surrounded with a harem). Instead, they want to focus on 2 year olds #4 & #5.....which according to their own science....are absolutely useless in the breeding dynamics. Shitty, illogical “science.” Nothing but emotional feelgoodism with zero research or definitive scientific results to substantiate it. Period.

Just because the self proclaimed “turkey doc” says it’s fact, doesn’t mean there is evidence to support it. The research papers they direct you to as their supporting documents, are filled with words like “theory” and “inadequate research”.

Tell it buddy!

I figured I'd ruffle a few feathers with that one. I really don't have a strong opinion on the matter. Although, it's pretty obvious you're not going to have much more than "theory" with a few million birds running around in the woods getting shot at. We can't even count the things accurately.

Also, I will never understand why a few random counties have a fall season. There are counties on that map filled with turkeys that don't have a fall season.

The only thing that we have more than theory, is history. Just looking at it like an experiment, half a century worth of positive results from our season and limit structure, is suddenly overridden by some new minds in the game and their new ideas. I think that’s most peoples gripe. Did turkey biology suddenly change ? Why would a system that has such a track record of success suddenly quit working? When you ask these guys, they ignore that question and point you to all their research papers full of theories, with no supporting evidence. I believe most of us want what’s best for turkeys and turkey hunters, we simply refuse to abandon the working system, without hard facts to change our views.

I hunt them when they're gobbling.
Dates are just numbers on a calendar. Means nothing.

Call me greedy but I"m still mad we aren't starting on March 15th vs. March 20th where I hunt. I'd swap for more days on the front and less days on the back all day.

Was 5 decided by science?

I hear ya. I'm a traditionalist myself. I looked forward to being in the woods on the 15th no matter what day it fell on. I loved it when it fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Dr. B

Me too doc! I like them middle of the week turkeys

Anyone have any insight on Remington's question about why so few
counties have a fall season? I'm curious myself...

Fall hunting for turkey is akin to deer hunting. It's not turkey hunting.

You won't get a good answer, because there is no answer that makes sense besides "that's how it's always been". It's been these same counties for a long time.

But that is the only answer. When we started getting huntable populations those few counties were the first to have many turkeys. They were allowed fall seasons because they had a lot of turkeys. There were more counties in that list at one time. As time went on and more folks started turkey hunting, most of the hunters preferred the spring. Most of the turkeys killed in the fall were shot by deer hunters, and believe me there were plenty of deer hunters who shot turkeys with rifles and shot hens too. Several of those counties asked the CAB to end their fall season. I know that both Coosa and Wilcox were in that group, and the CAB complied. Other counties didn't have enough turkeys for a fall season originally, and by the time they did, most everyone was like Outback and understood that the Lord made turkeys to be hunted in the spring.

If you enjoy spring gobbler hunting, you don't want to see a bunch of hens killed in the fall, so hardly anyone has asked for a fall season in the other counties. I sure don't want one.

Thanks PCP. Thats good to know. I can't see the enjoyment in still hunting turkeys but doubted that the regs were based purely on
population alone.

They should do away with all the fall turkey hunting, I have land in one of the counties that allows it but I have no desire to kill a turkey in the fall

^^

I used to try and kill one gobbler every fall when Wilcox had a season. Done right it ain't easy and sure as hell ain't deer hunting. Gobblers are hard to call in the fall. I personally hated to see it end.

Yep, getting gobblers to respond in the fall is tough. They just don't care as much about getting back together after you bust them up as a group of young turkeys. I had better luck breaking them up one day and hunting them the next. I haven't fall hunted them in years tho, as the areas I have to hunt just dont have as many turkeys and I'd rather hunt them in the spring.