What do you think the turkey season dates should be

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 8:56 am

I have been listening at gobblers pounding for the last couple of weeks. This happens every year its seems like. The turkeys start early and the first 2 1/2 weeks of turkey season will be good but is slows way down at the end of April. I would prefer turkey season to start around the first weekend of March. What do yall think.

bigbear · Postby **bigbear** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 9:47 am

I think turkey season dates are fine. Yeah the gobbling hits a lull during middle of April, but the birds will still gobble and come. From my experience, they also seem to fire back up towards the end of the season. I killed a big bird last year during the middle of April, and called a bunch more at the end. Now, I am all for changing if they will just extend instead of move. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

shiloh · Postby **shiloh** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 9:53 am

I am o.k. with the season dates as they are. I think that turkeys are to vulnerable during the first week or two that they start gobbling. Did I just say turkey and vulnerable in the same line???? I just think that they should not be hunted while they are still trying to find their mating groups. Just my opinion. I like to hunt the big boys in the evening after the hens go to nest in the late season. The only difference in this and before season is the fact that they have heard every call in the book by this time.

Hambone · Postby **Hambone** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 9:58 am

I don't know if I would have the stamina, but I would love to see the season run from early March through May 1. I live in Madison County and hunt the birds around home during the week, and hunt in Coahoma county on the weekends. Generally, the turkeys seem to start a few weeks earlier here than they do further north. I have gotten into some very hot action in the north Delta as late as the last day of the season. Maybe the answer would be a north zone and a south zone, with the latter opening a couple of weeks earlier.

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 10:54 am

Maybe just hearing all these birds gobbling right now has my blood pumping. I'm ready for Saturday.

Postby **Greenhead22** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 2:07 pm

If the weather cools back down like it's supposed to do, then it will slow this hot gobbling down. I kinda like the March 16-May 1 every season, but that youth weekend hurts, especially when most of us only have the opportunity to hunt on the weekends. The way I see it, a youth can go hunt anytime with an older person. Even though last weekend was crappy with the rain, etc., I still lost those days to hunt.

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:08 pm

Greenhead22 has hit a couple of sore spots with me...

#1 Youth Hunts

I love the idea of the youth hunts, but I do not like when they are scheduled i.e the weekend before opening day for deer, duck and turkey because I do not think this is fair to the non-youth hunters whom share these resources...

I think the youth hunts should be on a designated Saturday during each season, that taking a youth hunting on these days should be promoted big time, but hunting should be open to everybody, whether they've got a youth or not...

#2 Turkey Season Dates

As for the turkey season framework, since we are the only state in the union that does not shoot jakes- let me say that again- we are the only state in the union that does not shoot jakes, I definitely think the season could be opened a couple of weeks earlier with no detrimental effect on the resource...

bigbear · Postby **bigbear** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:14 pm

Everyone would like the season to be longer, but I am all for the youth hunts. I don't have a youth to hunt with, but I still think it is a good idea. And as far as the jake thing. Who wants to shoot a jake anyway. The whole purpose is to shoot a mature gobbler, right? I am glad that we don't shoot jakes. Gives us more longbeards to shoot at later!

Insider · Postby **Insider** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 5:14 pm

Hmmmm....Youth hunts. That subject could be a good debate. Could not everyday during the regular hunting season be youth day? Would the majority of hunters make the sacrifice to put their youth or any youth on the best deer stand, let them have the first shot, be catered to while at hunting camp, or anything else that makes that youth weekend so special and rememerable to all of the youths that participate. Or, would all of the above be more likely to happen in the present scenario, where only youths can hunt on a designated weekend.

Can days be lost if you never had them to begin with?

Is the continuation of hunting in years to come not worth the two days per hunting season that give youths only the privilege to hunt?

What biological facts could be used for an earlier or longer turkey season?

Would you say hunters are stingy or selfish based on: There were more hunters 30 years ago as compared to today but fewer places to hunt? Some might say habitat destruction is to blame, but hunter number decline far out paces habitat loss. Havent't you heard a person speak of all the places they had to hunt 30+ years ago? Where did all that land (hunting opportunity) go as hunter numbers declined?

This post isn't meant to ruffle any feathers, but to instigate a well thought, positive debate. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

The Man · Postby **The Man** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 10:53 pm

Just thought I would give you the reason why turkey season starts later this year. Mississippi law states that the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Commission shall fix the spring season between the Saturday nearest March 20 and May 1 in designated areas. So, by law we're getting all we can get.

DUCKAHOLIC · Postby **DUCKAHOLIC** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 7:39 am

Lets talk about youth hunts. Now my kids (the second will be born in about a week) are not yet old enough to enjoy the youth hunts but they will. Is it really hurting your hunting opportunity to give a chance to a kid to be the first to have a crack at a gobbler,or to let them have the last shot at the ducks when the season is really at its best? (The end of duck season has always been best to me). Now I am not jumping on anybody but I will bet that anyone who feels that youth hunts take away from their hunting opportunity does not have kids. My mom always told me that when you have kids your life changes and you live your life for them. Mom was right!!!! I have a three year old little girl who likes to be in the woods more than I do, we deer hunt on the computer every afternoon and I have more fun watching her eyes when we see that computer deer than I do when I am by myself in the woods and see a real one. Now this is just my 2 cents on the youth hunts. I can promise that when these two are old enough to go everyone of my weekends will be youth weekend and as long as they learn to love it as I do that will be better than any buck ,gobbler, or duck limit that I have ever taken. And just because you dont have kids doesnt mean you have to be a "NON YOUTH HUNTER" there are plenty of kids in your town or neighborhood that dont have a dad that would love for you to take them hunting, I know I have been taking a boy in our town for the last three years whos dad died. Remember the youth is the future,we will all be old one day and may need the youth to come get us and take us hunting. think about it. Oh and the one that will be here shortly is a BOY.

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 9:14 am

Duckaholic I agree with you, (I had planned taking a youth turkey hunting this past weekend but was rained out) anyway the problem with the youth turkey hunt is too many rednecks take advantage of it. I know a guy that was going this past weekend and he was taking his friends boy. Well his friend was going, as well as two other guys also (supposingly to help call). So you have 4 adults and 1 youth. I call BS, I garantee you there would have been 3 shotguns hunting that morning. As far as taking youths I have taken them with me in the past and will take 2 different ones this year several different times. I just believe there needs to be more policing out there on youth weekend.

shiloh · Postby **shiloh** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 9:39 am

I don't think that the outlaws have to have a youth weekend for an excuse to go hunting. If they are hunting on youth weekend they would be doing it anyway. I think youth weekend is great and I wished they would have had it about 10 yrs ago where I could have gone!!!!

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:34 pm

As long as we are talking about hunting seasons...

What about deer season? It makes no sense to me that one of the best times of the year in many parts of the state is used for primitive weapons hunting only and that almost half the season (archery) is dedicated to roughly 20% of the hunters, particularly when the biologists tell us we've got too many deer in most areas of the state...

So what about this:

OCT 1- OCT 31: archery season
NOV 1- NOV 15: muzzleloader season
NOV 16-JAN 15: rifle season
JAN 16-JAN 31: muzzleloader season

Dont get me wrong- I love to muzzleload hunt and have killed 2 of my biggest bucks (a 150 9 point and a 140 10 point)with a muzzleloader....but over the years I would have killed several more nice bucks if I'd had a 30-06 in my hands instead of a muzzleloader during the first two weeks of December...

What yall think?

peewee · Postby **peewee** » Mon Mar 25, 2002 1:59 pm

Hammer I could go with that, but I dont believe MSDWFP would change the dates due to tradition.

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