As a lifelong Mississippi resident and someone who is extremely familiar with the Wild Turkey Program at Miss. Dept. of Wildlife, I can assure you this is NOT a bad thing. The money is earmarked for wild turkey conservation and the spending of it must be approved by their Wildlife Commission. The money cannot be used for administrative salaries or anything like that. Its only $10 more for residents. $100 for non-residents, but it will take place of the current spring turkey permit ($50) so it'll cost non-residents $50 more to hunt here. In a state where non-resident turkey permit sales nearly DOUBLED in a span of a few years, which led to a public lands draw for non-residents in the month of March, I think its OK if a few non-residents choose not to hunt MS for turkey. But to sum it up, I have faith the Turkey Stamp is a great thing. Habitat projects, research, heck maybe even predator bounties??
But I can't speak for you Alabama residents and your faith in your Wildlife Division. After seeing ya'll implement the baiting permit, well...I'll keep my opinion to myself.
You make a pretty solid point in my opinion. Things are changing with a lot more people traveling to different states to hunt turkeys. I’m not much for upcharging, but the money the hunter chooses to spend should go back into the wildlife they are there to enjoy and kill. Just think about the amount of money people have spent, and lord knows the amount of turkeys and deer people from Alabama have killed in other states. The states/counties should be able to maintain or increase habitat to replace those animals on those lands. If the money is earmarked for habitat, and every cent goes towards the wildlife I am hunting, it would make me feel better about paying (too much money) to go to a different state to kill a turkey or deer or whatever it is.
