Lottery turkey hunts

[swampknob]

Waited 5 yrs to get drawn, showed up and the gate was locked and dnr had slept in.

Ran down the road to another property after calling them 30 times with no answer and killed a bird. Quit applying after that.

[tman]

Waited 5 yrs to get drawn, showed up and the gate was locked and dnr had slept in.

Ran down the road to another property after calling them 30 times with no answer and killed a bird. Quit applying after that.

Would you have been breaking rules if you had just walked around the gate? Purely hypothetical of course.... is there any moral standard that says you gotta check with the gatekeeper after you've recieved written authorization from the department to hunt that morning?

Just thinking out loud....

[2thDoc]

I heard that not a single turkey was killed on the draw hunts at Donnelley this year

one killed at wateree.
by a youth

[2thDoc]

WNM you shoulda called me.

I am not sure the DNR bashing is the right tact, though. I dont think this was their idea. What bothers me most is the supposed reasoning for the change. Wait times and success rate? How does one gauge success? If we follow the curve of today's society, its all about the kill and the instasnapface post. I would give a lot of credit to the decision makers if they didnt use killing game as the metric. For me, getting to hunt Goodwill is a lifelong dream and one that i've had the pleasure of doing with my kids....and now that's taken away bc other people suck at killing turkeys?? So, the answer is to do away with them all and allow public access??? If this change was made to "please the public", I think they got this one wrong.

While I'm not willing to die on any hill i've seen these days, I am certainly willing to do what it takes to reverse this decision. For those grabbing pitchforks and heading to the rembert dennis building, let me know what you find out. I really would like to know the endgame here. I'd also like to know if they are worried about the turkey population, statewide, or not.

[tman]

I really would like to know the endgame here. I'd also like to know if they are worried about the turkey population, statewide, or not.

Opening these properties up to the public at large , does appear to be contrary to the supposed management concerns if the population is decreasing. Albeit, all these properties combined are a drop in the bucket as far as turkey populations and habitat across south carolina go. But still, this decision seems to be misaligned with the current turkey decline narrative.

[Gut_Pile]

It all boils down to they had three options

1. Keep the hunts the same and people wait 10+ years
2. Make more WMA's lottery only to spread out applications (reduce overall opportunity)
3. Do away with lottery hunts all together and limit days that the wma is available (increase opportunity)

Those chose option 3. Any of the 3 options would have had someone mad

[Gut_Pile]

If the wild turkey was the main focus, then option 1 or 2 would have been the way to go

DNR chose the people over the animal

[tman]

It all boils down to they had three options

1. Keep the hunts the same and people wait 10+ years
2. Make more WMA's lottery only to spread out applications (reduce overall opportunity)
3. Do away with lottery hunts all together and limit days that the wma is available (increase opportunity)

Those chose option 3. Any of the 3 options would have had someone mad

#1 seems like the best option for the bird. DNR has never forced me to submit a lottery application. If folks keep applying after 10 years, that's on the applicant not the agency.

[Duckman#1]

So who has applied for 10 years and not drawn ? I’ve always been drawn on year 3 or 4 as well as the people I know that apply

[holdin down the fort]

Waited 5 yrs to get drawn, showed up and the gate was locked and dnr had slept in.

Ran down the road to another property after calling them 30 times with no answer and killed a bird. Quit applying after that.

Got drawn for Donnelly this year after waiting 5 years. The warden never showed up to check in station, 30 minutes before daylight we all said screw it and picked out our spots and took off. One guy said he had waited over 10 years to get in there.

It rained like hell that morning, nobody killed a bird. But the guy who waited 10 years did set up near a road and worked a bird only to have the warden drive by, get out of his truck and take pictures of his decoys. He said he never heard another gobble after that.

The man in charge said, “ yeah sorry about not showing up, I was supposed to be here at 530”

Free for all is not the answer, DNR dropped the ball on this big time.

[mudflat]

More opportunities for the public hunter=measured success.

[2thDoc]

So who has applied for 10 years and not drawn ? I’ve always been drawn on year 3 or 4 as well as the people I know that apply

i've been wondering the same damn thing.
sounds like a BS excuse.

I just dont like how this one played out....especially next to the changes expected in the turkey regs.

[Duckman#1]

i've been wondering the same damn thing.
sounds like a BS excuse.

I just dont like how this one played out....especially next to the changes expected in the turkey regs.

Yep a bunch of BS. They all scream about fallow the science then the science shows different than their opinions and a call the science BS. Most if not all wma’s are struggling so change the wma regs.

[Palmetto Duck]

If the wild turkey was the main focus, then option 1 or 2 would have been the way to go

DNR chose the people over the animal

Yet they’re there to manage the resource, not...the....people.

[GBelly]

so who is the person or people that made this decision ?

[Calibogue]

Yep a bunch of BS. They all scream about fallow the science then the science shows different than their opinions and a call the science BS. Most if not all wma’s are struggling so change the wma regs.

What science proves different?

[sc sportsman]

This is no slight to WNM, but I'm partial to Wateree so I'm using it as an example. The opportunity for 3 people to have 3700 acres to turkey hunt for themselves, exclusively, is reason enough to put in for the hunts. The measure of success that 2th mentions is my issue as well. A one day, daylight-11am turkey draw hunt (I know most areas offer a scouting day) will not produce a high harvest success rate and there are too many factors in play to even produce a high quality hunt overall, consistently. There are things that could change, sure, but I think this is misguided.

[2thDoc]

Yet they’re there to manage the resource, not...the....people.

the only way to manage the resource IS to manage the people.

[2thDoc]

you can scout wateree any time you want before the season.
the one bird that was killed out there was killed bc the dad gave enough of a shit to make it his passion.

[Palmetto Duck]

the only way to manage the resource IS to manage the people.

Like to just point out that this ranks close to the top of dumbest posts ever on this site. “ the only way....???” Since I don’t have the time to make a list of other options, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that you meant “ONE way” or you could just say you misspoke, which by nature I’m sure you won’t. Even if what you said were true, and even if we assume these properties are all in great shape Turkey population wise, how is increasing pressure with this change helping the turkey population problem, which is what DNR has recently spent a lot of time, money, effort, and made recommendations on to the GA???!! I agree with you on not liking the timing and optics on this move. But you’re waaay out over your skis with this ONLY way bullshit.