Why is it okay to have a season limit on turkey but not on deer? Just curious to see the answers. On deer we are infringing on rights but most turkey hunters want some kind of limit imposed.

We also protect the hens but not does. What if deer numbers were shown to be declining? What then?

Just curious and provoking thought and discussion. Nothing more or less.

With no limit on does you would think we were over run with deer. We are not. We do have a 3 buck limit on bucks, but that's a joke because all you have to do is reprint a harvest record. And deer numbers are declining, all you have to do is ride around and count the deer, then remember how many deer you saw on that same route back in the 90's.

Money.

We do have a 3 buck limit and one of those has to be 4 points on 1 side. As for does, for many years there were a limited # of days that you could shoot them.

I hunt in Kentucky and they have a one and done rule on bucks. I don't like it. It's tough to let deer walk in early season and wait on the rut.

This is going to sound like a smartass answer and it's not meant to be.


It's just a damn turkey!

My thoughts-

People are conditioned, and deer hunters have mostly been conditioned to have immense freedom in their harvest. Any dramatic change is balked at, whether we are talking about welfare recipients, tax hikes, gas prices, etc.

turkey hunters have been conditioned to protect hens, limit harvest, etc. It isn't like that in every state.

Short answer? Charles Kelly wanted to protect turkeys and grow the deer numbers.

I wouldn't mind a 3 doe 3 buck limit per person. If you have a property that needs the does thinned more than allowed. Have a biologist come out and give them the needed doe tags.

Most turkeys have always been secretive and selfish.
However, those traits never really evolved until QDMA within the deer hunting crowd.

If y'all (the State) could just sow how trick the turkey hunters like y'all did the deer hunters.......the turkey hems would be dying by the trailer load!

You drinking? LOL

Don't want to quote Matt Brock but he said something earlier to the affect of comparing deer and turkey as comparing shark fishing to frog gigging. Just can't compare the 2. Many more predators for turkeys and the eggs. Never have seen a raccoon kill a deer but they sure can put a hurting on turkey eggs. Deer will eat all the food in an area and stay there. Turkeys will move to the food. If turkeys could be hunted with a rifle, restrictions would have to be even greater. If we only hunted deer from the ground with buckshot, not near as many would be killed. Everything is just different.

I would like to see a limit on does just like every other species. Why not?
Not sure why we do not have a real tag system?

As a means of fund raising, why not charge a fee for each supplemental feed stations that are used during the season? All funds go to Support the cause!

Let the bashing begin!

I'm good with 2 bucks and 3 does. But I don't get to shoot as often as some of y'all. I'd probably be good with one buck. I think it's why Kentucky has what it has. I think state may have to lower season limit on turkey at Skyline. I never heard a gobble last year in my faithful area where I've worked birds for years. Did get on birds in a different area of wma but was shocked at lack of gobbles in usual area.

More taxation to support what cause?

The predator discrepancy makes sense in theory but deer have plenty of predators as well: Coyotes and poachers mainly. Unethical hunters in a solid third place.

Probably the turkey hunters as mentioned above, have been conditioned due to extremely low turkey populations in the past and have not balked at the idea of shooting gobblers only.

Also, they are very different critters with very different environmental impacts if they get overpopulated.

Not yet....it will get better soon, though!
This iPhone will skip a word or two occasionally, though!
I just saw that! HaHa

kill all the turkeys, hope they go extinct!

You are therefore cast out of this debate.

That was quick! I am trying to MAKE myself get into turkey hunting next spring, just hard to make myself when I'm scouting for deer. I've heard its very addicting similar to all my friends that quit deer hunting to duck hunt after trying it once.

I don't think we will ever see a change in the bag limits in our lifetime. What we have now, is what it will be. Even if the state had firm data proving deer numbers were down, I seriously doubt they would change the bag limits.
The reason, is because for every hunter proving deer numbers are down, there is another stating their numbers are just way too high for their land to support. The got deer dying from famine and their bucks aren't reaching their 155 inch potential because the does are eating all the food!!! - sarcasm.
I only know a few people that kill more than 3 does a year. The problem is 200k people killing 1 or 2 each, so going to a 3 doe limit wouldn't really have an impact towards improving total reproduction numbers on most leases.