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Post by richm on Mar 19, 2024 6:23:26 GMT -5
Guy at work went to one of them lakes down south and set up where he usually hunts. He said all the camp sites were taken and that when he went to his "spot", he came out and folks everywhere shining flashlights, but like 200+ yards. Then just before light here comes a guy who sets up 50 yards away, basically told him it's public land eff off.
Another guy I know had quota permit and found multiple noisy birds the evenings during the week before the season, said he had 6 gobbling night before. Did the early morning rush and there were 2 or 3 guys on every bird.
Do you guys all have to deal with this crap or is it that these fellows are hunting easy access areas? Starting to seem more like duck hunting.
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Post by backwater on Mar 19, 2024 6:53:34 GMT -5
We try to avoid the “easy” areas and go in deeper but still occasionally deal with it. We find it necessary to have multiple backup spots. Plan ABC….
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Post by pinman on Mar 19, 2024 8:38:22 GMT -5
Yeah it can get bad. Had about 6 different gobblers going off scouting a week ago for the weekend quota hunt. Opening morning I ended up going to my 4th choice spot, if I know an area is small and there is already someone parked there I go somewhere else. Use of Ebikes means people can go in further which sometimes leaves the close in spots open. Some WMAs have areas 2, 3, 5 miles from any parking spot which doesnt help spread people out. There are also too many Quota hunts with not enough days of hunting on the ones that exist.
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Post by swampdog on Mar 19, 2024 9:37:14 GMT -5
When I see a gobbler on the road while scouting, I assume everyone else riding around might see him as well and I don’t try to hunt those birds. I’ve seen people set up decoys on an open road and expect others to turn around and not drive that way. It can get down right humorous.
Often gobblers will totally relocate once they have been disturbed by hunters even accidentally.
Years ago in a favorite WMA, deer season would close and the woods would be relatively quiet until Spring gobbler opened. Turkey hunters would drive around and generally locate birds (gobblers & hens) well before the season. Most of us didn’t call to them or mess with them. The sandy roads would show dusting holes, hen and gobbler tracks and even signs where the gobbler strutted leaving wing drag marks.
Today that WMA has a small game season from deer to the youth weekend, with people all over the woods and a ton of mudders, along with the “new breed” of turkey hunters resulting in the woods never going quiet. I guess I should be happy this area is enjoying such a renewed surge in folks using state lands even with night hunting and littering. No rules and no restrictions.
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Post by meateater on Mar 19, 2024 9:37:32 GMT -5
i scout a area 3 or 4 times early morning , always out the afternoon before hunt starts trying to roost one friday night and never see another hunter, no boot tracks cameras yes but no other sign of hunters. saturday morning rolls around i pull in at 3.30am 2 trucks with guys sleeping in them 3.45 as im heading out 2 more trucks pull in, its like my truck has a gps on it and guys just follow me around. 100% turkey hunting south florida public land is tough. i would like to see more mid week quotas given out instead of 3 or 4 day permits do a sat and sun then a wed and thur hunt that would break up the crowds, same amount of quotas just less hunters each hunt.
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Post by richm on Mar 19, 2024 10:39:53 GMT -5
Yeah it can get bad. Had about 6 different gobblers going off scouting a week ago for the weekend quota hunt. Opening morning I ended up going to my 4th choice spot, if I know an area is small and there is already someone parked there I go somewhere else. Use of Ebikes means people can go in further which sometimes leaves the close in spots open. Some WMAs have areas 2, 3, 5 miles from any parking spot which doesn't help spread people out. There are also too many Quota hunts with not enough days of hunting on the ones that exist. The way it was explained to me, the quota hunts intentionally only give folks an opportunity to hunt, not enough time to make a kill. They don't care if you kill or not. The parking lot thing is a good point. The places I deer hunt allow parking about anywhere as long as you don't block the roads. |
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Post by richm on Mar 19, 2024 10:40:44 GMT -5
We try to avoid the “easy” areas and go in deeper but still occasionally deal with it. We find it necessary to have multiple backup spots. Plan ABC…. About the same - we always have alternate plans no matter what we're up to to deal w other folks. |
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Post by ogbohica on Mar 19, 2024 19:28:07 GMT -5
Chatted with a gent at the gas station Sunday morning, he was a guide... told me he's getting 3600 a bird... has no open dates.
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Post by swampdog on Mar 19, 2024 20:23:07 GMT -5
$3600. Darn might need to start getting an armed escort to take our Osceolas home.
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Post by cracker4112 on Mar 20, 2024 7:23:11 GMT -5
If anyone knows someone with enough cash to pay $3600 to shoot one Osceola turkey, let me know. I’ll let them shoot 2 for $4000! Lol
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Post by meateater on Mar 20, 2024 8:56:28 GMT -5
ive assisted a lot of guys in the past that paid 2000.00 to 2500.00 for turkey hunts on quota only areas, nnn and a few other south wmas it was very easy to do when permits where transferable. today it still happens all the time just a lot harder since permit holder has to be there. a triple n permit seems to be the most sought after hunt for paying outa towners. still big money
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Post by cracker4112 on Mar 20, 2024 9:08:24 GMT -5
So I guess I’m selling myself short for a private land hunt. I’m only mostly joking…
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Post by bullfrog on Mar 20, 2024 9:12:37 GMT -5
Guy at work went to one of them lakes down south and set up where he usually hunts. He said all the camp sites were taken and that when he went to his "spot", he came out and folks everywhere shining flashlights, but like 200+ yards. Then just before light here comes a guy who sets up 50 yards away, basically told him it's public land eff off. Another guy I know had quota permit and found multiple noisy birds the evenings during the week before the season, said he had 6 gobbling night before. Did the early morning rush and there were 2 or 3 guys on every bird. Do you guys all have to deal with this crap or is it that these fellows are hunting easy access areas? Starting to seem more like duck hunting. Well its been a while since I (seriously) chased turkeys in a WMA. Never had an issue with another hunter. But that’s also possibly due to me hunting hard to reach spots that I discovered during the fall. Fall is always the best time to find turkey roosts as they generally seem more vocal and daylight and dark then. I’ve had more issues on my own private lands with trespassers who chase every gobble they hear and cross all fences to get to it. |
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Post by richm on Mar 20, 2024 10:23:38 GMT -5
Guy at work went to one of them lakes down south and set up where he usually hunts. He said all the camp sites were taken and that when he went to his "spot", he came out and folks everywhere shining flashlights, but like 200+ yards. Then just before light here comes a guy who sets up 50 yards away, basically told him it's public land eff off. Another guy I know had quota permit and found multiple noisy birds the evenings during the week before the season, said he had 6 gobbling night before. Did the early morning rush and there were 2 or 3 guys on every bird. Do you guys all have to deal with this crap or is it that these fellows are hunting easy access areas? Starting to seem more like duck hunting. Well its been a while since I (seriously) chased turkeys in a WMA. Never had an issue with another hunter. But that’s also possibly due to me hunting hard to reach spots that I discovered during the fall. Fall is always the best time to find turkey roosts as they generally seem more vocal and daylight and dark then. I’ve had more issues on my own private lands with trespassers who chase every gobble they hear and cross all fences to get to it. That's what I've seen with the boys in GA. They run the birds down. I'm not a turkey hunter and if I do, just sit on a travel route and wait for one to show up. Can't hear them to call. starting to seem like the hunting game is for the young aggressive guys. |
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Post by pinman on Mar 20, 2024 19:35:46 GMT -5
Well its been a while since I (seriously) chased turkeys in a WMA. Never had an issue with another hunter. But that’s also possibly due to me hunting hard to reach spots that I discovered during the fall. Fall is always the best time to find turkey roosts as they generally seem more vocal and daylight and dark then. I’ve had more issues on my own private lands with trespassers who chase every gobble they hear and cross all fences to get to it. That's what I've seen with the boys in GA. They run the birds down. I'm not a turkey hunter and if I do, just sit on a travel route and wait for one to show up. Can't hear them to call. starting to seem like the hunting game is for the young aggressive guys. I wear hearing aids too but use the Howard Leight electronic ear muffs for listening especially at sunrise. Heard one this morning which ended up being just over 1/2 mile away. He was going off enough to allow me to get about 100 yards from him and set up. THEN he shut up. Clear cool calm mornings are great for hearing. No matter what electronics I use, I still cant hear as good as most. But when it all comes together and you get one gobbling on his way in......Mmmmmmm....its magical. Dont give up.... |
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Post by TRTerror on Mar 20, 2024 19:57:30 GMT -5
79 Cents a Pound in Wally world.
I save my energy for things that weight over a Hundred pounds...
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Post by 4ward on Mar 20, 2024 20:44:31 GMT -5
79 Cents a Pound in Wally world. I save my energy for things that weight over a Hundred pounds... Or 90 at least! 😂 |
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Post by anumber1 on Mar 21, 2024 4:21:27 GMT -5
79 Cents a Pound in Wally world. I save my energy for things that weight over a Hundred pounds... Or 60 at least! 😂 fify |
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Post by richm on Mar 21, 2024 6:58:08 GMT -5
That's what I've seen with the boys in GA. They run the birds down. I'm not a turkey hunter and if I do, just sit on a travel route and wait for one to show up. Can't hear them to call. starting to seem like the hunting game is for the young aggressive guys. I wear hearing aids too but use the Howard Leight electronic ear muffs for listening especially at sunrise. Heard one this morning which ended up being just over 1/2 mile away. He was going off enough to allow me to get about 100 yards from him and set up. THEN he shut up. Clear cool calm mornings are great for hearing. No matter what electronics I use, I still cant hear as good as most. But when it all comes together and you get one gobbling on his way in......Mmmmmmm....its magical. Dont give up.... Even with my hearing aids in, your normal hearing is better than mine. I never caught the turkey fever. it's okay, plenty of fishing to be done this time of year. For hunting ducks (and upland birds) really do it for me. Same challenges tho - too many guys competing for the same critters. Deer is okay, gonna pull a few tags this year. Need to scout a bit more and get further away from folks. Should get 1 or 2. |
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Post by meateater on Mar 21, 2024 8:26:27 GMT -5
Guy at work went to one of them lakes down south and set up where he usually hunts. He said all the camp sites were taken and that when he went to his "spot", he came out and folks everywhere shining flashlights, but like 200+ yards. Then just before light here comes a guy who sets up 50 yards away, basically told him it's public land eff off. Another guy I know had quota permit and found multiple noisy birds the evenings during the week before the season, said he had 6 gobbling night before. Did the early morning rush and there were 2 or 3 guys on every bird. Do you guys all have to deal with this crap or is it that these fellows are hunting easy access areas? Starting to seem more like duck hunting. Well its been a while since I (seriously) chased turkeys in a WMA. Never had an issue with another hunter. But that’s also possibly due to me hunting hard to reach spots that I discovered during the fall. Fall is always the best time to find turkey roosts as they generally seem more vocal and daylight and dark then. I’ve had more issues on my own private lands with trespassers who chase every gobble they hear and cross all fences to get to it. its a combination of fwc having most quota hunts on a sat sun mon schedule , then just hunters not willing to get off the beaten path even the ebikers all end up at the end of the same trails. sat and sun hunts then wed and thur hunts would fix part of the problem, if your waiting 3 or more years to turkey hunt a wma pretty sure most guys are willing to hunt mid week. i believe fwc does it this way to manage hunters not the turkey. |
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