restrict our method of take to prevent over-harvesting?

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
NC is the state where a few people got upset over a few hens being killed during the one week winter season that used to be open and the WRC couldn't run fast enough to shut it down.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
NC is the state where a few people got upset over a few hens being killed during the one week winter season that used to be open and the WRC couldn't run fast enough to shut it down.
Sound familiar? Politics regulating wildlife policies. But in all fairness when a state is in the process of reestablishing a flock I could see the rationale.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Sound familiar? Politics regulating wildlife policies. But in all fairness when a state is in the process of reestablishing a flock I could see the rationale.

Not in the counties that were open.

It wasn't statewide.

It was in the counties that had good populations.

Mike Seamster set it just right while trying to avoid deer bait in the woods.

But yes politics.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
NC is the state where a few people got upset over a few hens being killed during the one week winter season that used to be open and the WRC couldn't run fast enough to shut it down.
You might want to re read the reasoning
 
Open up predator seasons like they did yotes and pigs! Why such short season on fox and bobcat? Saw the biggest skunk I have ever seen this year. Bowed up at me too. Heck we got armadillo now too. You will be limited in what to do with land as far as burns and bush hogging but we can open up seasons for predators.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Not in the counties that were open.

It wasn't statewide.

It was in the counties that had good populations.

Mike Seamster set it just right while trying to avoid deer bait in the woods.

But yes politics.
Yes, but as was mentioned to me from at the time the director, sometimes even when no impropriety is done you have to make sure there are no illusions of impropriety. Now he wasn't talking about this subject, but it was hard to sell a winter season when there wasn't even a statewide turkey season at that time. And I think, don't quote me on this, that one of the bigger backers on the restoration push was not a proponent of a fall/winter season. Sooooooo it got quashed. I know when it did one of the biologist who is now retired told me no matter what happens to our flock you will never see it come back again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CRC

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Yes, but as was mentioned to me from at the time the director, sometimes even when no impropriety is done you have to make sure there are no illusions of impropriety. Now he wasn't talking about this subject, but it was hard to sell a winter season when there wasn't even a statewide turkey season at that time. And I think, don't quote me on this, that one of the bigger backers on the restoration push was not a proponent of a fall/winter season. Sooooooo it got quashed. I know when it did one of the biologist who is now retired told me no matter what happens to our flock you will never see it come back again.

And you will never see rifles and pistols legal again for turkey either.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
No it wasn't it was pretty accurate due to way it was set up. No matter with all the hot decline topic no shot getting that back

No they made the garbage claim from the beginning that if the gobbler harvest per square mile was below a certain metric they would close the season.

Yet they turned around and opened the much bigger impact youth season. Complete garbage reasoning.
 
Last edited:

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
No they made the garbage claim from the beginning that if the gobbler harvest per square mile was below a certain metric they would close the season.

Yet they turned around and opened the much bigger impact youth season. Complete garbage reasoning.
We all know that youth season was again politically motivated. Typical NC, no need in hashing and rehashing. It isn't going to change as long as our system is setup the way it is.

In NC the game and fish laws for the most part are set by who do I owe and what their particular interests fall. Then biology, and wildlife falls inline. That has been the way it was since I was big enough or involved enough to understand. My first real understanding of it was the fox hunter lobby. It was a power to deal with at one time, still is, just lays somewhat dormant to it needs to be. Used to make my father so mad that he could spit as a primary small game hunter.
 

Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
They’re kids hunting. Let them have fun and enjoy the outdoors with family or close people to them. I’m sure most people started off with a day of youth season of some sort. Be happy someone got to share a moment/ get possibly a first harvest. As far as predator and young hatchlings killed if you want to help your property or area try to assist in the animal predator side of stuff or habitat. I don’t have a youth hunting but one day will and would get more enjoyment seeing a first timer (youth or not) harvest something they are after. I’ve never killed the monster buck or turkey everyone talks about but enjoy hunting/fishing and what you see while doing. People in my opinion need to relax about youth hunting. You never know it could be a passion and keep them out of things they shouldn’t be doing. Just my 2 cents.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
They’re kids hunting. Let them have fun and enjoy the outdoors with family or close people to them. I’m sure most people started off with a day of youth season of some sort. Be happy someone got to share a moment/ get possibly a first harvest. As far as predator and young hatchlings killed if you want to help your property or area try to assist in the animal predator side of stuff or habitat. I don’t have a youth hunting but one day will and would get more enjoyment seeing a first timer (youth or not) harvest something they are after. I’ve never killed the monster buck or turkey everyone talks about but enjoy hunting/fishing and what you see while doing. People in my opinion need to relax about youth hunting. You never know it could be a passion and keep them out of things they shouldn’t be doing. Just my 2 cents.
I'd bet with majority of this old crowd there was no such thing as youth season we just went during regular season😁
 

GUP

Eight Pointer
I think something that gets lost in the conversation about improving habitat and predator control is the fact that most hunter, myself included hunt land they don’t own. I can’t just alter the land scape when I don’t have say so. I can’t tell the farmer to stop cutting his hay to earlier or don’t do burns during nesting season. I can’t cut trees when I want or plant food plots when and where I want. These simply aren’t options for many of us. As for predators I would guess most land owners wouldn’t have a problem removing a lot of them. However I’ve know some who didn’t like the idea of traps because they enjoying going on walks with the kids, letting the dogs run free, etc. Concerned they might step in one of the traps. And when you mention that night hunting is the most effective way to take care of coyotes and coons, they’re not to crazy about folks with guns at night on their land. It’s easy to talk about habitat improvement and predator control, but not always easy to actually make it happen.
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
We all know that youth season was again politically motivated. Typical NC, no need in hashing and rehashing. It isn't going to change as long as our system is setup the way it is.

In NC the game and fish laws for the most part are set by who do I owe and what their particular interests fall. Then biology, and wildlife falls inline. That has been the way it was since I was big enough or involved enough to understand. My first real understanding of it was the fox hunter lobby. It was a power to deal with at one time, still is, just lays somewhat dormant to it needs to be. Used to make my father so mad that he could spit as a primary small game hunter.
This. This right here sums it up. Until commissioners are voted on vs appointed nothing will change. They do not answer to us hunters and fisherman but to the ones that appointed them. And most folks don't get involved enough to trace that path back and let a politician know that they will lose votes due to their appointee.
 

GUP

Eight Pointer
Farmers cut hay when it is ready, period. If they don't especially with grass hay it screws up the process the rest of the year. I am sorry but I fully understand how that goes and turkeys be damned.
No need for any apology. I’d never expect a farmer to do anything other than what he must to make a living. All wildlife be damned. I’m married to the farmer daughter.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I think something that gets lost in the conversation about improving habitat and predator control is the fact that most hunter, myself included hunt land they don’t own. I can’t just alter the land scape when I don’t have say so. I can’t tell the farmer to stop cutting his hay to earlier or don’t do burns during nesting season. I can’t cut trees when I want or plant food plots when and where I want. These simply aren’t options for many of us. As for predators I would guess most land owners wouldn’t have a problem removing a lot of them. However I’ve know some who didn’t like the idea of traps because they enjoying going on walks with the kids, letting the dogs run free, etc. Concerned they might step in one of the traps. And when you mention that night hunting is the most effective way to take care of coyotes and coons, they’re not to crazy about folks with guns at night on their land. It’s easy to talk about habitat improvement and predator control, but not always easy to actually make it happen.
That is the gist of the problem- the one that rankles hunters.
No way to control many of the factors that limit turkey numbers so the skin in the game falls to the hunters in form of reduced opportunity, or restrictions on methods of take.
It's that simple.
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
No need for any apology. I’d never expect a farmer to do anything other than what he must to make a living. All wildlife be damned. I’m married to the farmer daughter.
The farmer would change IF they were getting subsidies or grants to NOT CUT… especially if if was more profitable than cutting
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The farmer would change IF they were getting subsidies or grants to NOT CUT… especially if if was more profitable than cutting
Some would, you would be surprised just how many my age and older see subsidies as govt. infringing and won’t touch it with a 10’ pole. Most of them’s children just roll their eyes when that subject comes up.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Keep it up and some of you will have turkeys become the new rare and endangered NC flounder. Dang what a bunch of easily divided yahoos have we become.

<>< Fish
it's really hard to grasp just how divided turkey hunters are.
The Nwtf is as despised as the CCA, so no one voice for the sport.
Elite versus legal methods are really emotional for some.
Like the flounder the gubt is expected to fix it but when they act an uproar arises.
You get everyone looking at the exact same data and there is no consensus of it's "meaning"
Our biases take over and viola we are divided.
REminds me of covid. LOLZ.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
what are "elite" methods? that turkey fanning stuff?
I don't really get into the battle of one vs other but I believe its referring to people that believe in no blind, deke, only shoot em if call em in under 40 VS. the kill em by any legal method ones. Lots in between there as well. I've always heard the elite as the first crowd. Lot silliness I've been called the elite crowd myself cause way I hunt but I can 100% guarantee any one I'm not elite at anything just your average Joe doing it way I choose. These talks/arguing are always good for chuckle though on forums I read
 
Top