Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs Earlier Season Opener in 2027

It’s bad enough that us WMA hunters have to wait on a delayed opening day, but the one bird limit the first 10 days just straight sucks. I killed one early, then had to wait while all the TN hunters hammered my local WMA. I’m sure AL will always open before TN, but I sure do wish our public would have the same opener as our private.

Per the email:
“ The spring season for wildlife management areas (WMAs) and U.S. Forest Service Ranger Districts will have earlier opening dates as well. The Lauderdale, Freedom Hills, Coon Gulf, Riverton CHA and Martin CHA WMAs will open March 27 and run through May 3, while the remaining WMAs that allow turkey hunting and Ranger Districts in the state will open March 20 and run through May 3.”

Excellent! Thanks for that information.

Here's a link to the email/article for anyone who hasn't seen it:

https://www.outdooralabama.com/articles/cab-honors-blankenship-changes-turkey-season-dates

I gotta give some praise to the new WFF director for this move. I don't know him, but a lot of folks on aldeer said he was a good guy back when it was announced that he had the position. It's rare for government to give something back once they take it, so this is very encouraging.

I get the feeling that a lot of this had to do with a great number of folks not liking Sykes or the policies he implemented. Seem like once he was gone things started moving in a direction to erase his changes.

For anyone interested, here's a reply from Gemini on the starting dates in Perry county:

​Summary Checklist for your Records:
​1960–1972: March 20 (General State)
​1973–1979: March 15 (Perry County Split) / March 20 (Remainder of State)
​1980–2018: March 15 (Statewide Standard)
​2019–2021: 3rd Saturday in March
​2022–2026: March 25
​2027: March 20

AI isn't always right on such things, but I believe it's correct on this. Perry county was part of a group of counties that got a 3/15 start for several years because they had high populations but no fall season. It didn't cause any harm, so it was extended to much of the state in 1980.

It’s not
I hunted the opener at wolf creek and a few years later at Sam r and it was March 20. It was moved to the 15th some time in the early 2000s. The WMAs opening later is only a recent inception.

I was talking with a good friend today about the move from the 20th to the 15th cause we moved ours, years later, in the northern zone to the weekend before April first. He started in 1988 and the season here was April 8 then they moved it to the 1st. Southern zone wa s March 20. He protested the move from the 8th to the 1st. I’m trying to get him to find the paper he wrote on it. It details the states season since the 70s. He doesn’t know where it is. He’s been retired 12 plus years.

I’ll ask another friend that’s a retired state biologist if he has documentation. He did several projects on hen nesting sites etc on the WMAs when they were restocked after being closed during the 80s. We only had two zones for spring turkey season. Northern and southern.
I had numerous friends going to okmulgee to hunt the opener on March 20 during the mid 90s. I was invited every year
We had a 6 bird limit also during the early 90s. My first limit was in 95 and that was the last year for the 6 bird limit.
I actually didn’t kill a. Limit cause we thought it was 5.

We have discussed this before - it's 2 old men arguing over who has the best memory of a moot point.

I think we are both probably right to some extent, but I remember the dates for Perry and Coosa and you remember north AL. The dates Gemini gave for Perry county are correct according to my memory. It's not right when it spoke of a statewide standard, because there were always exceptions in places with few turkeys. And I never paid any attention to them because I knew I wasn't going there. It could have been an exception for the national forest, but I don't remember it.

What I'm certain of is that there were decades when it came in 3/15 in Perry county, and I think the 1973 date it gave was correct. It could have been 74 or 75, but I'm certain it was first implemented while I was in college. See if you can find us some better information, not that it really matters.

😝
I wouldn’t be arguing if others weren’t so tore up about 5 or so days this way or that way.
A fellow member here posted in FB a great synopsis. Basically some years it’ll be too late and other years it’ll be too early. No way to nail the date perfectly and all hunters be thrilled. They gonna complain no matter what.

Those saying they’re done. I had several buddies work birds yesterday and yesterday afternoon. Gobbling hard and doing gobbler things. I can post a pic of 4 birds two really big birds strutting carrying on over one hen. I took the pic first of the week. No hunting in that guys front yard though.

I have tons of respect for you and your knowledge. I actually mention your analysis often in discussions. I find it interesting that many things written 100 years ago on wild turkeys is still very relevant in today’s world.

I understand, and appreciate the kind words.

I just looked for some online historical information and didn't find much. I did come across a newspaper from the early 30s that said the spring season started 3/15. I had never heard of that before; the earliest I ever knew about was 3/20.

The more I think about it, there might have been some years when they added those 5 extra days for Perry and others to the end of the season. I remember for sure that they first gave us those extra days at the beginning of the season. I checked and it was 1976 when I killed one on the 3/15 opener and Danny McDonald was convinced it was illegal. That was in the thread you bumped. I don't believe that was the first year we got those days. Gemini found something to indicate it was 1973, but it didn't say where.

It is possible that there were some years they put the extra days at the end; seems like I remember that but I'm not sure how long it could have lasted. There were some years after college when I was focused on making a living and didn't get in much turkey hunting except for before work, and I had very little time then.

I like for the season to come in earlier but not nearly as hardline as some of yall. Like i heard Gobblebox tell someone “whether they die this week or next does it really matter?” (Cant remember what you told Skintback exactly haha but that’s the gist..)

This is from the Tuscaloosa News in 1939. I have no idea when it changed to 3/20, but that's what I remember it being when I was a kid. At some point, Perry and a few others got a 3/15 date because we didn't have a fall season but had a lot of turkeys. I don't know how long it lasted that way, but I think there might have been some years that they put those 5 days at the end of the season instead of the beginning. If that happened, I don't know how long it lasted.

I didnt keep records well in my first seasons in the 80's but assuming I hunted 1) in AL and 2) close to opening day, My records show the following

1990's - 2001 : either 3/20 or third saturday in March
2002 - 2019 : 3/15 ( know the 15th didn't start till early 2000's)
2020 and 2021 : 3/20
2022 : 3/25

Also, according to my records I see the limit was 6 from the 80's to 94, 5 from 95 to 2021, 4 since. Again, that may also not be accurate

I would trust your records more than my memory, cause I have remembered some things that never happened.

My apologies to all if I have posted bad information.

I'm sure the limit was 5 in 1982 because I killed 5 that year and a lot of folks laughed at me because I quit hunting. It was 1996 before I got another limit, and it was 5 then. All the years it was 6 was a moot point for me, just like it was for most.

I’m thinking in the 70s there may have been a March 15th
However my buddy says it wasn’t it but he was positioned up here

Steve keep in keeping on. I enjoyed the fast your limit again. Wished I still had that burning desire

Man i miss march 15 - marengo county had that for bunch of years - but i would take 3/20 in a heart beat - should give me a few early birds.
When i had turkeys back in the day - it was not uncommon to call in 3-5 birds at one time which was a pile of fun. By 3/25 most everything is busted up and they not searching anymore - so way suckeir hunting!

I welcome 3/20

I think it's worth noting that you are the first person I've ever seen on this forum that used the term "moot point" properly.

This is Aldeer. It’s a mute point! lol.

Maybe they will follow suit with deer season changes. Way too many rifle days currently IMHO.

Thanks man! Well, my memory is that Perry county and a handful of other counties had a 3/15 opener in the 70s and it lasted for some period of time. Does nobody else reading here remember that? I was thinking it became permanent, but I had forgotten that they eventually shifted those 5 days to the end of the season. Does anyone else remember a few counties having an extended spring season because we didn't have a fall season?