Season dates?

[Calibogue]

Hunting turkeys in May is lots of fun. Said no one in the Southeast United States ever.

Hunting turkeys is always fun.... Any place, anytime!

[Tater]

4/10-5/15, 3 birds, let’s get it on.....

[ARROW HEAD]

People with one hobby or multiple it would not matter if it 12 birds and a 3 month season or 1 day and and slingshots only it never will satisfy anyone

[Timberman22]

Dates - March 20 - May 1
Limits - 5 Birds, no more than 2 birds per tract. Impossible to enforce. This has been my own philosophy for years and I have have plenty of birds annually.
Decoys - Yes.... banning opens up a can of worms IMO
Jake’s - 1 of your 5 bird limit can be a Jake. Hunters 18 yo and younger 3 of 5 can be Jake's.
1 per day? - 1x/day
Cost of tags in state/OOS - $25/tag in state, $50/tag OOS limited to a max of 3 tags. **Tags free of charge if hunter logs real time data into telecheck app for research and tracking harvest. If hunter is found to not have entered data within 4 hours after harvest issue a ticket and decrease their alloted tags the following season.

[Tater]

And now I’ve gotten my fill of turkey hunters for the year.

[trkykilr]

Dates - March 20 - May 1
Limits - 5 Birds, no more than 2 birds per tract. Impossible to enforce. This has been my own philosophy for years and I have have plenty of birds annually.
Decoys - Yes.... banning opens up a can of worms IMO
Jake’s - 1 of your 5 bird limit can be a Jake. Hunters 18 yo and younger 3 of 5 can be Jake's.
1 per day? - 1x/day
Cost of tags in state/OOS - $25/tag in state, $50/tag OOS limited to a max of 3 tags. **Tags free of charge if hunter logs real time data into telecheck app for research and tracking harvest. If hunter is found to not have entered data within 4 hours after harvest issue a ticket and decrease their alloted tags the following season.

I’d have to hire a CPA to hunt with me. Goodness

[Duck cutter]

And now I’ve gotten my fill of turkey hunters for the year.

Ha

[holdin down the fort]

You heard wrong. 2 birds hasn’t been discussed and your dates are off.

Read the report from DNR that the Legislature tasked them to produce. Studies require man hours and dollars. The study data supports their recommendations, but the study is not without flaws. It is in one area of the state and not on any private hunted land.

Educate yourself and call your legislators. These discussions are happening right now and they will listen if you can have an intelligent conversation without conspiracy theories and finger pointing.

I’d like to know each of your opinions on:
Dates
Limits
Decoys
Jake’s
1 per day?
Cost of tags in state/OOS

Just curious

For fun, here is mine:
Game zone 3/4 March 20-May 1 (1 bird per hunter before April)
Game Zone 2 April 1-May 10
Game Zone 1 April 5-May 15

3 bird limit

1 per day

No Jakes by license carrying adults (exemption for SW annual photo)

No male decoys on public land

No male decoys before April 10

No Fans

$10 per tag resident
$50 per tag non resident
All money raised goes to research

I can agree with pretty much all of this.

Id like to see 1 jake allowed for younger hunters.

No full strut or fan decoys ( especially for public land)

3 bird limit with a required app or telephone check in and tag.

[Duck Tape]

I testified at the senate committee hearing on Wednesday and learned a lot about the process.

Legislators are tasked with what is best for the birds in their area while also representing the interests/desires of their constituents.

Both houses are working on a bill currently, so call your legislators and voice your opinion.

I recommended that Mr Lowe forfeit one tag per rhinestone

I swore off white stitching.

I believe DNR wants April 10. Hunters want Mar 15.

Compromise at April 1, 3 birds, 1 per day is where I am.

[Palmetto Duck]

No jakes for adults period! 1 per year for kids under 16 that don’t require a license just tags. Want to slow down killing then say no decoys period. That knocks out half the “hunters” right there. I know people, guides too, who drive around looking for birds in fields just to get out with s strutter and kill it in 10 minutes. Done repeatedly that makes a difference in how many gobblers an area retains. March 20-May 1 for everyone. Say 1 before 4-1 if you want to. 3 a year. Charge OOS hunters a ton for a big game permit or GMA permit like Ga does.

[Palmetto Duck]

I swore off white stitching.

I believe DNR wants April 10. Hunters want Mar 15.

Compromise at April 1, 3 birds, 1 per day is where I am.

Decoy use, total limit, and stop burning during nesting season will affect it more than April 10-May 15. Look at Georgia. March 20- May 15 for years. Very similar topography and weather as SC.
It’s been 3/15 lower state and 4/1 upstate my entire hunting life nearly 50 years. Now DNR says birds are getting killed early is the problem based on a study? Where was the study when they changed it the first time? It seems whats changed is more hunters bc of tv and social media and very effective strutter decoys. Burning during nesting season on national forest? Well that’s just asinine if you’re managing for turkeys. Lower the limit and be done with it.

[Timberman22]

I’d have to hire a CPA to hunt with me. Goodness

It was a stretch.

[Jay]

Get rid of all male decoys. That would be a huge step in the right direction IMO.
3 birds per person
Apr 1- May 15 statewide

I personally think the male decoys are the biggest issue. I have seen people who have no business ever killing a turkey kill them time and time again using strutters.


Timberman, don't ever become a politician.

[Carolina Counsel]

Like how they predicted Trump beating Hillary???

Excellent point given that I said that all surveys are 100% accurate. You must crush it with that brain power of yours.

[Scruggz]

If using a strutter works and you dont like it, then it sounds like youre just jealous that people are killing birds. If youre jealous then get a strutter decoy. How about this... Strutters allowed but no turkey calls allowed. Turkey calling is unfair... Lots of people that otherwise wouldnt be able to kill turkeys can kill them because they are using calls.Thay woulda never even cum if'n ya di'nt use yer fightin' purr koll bo... Why dontcha jus hunt tha field ware ya seent em like evryone elts.

[trkykilr]

Get rid of all male decoys. That would be a huge step in the right direction IMO.
3 birds per person
Apr 1- May 15 statewide

I personally think the male decoys are the biggest issue. I have seen people who have no business ever killing a turkey kill them time and time again using strutters.


Timberman, don't ever become a politician.

Strutter decoys are perfect for the same crowd that dresses up like football players in their 50's and runs down the hill

[Timberman22]

I'll try again.....

March 20-May1
5 bird limit
Youth 18 years or younger can only harvest Jake's
No male decoys
Youth day(s) weekend prior to 3/20
Father/Son tags are interchangeable?... politician spin

[PJ1012]

Strutter decoys are perfect for the same crowd that dresses up like football players in their 50's and runs down the hill

Haha that’s a good analogy!

[Scruggz]

10 birds per season
March 1 to May 30
Private Land February 15
10 birds per day
No pot calls
No locator calls
No temporary ground blinds
Modified chokes only
Recurve bows only
No high definition camo
No lead or heavier than lead shot
No roosting birds
Being within 300 yards of a roost before legal hours is not permitted

[Gut_Pile]

Hunting turkeys in May is lots of fun. Said no one in the Southeast United States ever.

You are oh so wrong. I’ll take May turkeys over March turkeys always.