Turkey beak?

[Duck Tape]

NWTF Supports Changes to South Carolina Turkey Season
The National Wild Turkey Federation backs two bills in the South Carolina General Assembly that provide more opportunities for turkey hunters, establish a permanent youth turkey hunting day and help turkey populations recover following a multi-year decline in reproduction.

Do you support?

South Carolina house bill H4838 and its senate companion bill S1070 propose significant modifications to current turkey hunting regulations to benefit wild turkeys and turkey hunters throughout the state.

If passed, the bills would equalize season dates statewide to six weeks from March 20 to May 5. This change decreases confusion from having multiple seasons in the state. It also increases opportunities for more turkey hunters to spend time in the woods.

To counterbalance the extended season and the decline in turkey reproduction, hunters will be limited to four turkey tags, three for use with any traditional method (archery or legal firearm and ammunition) and an optional archery-only tag.

“We applaud the intent of these bills, which are not only designed to simplify regulations but also establish an equitable season length statewide and allow more turkey hunters to share in the harvest,” said Becky Humphries, NWTF executive vice president of conservation. “Reducing the bag limit while expanding the season work together to protect our wild turkey resource.”

In addition, the bills set a permanent South Carolina Youth Turkey Hunting Day for the Saturday immediately preceding March 20.

A built-in review process requires the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to complete an assessment of the law at the end of three years to determine if any modifications need to be made to ensure there are no long-term negative impacts on wild turkey populations or the tradition of turkey hunting.

The NWTF urges all members in South Carolina to contact his or her state representatives and encourage them to support these important bills.

[JABIII]

I oppose the bill because of the archery only tag.

[Timberman22]

NO!. The extra bird via archery equipment blows my mind. I would however support the bill if it was 4 harvested either method.

[dixiedeerslaya]

No. Archery has no place in turkey hunting.

[Timberman22]

Can we start shooting an extra doe on doe days, extra duck, etc.......if it's harvested with archery equipment. If limits are set to control population then why does it matter the equipment used to harvest? Serious ? To me that makes no sense unless someone can explain it better.

[Duck Tape]

DNR and WTF wanted 3 total. I guess this was some sort of compromise.

[Bigtimber2]

Yes.

Axe the archery tag if its big of deal. An additional archery tag will have litte affect on the total harvest.

I do not support lengthen the season but not lowering the limit to 3. A 50% increase in the seasons and a 40% reduction in the bag limit should counter balance. If an amendment is added to only cut the limit to 4, the current seasons should remian unchanged.

Not lowering the limit accordingly seems to defeat the one of the purposes of the bill.

[Duck Tape]

They seek uniformity. Some folks are tired of seeing upstaters come down and blast low state turkeys. If your season opened at the same time you would have to decide if you will abandon "your" birds to come after the low states birds.

Heck, Florence has been under an unfair 2 bird per county limit since the season began.

[NUTZ]

Dead turkeys are dead turkeys, regardless of how they are killed.

Mr. bowhunter will wound 4 for every 1 he kills. Great for the resource.

[flockbuster]

I really don't want to have to learn to bowhunt. If the biologist think it's need to be 3 then make it 3. If they believe the population can handle 4 then make it 4 and let me shoot them with a shotgun.

Now that I don't have a lowcountry place to hunt I would be happy wth a statewide season. Make the Sumter county limit the same as the rest of the state while you are at it.

[Duckman#1]

No. Archery has no place in turkey hunting.

Why is that ? I don't agree with the archery only tag but what wrong with bow hunting turkeys ?

[DJP]

I voted no because of the archery tag.
I think it should be 4 regardless of the weapon.
The last thing we need is a bunch of people picking up a bow and trying to shoot one more bird because they have limited out with a gun. I would be willing to bet that the person picking up the bow will not have time to practice much and end up doing more damage than good. The only party that will benifit is the groups making money off of archery equiment or crossbow sales.

[Duckman#1]

Dead turkeys are dead turkeys, regardless of how they are killed.

Mr. bowhunter will wound 4 for every 1 he kills. Great for the resource.

Where did you get your stats on that ?

[NUTZ]

Where did you get your stats on that ?

www.bowhuntersarethedebil.com

[davisd9]

If low country guys do not want to compete with upstate guys then do not let them come on your land. If it is a club then you should have known some may come when they joined.

Opening the season early in the upstate is going to hurt breeding. That is an important time for gobblers to breed before hunters hit the woods.

If someone wants to use archery equipment then fine, but it should be a choice and is not the governments decision to make whether I kill a bird with what.

Just leave it alone.

[dixiedeerslaya]

Why is that ? I don't agree with the archery only tag but what wrong with bow hunting turkeys ?

I voted no because of the archery tag.
I think it should be 4 regardless of the weapon.
The last thing we need is a bunch of people picking up a bow and trying to shoot one more bird because they have limited out with a gun. I would be willing to bet that the person picking up the bow will not have time to practice much and end up doing more damage than good. The only party that will benifit is the groups making money off of archery equiment or crossbow sales.

DJP pretty much spelled out what im thinking. for the diehard bowhunters that kill turkeys with a bow, more power to them. but it takes a dedicated and skilled individual to do what duckman does effectively. turkey hunting is a shotgun sport. archery equipment is a handicap in the wrong hands and does lead to more wounded birds. if someone wants to use a bow, more power to them, but i dont think we should offer an extra archery tag incentive.

[jwilliams]

I don't care about a turkey. one bit. cross bows do not equal archery. cross bows should be for handicap only, maybe some women and children.

[Catdaddy]

3 tags statewide with the suggested dates would be a good compromise.

It may even stop some of that crying from the upstate wannabes.

[ersepton]

DJP pretty much spelled out what im thinking. for the diehard bowhunters that kill turkeys with a bow, more power to them. but it takes a dedicated and skilled individual to do what duckman does effectively. turkey hunting is a shotgun sport. archery equipment is a handicap in the wrong hands and does lead to more wounded birds. if someone wants to use a bow, more power to them, but i dont think we should offer an extra archery tag incentive.

I tend to agree with everything you are saying, however just playing devils advocate here, this same logic is being used with the archery only season for deer in the upstate now. I tend to believe, with no stats to back this up, that there are a ton of deer injured each year by folks who run out and buy a bow to get a few more weeks of hunting in without becoming proficient with the weapon. Should the deer regs be changed for those reasons?

[gooseaholic]

Question from an OOS'er:

Is the optional "Archery Only" tag valid anytime during the season or only after the other tags have been filled? I see the archery tag filled early and the remaining 3 "any" tags later in the season. That will only reduce the season bag by 1 bird (not that drastic a measure). Hunters may not like it but if the data shows otherwise maybe a more significant adjustment is necessary. I am still going to travel for 3 tags.

Is there a sunset provision to return the season limits? Will money be set aside to collect hard data on the effect of reducing tags?