Oklahoma

Its official
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spo...-season-and-reduce-bag-limit/5373402001/

Oklahoma won’t be the last state to jump on this train either.

Traveling hunters' options just shrank again. Looks like KS and NE will be getting even more pressure, and possibly southeast states too. Which in turn could result in more reduction of public land opportunities to combat the crowds. Just a chain reaction.

It’s time for some people to wake up and quit drinking the (a) YouTube “let’s get everyone in our public woods we can.” And (b) Chamberlains “push all seasons back and lower limits”

A serious question- has chamberlain actually released any of his data?

Chamberlain is the Fauci of turkey biology

The area I hunt in Kansas went from two to one two years ago. If it wasn’t for seeing family when I go, it wouldn’t be worth the trip for one bird.

Alabama will be a two bird state with a 20 day season within 5 years.

After what I’ve seen happen in Oklahoma over the last few years I’d be fine if they shut it down completely and restocked. I’m sure there are some places that still have a few birds but the 3 counties I have land in are so bad it’s not worth going. Turkeys are basically non existent on some big swaths of land that used to hold 100s.

Yea have an outfitter that I hunt with up there he said its bad. Turkey populations really struggling.

Cedar creek, about 7 years ago we talked to a guy who’d been a game warden for 32 years and he said this was coming. He said between the droughts killing the cottonwoods , bad ice storms for several winters , and over harvest there was no way the population could sustain itself. And this was before hogs got bad. Talked to a couple of outfitters that said they might have 60 to 80 birds on 12 and 20 thousand acres. Maybe with 3 or 4 years of good weather Oklahoma could rebound but it’ll be a miracle. I said in another thread we hunted about 16600 acres of our land this year and 3 men killing 2 a piece would’ve left 2 gobblers. Also, it’s not like you can’t see what birds are on the property, so we were seeing what was available.

Kentucky is likely about to change their bag limits and season structure also.
Some pretty serious rumbling within their DNR.

bayout, that is what I heard to. Saying they were going to take drastic steps.

They are suggesting a one bird limit, no nonresidents for first 10 days, and push season back.


Let’s get everyone in the woods we can!!!! It’s the only way the sport will stay alive!
(Extremely heavy sarcasm)

This is the last I saw posted on 13th.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Disease, predators and poor property management are taking their toll on two of the state’s most popular game animals…
And it has the group responsible for managing the state’s hunting and fishing rules worried.
...
“We’re going to be making some really hard changes like Arkansas has, or Louisiana is talking doing or Tennessee has done. I mean these states are at the point where it is kind of like a crisis mode..."
...
The board will consider some recommendations next month and also develop programs to help land owners better manage their wildlife, especially wild turkeys, which are falling prey to bobcats, coyotes and other predators.

I wonder if the 1-bird limit is a salve of sorts to keep from hearing the outcry if they shut it down.

Complete shutdown -- massive revolt, contacting of legislators, online yelling and petitions and such

1-bird limit, other restrictions -- some hunters still will bitch but go hunting and a lot of them will say "Phuck that, it's not worth the effort or cost" and not hunt

The second provides the opportunity but if enough throw up their hands -- like many duck hunters did with the 1-bird limit back in the day - the DNR achieves their goal of reducing hunters and pressure without using the shutdown.

Sort of a reverse psychology deal.

The problem or issue, though, is how many turkey hunters -- let's say, 35 years old or older and have grown up with 4- and 5-bird limits (or 3, in some states) and long seasons -- will continue to hunt if there is a 1-bird limit and other restrictions for several years? Or will they stop hunting?

You maybe can't keep the high limits and seasons. But if you lower it too much and put on the restrictions, will they quit completely? If so, will they return? That's quite a balancing act.

However, in the end, the benefit of the resource is supposed to outweigh the wants of the people. That's a perfect world: first, help the resource and don't be greedy bastards just taking and not conserving.

But after seeing other decisions made based solely on money -- turkey decoys, special hunts with insane application fees, the baiting license -- it's hard to get on board the "Let's all be good little biological helpers!" train.