Originally Posted by turkey247
Originally Posted by DP1975
If you have real documented researched facts of why this won’t work and what your research has proven to be better, let’s hear it otherwise you’ll have to adapt .


The better question is, do you.....or “they”, have real documented facts of why it will work. Please provide them. I’m talking a real solid connection in higher poult production from “X” number of hens where hunting was delayed. Better yet, name a state who has already pushed back and shortened their season, and can prove turkey numbers are on the way up, not down.

Why is it crazy that the hunting public, the hardcore guys who buy stuff and pay the bills of conservation and research, to ask for facts before making change?

And lastly, if I hunted North AL like I once did regularly, it wouldn’t be as bad. But where I live and hunt currently, the absolute best hunting and gobbling activity is about M10-M20. And that’s a fact.


The research on why the states are trying this are easy to find. No state has pushed the season forward for long enough to have data on the population effect. There is plenty of data showing the kill figures were highest in the early part of the season before nest initiation. La is one state I hunt that has moved the season. Even with their reporting system problems it was clear the move dropped the Gobbler harvest with the later opening. Even though everyone doesn’t call in a kill it is reasonable to assume the same percentage that followed the law before the season move would continue to call in kills, that number has dropped. That is proof that more Gobblers survived until the main breeding was complete that is a fact. More Gobblers per hen left to breed would mean more hens successfully bred. Your trying to compare your guess at what to do with a mathematical fact. It is a fact moving the season DID NOT hurt the population. In what way could more Gobblers surviving the season be a bad thing. You cannot move the opening date for one season and expect a miracle. It took a long time to get to this decline it will take a few seasons to see any effect good bad or indifferent. I have not heard a comment from anyone that regularly kills a limit in either Alabama or La or any other state that plans to move the season. It’s clear the ones most upset with season changes cannot kill a limit no matter what the calendar says and have gotten themselves into a hunting strategy that requires very specific conditions for them to have any chance of success. Most are chained to the first Gobbling peak that happens before breeding starts they find one maybe two satellite Gobblers that operate on the outskirts of the flock they kill them and are completely hopeless when the Gobblers get there harems together. Most lose all motivation when the Gobbling lull starts most don’t even know that it exists or what happens afterwards. You have to adapt your hunting to the condition. One of the guarantees of the season move is ALOT of the part timer, strutter/fanning clan will give up. Regardless if the population increases or not decreasing the hoards of wannabes will make a difference in the overall hunting experience, that is a cold hard fact. If you hunt private land and sit over bait( I mean food plots) you won’t notice a difference and you could probably get away with hunting the old season dates and get away with it. But for all the public land hero’s you’ll either adapt,quit or spend some money on fines and or lawyers when your caught poaching.