This is similar to the bogus bullshit this year that the majority of Mississippi's bucks are "mature."

NO ONE knows how many mature bucks were killed in Mississippi. NO ONE knows HOW MANY bucks were killed over there because they don't have a reporting system, right? So how can anyone know with certainty that X-number of bucks were mature? They cannot.

Same with Alabama, even with its voluntary "harvest report" info. NO ONE can accurately say that X-number of turkeys in Alabama were age 4 and 5, right? How the hell is that even possible? Based on the scant reporting info from the current voluntary system? Every turkey hunter knows how to age a turkey? Guess so, just like every deer hunter knows automatically that a buck is 4.5 or older and thus is mature.

Buncha statistical hooey.


Additionally, quail season should be closed for about five years, right. They're in greater peril than turkeys. Isn't that what you do when a species is in peril? Turkeys are in decline so let's change the limit and season. Quail have been in decline for two decades or more and we still have the same limit and seasons.

The strangest thing in all of it was that somebody at the dcnr made the decision that the % of hunters killing the limit would be covered up. I've been asking for years to see that info, but was told it was not available to the public. And I have been asking for years; it was a decision somebody made to cover up the data.

Why? Can't think of but 2 reasons - one is a matter of national security. Could the Chinese use this info to bring down the country?

The only other reason to keep it a secret is to promote someone's agenda. I posted here years ago that a certain national turkey organization was pressuring SC and AL to lower their limits. SC already caved; now AL follows.

That organization has gotten its final penny from me.

Seriously? That's horse hooey.



It got my last dime after building the grandiose headquarters with the ginormus bronze statue and such, along with some actions I was told about going on at the state level. Meh. I'll keep my dimes.

I'm riding with gobbler on this one.....

The state once seemed to think gobbler knew something. Seems like they have decided now that he is just a dumb private biologist and all the smart ones work for them. I mean, its not like he has any actual field experience.

You got me there Ted. I was passed 2 sets of data and the particular set quoted unfortunately had some incorrect numbers. I did not know that. I do now. 28% is wrong, it is ~10%. I will refrain from posting further on the Turkey subject since I'm not really in the loop.

To say that Matt or I knew what would be discussed in a CAB meeting 2 months away is funny. Calling us liars is sorry as crap and why we have no use for being on here.

Say it ain't so I may have to rethink my position

For the record, I do NOT believe and never insinuated that you guys knew it was on the table. I specifically noted you may have been "misinformed". However, someone knew this was coming. The committee may be simply a formality and those making decisions had planned to do this regardless. So much for qualified committees and research projects.

Also, to be clear, those of us who were sounding the warning bells were also being called out for talking about something that was not even being proposed or discussed. We were being told


Maybe we were subject to having information y'all didn't!

I understand. Regardless what folks think of us we will continue to fight for what is best for the wildlife and hunters of this state.

I do believe you will do your best to fight for what is best for the wildlife of the State. I hope that fight includes NOT to support the drastic measures of lowering the limit across the board. Quail are in much worse condition. Fight for a shortened season and lower limit on those. You could also fight to make annual burning MANDATORY on wildlife management areas and Forever Wild Tracts across the State. Each and EVERY one! Now THAT would make a difference.

I'll help stir the pot. Every county has great hunters that kill their limit every spring.
Let's say this number is 15. That would be 30 gobblers protected each spring in each county if limits lowered by 2. That's over 2000 gobblers that make it to gobble next spring. Isn't this what we as turkey hunters desire, more gobbling each year?

No. I desire dead birds over my shoulder. You cannot bank birds.

If it's biologically proven to be beneficial to reduce the limit -- for any species -- then so be it. Show the biology with legit numbers backed up by reasonable proof, not estimates and "what if" scenarios.

Your math may work, but I think you are making a lot of assumptions about human behavior that might not be true.

Missouri seems to be reasonable proof.

The turkey population in MO has gone way down in some areas, despite all their draconian regs.

No other state has as a history of turkey management that is as long and successful as AL. That's about to change.

The 3 buck limit has done wonders for our deer herd, so surely a 3 turkey limit will do the same for the turkeys ... right??

Missouri is not Alabama.

That's the same kind of flawed and non-proven reasoning behind the "No one needs to kill more than x-number of deer each year" and "Let 'em go so they will grow" despite not having ANY biological proof that more mature bucks in a population is beneficial.

There's no proven biological benefit to having scads of mature bucks in a wild population other than to stroke egos and make money. The rest of the 'benefit' is anecdotal at best.

When and if it is biologically proven through stats or clear-cut evidence that Alabama needs a reduction in a limit or season dates then let's go down that path to see what's what. Until then, just saying "Aw, you know it'll be good for them" isn't plausible.

You voting for Bernie? Just because a few get their 5 and the majority get <2 lower the limit so the latter group will have a better chance.

Gobbler is 100 % right for the need to burn on WMA and Skyline is the prime example. Tens of thousands of acres of grown up cutover is great for deer but lost turkey habitat.

It's about time. Seems like you were posting problems with them all the time. The big question now is, who's gonna ship stuff FedEx to you now?

LOL - I'll buy my chufas from the co-op in Selma and leave FedEx out of it.

That's assuming I keep planting them. Might make more sense now to save all that money I been spending on habitat and use it for out of state hunts.