If MDC gave the option between adding All Day Hunting for the entire 3 week season OR adding a whole extra week to the season under current shooting hours, which would you pick? For the sake of this post, lets assume there is NO OPTION to leave it the same. They have decided they will change one or the other regardless.
I said to do all day, then I saw Bluecan's genious clarification. I dont need more weeks, I want earlier. So, I changed my vote. I like that option in the new MWT format.
after a successful reintroduction on a species from non existent to huntable, it is amazing that anyone would consider liberalizing hunting of that species that is currently maintaining a stable population after a significant decline off the peak. small sample size studies require significant extrapolation of results based on population numbers, geography, environmental factors, etc and sometimes people think they are smarter than they really are.
Question.... Do you have a wildlife biology degree and experience studying, researching, and regulating turkeys? Do you have input and data from virtually all other turkey producing states to gauge the impact of more liberal regulations? Were you integral to the reintroduction in Missouri?
why is there push back to all day turkey hunting? other states have it and seem to be fine. I know Missouri is only one that has bad hatches but really do you think you will hunt them out? I know we are all not good enough shots to kill them all.
I don't support it because our population declined. It makes no sense to me to increase harvest pressure after I have seen hunting quality already decline along with the population. With reproduction being poor in recent years the ability for the population to replace added harvest is suppressed.
No other state had gone to all day hunting for the entire season with their population in the same circumstances as Missouri.
i am not a wildlife biologist, but I am an engineer that regularly works with studies, data, result extrapolation, and statistics. I was specifically addressing turkeys, but I also think the very liberal doe season changes with unlimited tags in some areas was also a bad idea.
wild animal populations aren't something that can be constantly fine tuned with reg changes, it can take years for the effects of a bad change to become realized and there can be negative consequences that are hard to reverse as a result. this is true in other areas than wildlife biology, and it doesnt take a wildlife biologist to understand these concepts.
it is clear some folks have a personal agenda and want to rush to judgment based on limited information because it suits their desires. however, given the far reaching implications of some proposed changes I think it is prudent to proceed with caution. in my opinion, the time is not right for changes to the current turkey regulations based on the results of studies and population trends to date.
i am not a wildlife biologist, but I am an engineer that regularly works with studies, data, result extrapolation, and statistics. I was specifically addressing turkeys, but I also think the very liberal doe season changes with unlimited tags in some areas was also a bad idea.
Ok, so you are an engineer. I have no doubts you are good at what you do... but that doesn't mean you understand how turkey populations work and the impacts of factors on them. Experienced professional biologist from all over the US ARE QUALIFIED, and almost to a man say that all day hunting and liberal regs wont hurt turkey populations. Why?? You just said it... you were worried about DOE harvest, that's the female part of the population. We don't kill females in the spring. Regulated, male only sport hunting will not hurt turkey populations.
wild animal populations aren't something that can be constantly fine tuned with reg changes, it can take years for the effects of a bad change to become realized and there can be negative consequences that are hard to reverse as a result. this is true in other areas than wildlife biology, and it doesnt take a wildlife biologist to understand these concepts.
You may be right about the "fine tuning", but there is no need to fine tune with turkeys. They do not persist in the environment long enough to have long term impacts. They aren't deer that regularly live to 7,8,9 years if they aren't shot by humans. They have a VERY short lifespan, and a VERY high natural mortality rate even without hunting. Even in UNHUNTED populations 3 and 4 year old turkeys are rare. You simply cannot impact turkey long term by killing a few, or a lot, more male turkeys each spring.
it is clear some folks have a personal agenda and want to rush to judgment based on limited information because it suits their desires. however, given the far reaching implications of some proposed changes I think it is prudent to proceed with caution. in my opinion, the time is not right for changes to the current turkey regulations based on the results of studies and population trends to date.
No one has a personal agenda. This change is LONG over due for MO. There are something like 45 states that have turkey seasons and at last count I believe 39 of them allowed all day hunting. MO is about the only one in the Midwest. No one has seen negative impacts because of it. Heck, Alabama has a 6 week season, 5 gobbler limit, all day hunting and similar turkey hunter numbers in a smaller state and they are fine.
What results of studies would make it acceptable for you? Do we need even lower harvest rates of males?? Higher survival rates for juveniles?? If these results aren't good enough, what would be?? And Im asking that seriously... As in, what actual rate of survival and mortality would be low enough for you...
Btw, they are low enough for the biologists at MDC...
Fat one ugly one . Like!
Shot in the foot or the hand. Great choices.
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