After the first ten days. Is this a recent decision, or has it been the plan for next season all along? I don’t mind, and wouldn’t really mind if decoys were outlawed all together. I just wasn’t aware of the restriction.

Been talked about for months

If you are just seeing this, then make sure to catch yourself up on season dates and bag limits for both public and private land.

Whats that term mean, bag limit?

I don’t worry about it bud, I ain’t got enough on my place to get close to it with two boys that like to hunt.

Haha I heard that. I wish I had two boys that hunted with me. Congrats👍🏻

Just a suggestion

Come on down and sit with one of em, if you can put up with a ten year old that can’t keep his butt still for sixty seconds

Come up north next season Joe I’ll give you one of my neighbors tags

That is a generous invitation, and I just may take you up on it. We’ll talk closer to season.

I ain’t as selfish as I use to be, as long as I’m part of the war party I’m ok with it. Maybe they’ll be thick

Alabama was the last state to make using decoys legal and now the first state to make them illegal to use in at least the first ten days. My hats off to them.

It's how many you can fit in a bag right?

I guess I need to read the regs more than once per decade 🤷‍♂️😜

Yep! I like to use the big contractor bags.

I dont understand why anyone would want to OUTLAW decoys. It is your choice to use them or not. If you dont like them dont use them , if you do than go ahead.

Its like dam democrats on here with some things. The DEMS dont like firearms so THEY want them outlawed. They dont want ANYONE to have or use them. A lot like some of you here with decoys.

Why do you feel since YOU dont like them than NOONE should be able to use them? Ive got a better idea , you DONT WANT to use them than dont! And if I WANT to I can. Pretty simple.

"Dont tread on me". Yall seen that flag. It means about all RIGHTS not just the ones you like.

It is my choice to use them or not and I sure dont need some idiot at Alabama Fish and Game with a moronic "Dominant Gobbler THEORY " to decide if and/or WHEN I can use them. Most idiotic thing Ive ever seen. "You can use decoys, just not for the first 10 days " . What a bunch of power hungry control freaks to pass the law and how blindly some of you agree with it.

Next it will be TSS because it reaches too far and is not PURIST like shooting number 6 or 8 shot and waiting until they were into 25 to 30 yards like when I started hunting them 47 years ago. Gives you guys an unfair advantage shooting so far. Ruins the sport.

Yep and Blinds should be illegal too because it gives hunters an unfair advantage.

And calls too. When I started you took a piece of raw slate and made a corn cob striker. You made a "snuff Can Call" or your own wing bone call.

You wore green or brown pants and a green CPO jacket as there wasnt camo. All you CHEATERS using commercial games calls, the latest camouflage and the likes. I think it should ALL be outlawed and if you dont know how to make your own calls and run them then sorry for you!

See where I am going? Once you start "Outlawing" stuff where does it stop? Yall WANT more regulations? Did yall vote for Biden too?

SMDH.

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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.

Let me flip the script here for you. Since you all against “outlawing” stuff, why not make rifles legal for turkey hunting. Let’s include gobblers as legal game over corn feeders in deer season. For that matter, we just as well as shoot bearded hens too. Well shoot, just make it legal to shoot 5 turkeys, don’t matter sex or age. Why even have a season? You should just be able to kill 5 turkeys on your annual license. If you want to wait til spring to fan them up, have at it. The rest of us gonna shoot them with our bait permit in hand over our corn feeders.

No need to hinder anyone with laws that makes the hunting more difficult.

Using decoys makes the hunt easier. If it didn’t, people wouldn’t use them. As far as why would anyone want them outlawed, I’d say to keep from cheapening the experience. Every 20 year old with the back end of their truck lowered and stickers on the back glass don’t need a hero shot on FB sitting next to a gobbler and a gobbler decoy.

I use them sometimes, but I dang sure don’t have to have one to kill one. The ones who do, to be quite frank, I hope they take up bass fishing.

But that is your option, your choice to make. Removing the option because "I don't like it!" is not reason enough to impose a ban and that's the only reason a lot of hunters want decoys gone or restricted. They just don't like it.

Any wildlife decision should be made first and foremost with the biology in mind: is it harmful to the resource, or will it not harm (and possibly benefit) the resource?

Anything after that should be secondary.

We could parse your others individually:

-- rifles for turkeys? That's a clear safety issue. We already have f'king dumbasses who shoot other turkey hunters with shotguns.
-- turkeys around deer feeders? Meh, talk about easy and a true detriment to the resource. That's a no-brainer to prohibit that.
-- bearded hens? They're a genetic anomaly just like albino deer and probably should be taken out of the pool. No big loss.
-- killing 5 turkeys on your annual license? That would be fine with me, to be honest. Why is April 3 so sacred when I could shoot the same gobbler on October 11? I seriously doubt there would be any detrimental on the population if we didn't have a spring season.


As for "we don't need any laws," that's silly. It's the unnecessary restrictions and the "let's do something!" restrictions that are useless.

We didn't need "official shooting time" for deer season. For eighty decades we got along just fine without it. But whoa, in 2015 or whenever it was, we suddenly needed to become like all the other states and by golly have "shooting time" for deer. It's unnecesary and idiotic. But it made someone feel good about doing something - just like the 10-day decoy restriction.

Respectfully Clem,
It’s your opinion that outlawing decoys is restrictiv, and it is. The law is intended to make it harder for folks to kill a turkey by not giving the aid of a decoy.

Personally, as you pointed out my opinion, I’m fine with it. I’d much rather them impose those type of restrictions than move the season dates, reduce the limit, etc.

I also like the fact that it takes some of the folks who aren’t die hard turkey hunters out of the game. It’s not that I don’t like decoys, it’s that I feel we’ve allowed the game to get cheapened to the point where some of this is necessary.

I've tried the decoys and am not a huge fan. IMO it's one more piece of chit to have to lug around and can have negative results. Not taking them is one less thing for me to have to be concerned with.

I definitely agree that I'd rather see something stupid like "ban decoys for 10 days" than thinking a one-bird limit will result in beaucoup gobblers in a couple of years. At least the decoy option still is available for those who want to use them.

I still don't believe, and never have, that a decoy automatically makes it easier. The first year the Mojo robo duck decoys came out it was like having ducks on a rope to the blind. After a couple of seasons, nope. I think the same is true with the turkey decoys. Some will come, some will run away, some will look at the fake hen and stay 80 or so yards away expecting her to come to him.

Thing is, we don't know for sure. Until we see some provable evidence -- data -- that decoys are legitimately detrimental, restricting them is just a feel-good stopgap measure. But as you noted, and I agree, better to fart around with the anecdotal stuff to make someone feel good than do something stupid like carve off half the season or bag limit.

(Although those things will happen in the next few years. This national movement won't be placated by small nips and tucks. At some point they'll start trimming more bag limits, seasons, and I'd even guess some state will say they need to have a turkey lottery for tags or close the season entirely.)

Ive been turkey hunting over 47 years and have killed a lot of gobblers in my life. Ive hunted them in over 15 states. Ive have shot over 10 gobblers a year many times in different states. I have 8 grand slams.

I hardly ever use decoys but I dang sure like the option if I want to use one.

Im too old to want to tote the weight of them these days and I usually dont tote a vest now except when taking a decoy or 2 after a field bird. I just carry a slate in one cargo pocket, a few strikers in another and a few mouth calls which is what I kill 99% of my turkeys with and an inflatable belt seat cushion. Easier for me going up and down hills at 60. Ill tote a thermacell if the bugs are bad too. Thats about it.

Ive hunted turkeys before there was decoys. And before there was camo, fancy "Turkey" shotguns, red dot sites, "turkey" shells , TSS loads, blinds, commercial calls other than the Lynch Foolbox box as well as a bunch of the things that I bet you use everyday that makes it "easier" to Kill gobblers.

I dont think any of those should be "outlawed" either but using your logic since they ALL make turkey hunting "easier" they should be. I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

Im not against fanning a bird either, ambushing one, low crawling to kill one either. Ive a done a bunch of all three on henned up or tough to kill birds.

Ive killed them in the fall too in some states when I was younger too. Heck, Ive even hunted them with dogs up north in New York state in the fall. My buddy had a Turkey dog called "Kee Kee'. Shed bust em up and we would call them back in Kee keeing.

Ive done it all and was just as happy with each gobbler. Im just into killing gobblers. As many as I legally can in a year anyway I can get them. I am surely NOT into adding any more rules, regulations or shortening of the seasons anymore. Guess Im old fashioned that way.

Im a live and let live kinda guy. Enjoy life and the outdoors and if a person wants to use a decoy, or a blind , or TSS , or a fancy camo ten gauge semi auto shotgun, the latest call, heck even "Hen in Heat "Scent well than good luck to them and have at it.

Now I do draw the line at the "Squealing Hen Call" Ole Eddie Salter used to promote. That just really does make it unfair. That is the one thing I am OK with outlawing! If everyone carried one wed have No gobblers left.

Im not forcing my ways of hunting on anyone and I think we have enough turkey regs without making up stupid ones like "No Decoys for 1st 10 days". That is without a doubt the stupidest regulation I have ever seen in all my years and travels turkey hunting.

Here’s my final post on the subject.

The hypocrisy here is it’s not “my logic” it’s actually yours. You identified all the things folks use that makes things easier for today’s hunter, I never disagreed with any of that. I simply stated that I personally like the rules that make things harder than they are. I like that the law about decoys makes it harder because I don’t want to see turkey hunting end up like duck hunting. To Clem’s point, I don’t have data, it’s just an opnion that early season turkeys are easier killed by unskilled turkey hunters using decoys than by those same unskilled hunters without a decoy.

Because you feel so strongly about your opinion, you decided to put a resume’ in your post.

I never could get Eddie Salter's turkey-in-estrous scent to work, though, early- or late-season.

I still have the prototype decoy I started using in Alabama 25 years ago.

Clem, secret is youve got to buy it Fresh, and then combine it with the "Squealing Hen Call " if you really want it to work I feel. You need to get it right after Eddie collects it at the farm. There is usually a freshness date on the bottom of all the bottles Ive bought.

Together those two are the death of Boss Hog gobblers everywhere. Pretty sure Whild Bill uses it too.

And to JStocks, really? Look, call me an idiot but I WANT young turkey hunters to get into hunting. Ive taken a ton of them out for their first birds. If a Decoy helps them great.

I dont worry about anyone else killing turkeys other than myself personally or the folks Im calling for or hunting with.

I hope everyone chasing them is successful.

Are they hunting your land? Why the heck do you care what they kill and if it is "easier" or "harder"?

So you dont want new hunters learning or killing turkeys, even it if doesnt bother your hunting at all? You are all for new laws prohibiting things?

Im pretty sure new hunters dont. It is tough enough to learn to kill gobblers. Just ask poor Gomer from here.

First of all, you don’t know me, so you have no idea if I’m selfish or not.

I never attacked you personally, just disagreed with you. If you felt attacked, I apologize (sincerely).

As far as the previous discussion up to this point goes, never not once did anyone mention young hunters til you brought it up.
I never took that any of this discussion was pertaining to youth.

I care if they kill it easier because of the amount of new hunters coming into the fold. There are a lot of instant gratification folks out there that just want a hero shot on FB. I don’t care for it. I love turkey hunting too much, and the new fads being created are not good for any of us. That’s what I believe.

What does sitting down in a food plot or field with a decoy in front of you have anything to do with learning how to turkey hunt? Is that learning your way? Is your way the only way?

My way is not the only way, I just described that my opinion is I don’t care that they made decoys illegal for the first 10 days and I stated why.

I know there’s a lot of hate for Pinhoti lately, but I encourage those of you who care about the decoy debate to go watch episode 12 or 13 of 2021.

And yeah Here4fun, it’s supposed to be tough.

Silly you! Everyone knows turkey-in-estrous scent is useless without his trade-marked squealing hen system.

To me 20 year olds are young turkey hunters. And Im pretty sure after almost 50 years chasing them I know how tough turkey hunting is but thanks for pointing it out.

You are against decoys. That is great. I could care whether you use them or not. It is your CHOICE. I like people having choices. You stated you do use them at times.

I dont mind them or others using them and any law that prohibits the use for 10 days of the opener is a stupid, feel good law based on the "Dominant Gobbler Theory" and not based on anything else. It is a moronic law IMO. If you dont think so that is fine. That is my opinion and you have yours.

But what I was saying is that Ive seen the same argument YOU use against decoys for just about every development in turkey hunting :

-commercial calls ( what sissy buys a call old timers would say, everyone looking for the easy way! A true hunter takes the time and makes his own!),

-camouflage semi auto shotguns ( us true old time purists used a single shot break open with just a BEAD sight! And Who needs more than one shot for turkey old timers would say),

-10 gauge shotguns (who the heck needs that? We aint hunting geese old timers would say. Trying to make it easy, almost like cheating!)

- red dot sights and shotgun scopes ( who the heck needs a scope to shoot 30 dang yards old timers would say. A scope to turkey hunt? Jeez just trying to make it easy!),

-Special shotgun loads, turkey loads and TSS ( who needs to use anything than what we've have shot for decades old timers would say. Us purists use dove loads and let them get CLOSE. 25 to 30 yards is a loooonnngg shot! That is what turkey hunting is all about! Might as well use a dad gum rifle shooting 40 -60 yards! Man that is EASY! anyone can do that. That AINT turkey huntin!),

-Blinds ( dang half of turkey hunting is getting wet. Dang city folks hiding in a fancy tent old timers would say laughing. I guess they want to take naps and take it Easy!)

I dont think you understood what I was saying or my point.

I dont think any of those should be illegal either but dang it man, turkey hunting is supposed to be hard. You even said so.

Well using any of those things make turkey hunting a lot EASIER than it was when I started trust me. And I would guess you use a couple of the things I mentioned as well. So do I.

But I am all for new developments though I still just shoot a cheap pump shotgun with stock sights, and just my old number 5 turkey loads not TSS, but I dont condemn those who do nor think it should be illegal .

Blinds, semi autos, TSS, Decoys, calls, red dot sights, scopes, xbows, bows and more. Whatever makes that person happy and they CHOSE to use and is legal is fine. I dont want any laws on any of them that we dont already have, nor do I want a shorter season. Im just silly like that.

And by the way Im not here to argue , Im just here4fun .

Smart man!

not sure but is the new rule just for strutting decoys or fanning?

Dang I feel so guilty after reading that post I’m gonna give up my Hecs suit next season..

Turkey numbers are down. They feel like this might possibly reduce harvest numbers, allow populations to recover somewhat without shortening seasons or bag limits further.

I'd much rather have a 10-day ban on decoys than further reduce days of opportunity or bag limits which is slipping away from us at a rapid rate all across the southeast. The dominant gobbler theory/hens not being bred before gobbler being killed isn't proven, yet they aren't hesitating to take away hunting days or bag limits. I'm personally very glad they are looking at other options and hope it sets a precedent!

That was the reasoning of the CAB members who came up with the 10 day decoy ban idea. And no, it isn't at all proven that it will make one bit of difference in the turkey population. It was done entirely in response to the dominant gobbler theory and the doomsday presentation that Chamberlain made to the CAB at the last meeting of 2020. Chuck concluded that meeting by leaving everyone with the impression that the dcnr would propose an April 1 start to the 2022 season with a 3 bird limit. And at some point he put in the idea of letting no hunter kill more than one in the first 10 days of April. All of this was in response to Chamberlain's theory.

Some of the CAB members did not want to see our turkey hunting destroyed over an unproven theory, so they proposed the compromise that we got and managed to get enough votes to pass it. I don't know who thought up the decoy ban, but it was a counter to Chamberlain's theory - if the gobbler with all the hens is really being killed too early, he is likely being killed by the use of decoys. There aren't many who can call a gobbler away from 10 hens, but we have all heard the stories of them charging a full strut decoy or a fan. It isn't scientific, but neither is the dominant gobbler theory. Anyway, that's how we got it.

You can be certain that Chuck and Chamberlain will not be satisfied with it and want a lot more cut off the season and the limit. If the harvest goes up, that will be proof that the changes didn't work and we need to cut more. If the harvest goes down, that will be proof that the crisis is worsening and we need to cut more. Nothing is gonna stop the Agenda.

So the 10 day ban is a temporary thing and when the CAB members who pushed it rotate off the board, Chuck will replace them with his lackeys and then get the changes he really wants. Turkey hunting is doomed, so our turkeys are doomed.

Where?

Some areas are fine.

Why do hunters in those areas have to sacrifice? Oh yeah, I forgot - it’s gotta be fair. All about fairness.

See - if you regulate and take away hunter opportunity around where I hunt - a hunter from out of state can hunt public land 150 miles away and I’ll save a bird for him and it will be fair.

Within a few years we will be applying for a lottery to be able to hunt turkeys on a quota basis. Quota gets filled, season ends. You don't get a tag that year? Tough. Here's a preference point for your trouble but be sure to buy your license before applying.

Already a reality in some places. I’m not sure about residents, but I think there are a couple states that nonresidents have to do the draw and get points. Iowa and Illinois maybe?

Gonna become more and more like elk or worse yet sheep tag draws.

I happen to live in a area of the state where up until about 15 years ago, I thought that the turkey population and hunting was second to none. Couldn’t possibly be any better. Now, with a exception of some small, isolated pockets, I live in a turkey desert. I have racked my brain trying to figure out what’s changed to cause such a drastic decline in my neck of the woods where other parts of the state haven’t.
I try not to be overly critical with decisions pertaining to this because I want to believe that they are doing their best with what information they have at the time but I guess time will tell. The one thing that really bothers me and I know it has to do with the “Almighty Dollar” is why doesn’t the CAB limit nonresidents first then if that doesn’t improve the population cut back on the resident hunting. Just my opinion.

15 years ago is when decoys became legal.

Does the decoy ban on the first 10 days also include the youth hunt? With this dominant theory crap why even have a youth hunt since almost no hens are bred?

All of ours will be bred before next years youth hunt seeing how late it will be now.

I've got a few friends that "hunt turkeys" use that term loosely. They sit on a chufa plot with a decoy and wait till one comes in range. I think this is the folks that will be affected the most. I don't even own a decoy so it won't change anything for me.

Heck, if they're sitting on a chufa plot why would they need a decoy.

Why have a youth hunt regardless, take the kids with you on every hunt!

As a new member, ya'll are gettin' toward the points that bring out some of the reasons and issues. Dumbazzes don't kill many birds legally, they just shoot the birds off of food plots during deer season from off of the ground shooting houses. I've got relatives (most are dead) who would kill any turkey moving no matter when or where with whatever, even baiting them. One person spot lighted them out of trees. A kid at Walmart bragged that he shot a bird during deer season off of a food plot. That is one problem that the State will not admit. Out of state hunters will deal with the decoy ban, for they come early to Alabama's early season before their season starts. Example: Oakmug WMA was loaded with hunters from Ark. Public lands are gettin' murdered with large numbers of hunters early with declining birds. Strange, when people show up, birds numbers goes down. I wonder why? Environmental conditions are going to get worse and survival rates are not going to improve. What to do?......... Alabama hunters should be first inline for access to the birds. Out of state hunters with one bird limit imposed for private land only, no public hunting for them. Limits for in state hunters should be dropped, limit one public bird, two per season until numbers increase. Bring back the decoys but mess with public lands rules first to see what works, then look at private lands. This is to see if the "theory on dominate birds" works, what a joke! Everybody knows that a lot of hens are bred by secondary birds who sneak in. I have a question? Was Joe Biden at the meetings?

None of these strategies the state has implemented will work
The predator population must be controlled before the turkey population can thrive
I've seen this work too many times and am seeing the predator control method work again after just 3 seasons with a huge turn around in the turkey population where i hunt
Guys we got to work to elect a Governor that will fire this senseless crew that currently reside over our game and fish dept or if there is a way to get this job changed to a elected position rather than a appointed one then thats the route we need to go

Would coons be at the top of the list?

So your saying that because I live in another state but own land in Al and pay property taxes I should have a diff limit? I already pay an azz load on a license where if I lived in Al I wouldn’t even have to buy on.

Spec, your lucky. I sold land in another state because they would not let me hunt my own land for free, because I did not pay that state enough taxes. Different limit? Same limit for everybody on private land...........Alabama hunters beware, a quota system must be used in the future if the number of birds keep dropping with higher hunter pressure, esp on public lands. How would you feel if you were forced to skip a season, and allow an out of state hunter to take your place on public land?

Coons are absolutely #1 on the hit list then followed by coyotes, hogs, possums, bobcats, foxes
They all prey on turkeys and I will not give any of these a pass even if it means messing up a hunt
Come February I’ll turn the burners wide open with approximately 50-70 sets waiting for a foot to enter