Now Nebraska is also proposing turkey season changes

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Going back with 2 tags not surprised at all I remember the year they went to 3 sure made the long drive more worth it. This is one them states I actually got lucky to hunt the boom in fun while it lasted
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
45% reduction. Wow.
Guess it is the macro redistribution of the flock deal.
Sure hope they used the scientific method to make changes.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
A few surprises: how long it took them to act on the reduction; the lack of mandatory check in to date; no mention of protecting hens during the fall season.

When we first started hunting out there, there was no check in of any kind. Just fill out the paper copy of the permit and keep it with the carcass. When they went to E Permits, it was easy to report kills but it was voluntary. You could still use the piece of paper but I suspect a lot of folks used the E reporting. I know we did. Was much easier than fooling with a sheet of paper.

I have filled out their survey every year I bought permits. One of the first questions I asked them is how in the word can you make management decisions when you have no idea how many turkeys are being killed.

I have talked to their turkey biologist several times over the years and have seen some positive changes in some of their regs but they have been slow to react to the declining population. I guess it has gotten low enough now that they can no longer explain it away as a localized decline.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I thought they were due for a boom since they did basically cancel the season for OOS hunters the first covid spring. 🤷‍♂️
Did any of you see their research stating that overharvest was an issue?
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I thought they were due for a boom since they did basically cancel the season for OOS hunters the first covid spring. 🤷‍♂️
Did any of you see their research stating that overharvest was an issue?
None that I saw. Tough to do research on over harvest when you have absolutely no idea how many are killed each year. If anyone is familiar with the state you'll know that most locals don't believe the turkey like the east many see them as pests need be wiped out. others see them as kinda like squirrel hunting no real bag limit needed others just see em as if I want one for supper I just go out and shoot it regardless if time year. I would say as high as 90% locals i know think a person is just plum crazy to drive out there to shoot couple birds. They do also love to advertise it I'm sure most seen their adds come hunt we have more turkeys than people in the state.
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
Oh yea, they did promote hunting for OOSers. I remember this great one pager that showed concentration per county, gamelands, Native land, etc. and details on how to "hunt Nebraska successfully!". I liked it, but again we've been here before 100 years ago. Humans left at their own merit are the detriment to wildlife. Reduce tags, jack up out of state license, charge for public land access, etc. etc. but then again - you'll still have your YouTubers out "chasing 48" and taking loans from their mommas house to kill turkeys and post their videos...and post cigars to get more THUMBS UP!
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for posting.
seems they have a long time survey method to monitor the population. One they have confidence in.
The numbers are so drastic though it’s tempting to question the process. Maybe they had crappy weather all three weeks of the survey? 🤷🏻‍♂️
They have such nice info from their game folks that I thought/ think it’s a well run state. Hopefully this is a short term dip.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
I have noticed a significant drop in the population over the last 10 or 12 years where I hunt in NE. Last year everyone I talked to in that area had the same story regarding a reduction in turkey numbers. That was only about 3 or 4 other hunters, but the story was consistent.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
“They rejected our staff recommendations on the premise we weren’t doing enough to minimize the impact on the turkey population,”


Commissioners asked for a revised plan that would further reduce the fall hen harvest, and minimize the impact of the spring season, he said.
He plans to have something ready for the commission’s August meeting.
Nebraska rejects proposed changes to TurkeyHunt regulations

 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
It'll be interesting to see how draconian they end up with the coming changes, and no doubt will be fodder for continued debate among turkey hunters nationwide. NE has been a big destination for a while now, and a 45% reduction in turkey numbers catches a lot of folks' attention.

Interesting that they are confident in their 45% reduction estimate. Their method of surveying the flock health all these years seems to be one of the better ones around.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
It'll be interesting to see how draconian they end up with the coming changes, and no doubt will be fodder for continued debate among turkey hunters nationwide. NE has been a big destination for a while now, and a 45% reduction in turkey numbers catches a lot of folks' attention.

Interesting that they are confident in their 45% reduction estimate. Their method of surveying the flock health all these years seems to be one of the better ones around.
True on the method but you could get some bad Nebraska weather during their one week windows and get some wild results.
I hope sampling is the issue.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
True on the method but you could get some bad Nebraska weather during their one week windows and get some wild results.
I hope sampling is the issue.

I'm guessing that with the rejection of the mild proposal of changes, on the grounds that the changes need to take a bigger bite, the commission has a lot of confidence in their numbers.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I'm guessing that with the rejection of the mild proposal of changes, on the grounds that the changes need to take a bigger bite, the commission has a lot of confidence in their numbers.
I if they are correct then reslatively speaking Nebraska has the quickest severest decline identified in most any State unimaginable just a few years ago.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I get back to the first question I asked the NE Turkey Biologist years ago when he called me to discuss the contents of my after season survey.

How in the world can you manage a population when you have no idea how many are killed each year?

They sold up to 3 spring permits per hunter. Zero reporting requirement. And until the E-Permit system, the only way to report kills was if you took the survey after the season. The E system made it easy to report kills but it was voluntary. You could still use the piece of paper and never report anything.

The proposal that was rejected would have make reporting mandatory next year. A step in the right direction and likely will be in the new regs next year.

I am not sure that I have even received a survey every year but I have always responded when I got one. And I have been reporting decline for years with places going from boom to bust. Apparently it finally hit enough areas to get someone's attention this season.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Outfitters gonna take decent hit since that boom and the increase to 3 tags they are all over place charging some high prices and several guaranteeing kills. Now if non res goes 1 tag gonna cut into them except ones that do Nebraska/SD hunts still might get business. Those are some drastic changes for sure I could see going to 2 tags but never expected 1.
 
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