Possible WI Turkey Season Changes

Im not in favor of this

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/83493912.html

They need to leave it just how it is. It was a good move a few years ago when they made the zones bigger, but this wouldn’t be good. My opinion.

I like the comments below the article….especially this one:

“How about the legislature passing a law that keeps the legislature out of wildlife management.”

Can you imagine having everybody and anybody hunting at the same time in the same area? Not a good situation.

I think they are trying to mimic some of the southern States that have a general open turkey season.

I don’t think this would be in anyones best interest. There is already plenty of competiton for the best farms and best seasons. Imagine how it would be with everyone and their brother trying to hunt on “Opening Day”. Success rates would drop and accidents and hunter interference would skyrocket.

I think this is a REALLY, REALLY bad idea.

I personally would like it if they would still have seasons but have them state wide and lower the cost.

I think sometime down the road the turkey population will become a problem much like the deer did. I remeber how hard it used to be to try and get an antleress tag years ago and you were basically allowed one deer a year and now look at the number of deer you can harvest. Same with turkey, in the beginning everyone wasn’t even guaranteed a tag and now you can buy extra, while I appreciate their concern to the sport and trying to reevaluate things this is not an answer from a safety aspect first and foremost. What about a lottery draw for the first 3 seasons as most everyone gets one of them anyway and then opening up the last three as they are suggesting. You would still be allowing more freedom to hunt but I am sure there will be a lot less number of hunters in the woods as many who got a bird will not go out again and you are also getting into fishing season and warmer weather which will thin out even more.

Quote:

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I like the comments below the article….especially this one:

“How about the legislature passing a law that keeps the legislature out of wildlife management.”

Can you imagine having everybody and anybody hunting at the same time in the same area? Not a good situation.

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Sure can imagine it, being that many of the other states I’ve ever hunted have this situation. Granted, in many/most of those states, you have large parcels with bigger acreages per landowner. That said, Missouri, the biggest turkey state of them all in terms of participation and kill has such a season. Also, their landscape is similar to WI/MN.

I’m sure they’re targeting the cost-savings that would occur with less administration of several seasons, multiple draws, paperwork, etc.

Opening up two more days during the week would spread some of that pressure out, but you’d still have a train-wreck that opening weekend. Both birds and people adjust, but you’d likely have more call-shy birds. You would have better access to land at an earlier date as most landowners that hunt would probably just hunt opening weekend, rather than hunt only when they could get a tag. That said, you undoubtedly would be hunting birds that have been called-to.

One thing I prefer about the MN seasons from a biological and hunting perspective is the small zones. While an enforcement and administrative nightmare, it prevents the “pocket-effect” of birds I’ve seen in many other states. Nothing worse than great habitat that’s devoid of birds because they’re in an easy access situation with lots of tags. Managing the number of tags to the amount of available habitat, combined with the ability of the turkey population to withstand X-harvest in that area seems like a better way of doing it for the birds IMO. That said, I think our DNR should weight huntable habitat, and parcel size into the equation.

Joel

This would be a pretty drastic change and I’m thinking that public hunting ground would be affected the most in regard to the number of hunters hunting opening week and it could also devastate the turkey populations in those areas. I believe one of the reasons why they are proposing this is because they have so many excess tags for sale each year and I agree with Joel – it costs the state a lot of money in admin tracking 6 seasons. Obviously increasing the season length, should increase the success percentage. However, maybe they should consider taking smaller steps such as lengthening the 5 day seasons to 7 days. Another solution would be to consolidate the 6 seasons into 3 seasons and allow hunters to hunt 10-14 days instead of 5. This last one would also cut down on the admin costs as well.

My only problem with the way it is now, is you can really get screwed by the weather or family comitments in your 5 day time frame, the only change I would like to see is if you do not fill your tag in your 5 day window you can continue to hunt into the next season only. That covers weather and what has happened to me a couple of the last seasons, a death in the family and had to cancel a few days of my hunt.
For me I would then be hunting with my father (if I didn’t fill my tag) instead of just calling for him.