I think your perspective on increasing public land pressure depends a lot on your area of the state. I hunted public land in Wilcox Co when I was in HS, and there was a whole lot of pressure and a whole lot of bad manners. That ain't something that's new. The Coosa WMA was an absolute zoo back in the 70s through the 90s. Hunting it was when I decided that it was impossible for legal hunting to wipe out all the gobblers from an area. Some of those turkeys on the main roads would have 4-5 people calling to them every morning, and yet they survived. And those turkeys always gobbled great on it; better than any other place I've hunted for Easterns.

But after about 2000, the hunting pressure was noticeably less. I don't know why; I always suspected that serious hunters usually joined a club, and casual hunters gave up after the first week. It doesn't hurt for me to talk about it now; most of it has been leased out and the small amount that remains is cutover.

Turkey hunters have always been crazy, so that's nothing new. I think most of the blind/decoy type hunters will eventually give up turkey hunting. Hunting that way just can't be as addicting as talking to them. I could be wrong, and other areas of the state may be much different than what I have experienced.