# Pressure, accidental hot-spotting, and technology



## JMB (May 3, 2017)

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly and too much like a "the way it used to be", I've gotta voice my opninon on a few things. More hunters in the woods, less private land available, and shrinking habitat means more pressure on public lands that hold turkeys. The internet and technology have both directly and inadvertently increased pressure on places I personally hunt. How do I know this? I've asked other hunters I see with out of state or county license plates how they found out. You know what the near unanimous answer is...the internet.  I started turkey hunting in the 80s, there was no internet and we guarded our spots closely. The way I was raised. If someone asks, don't be rude, but don't give up anything because if you tell one, you've told ten. Turkey hunting isn't a team sport and no I don't want company from people I don't know when I'm in the woods. For the last few years, it's been getting worse; pressure, cars parked every mile on public land that used to be unknown or at least un-pressured. I've nearly been shot twice, had multiple birds buggered up, and talked to too many guys who, I'm sorry-but, have no business being in the woods (apologies to you millennials who have the offense meter of a 7 year old girl from Vermont). What do I think some issues are...

The new DNR telecheck, while neat to look at, is basically pointing a finger on a map and saying "here is where the turkeys are" county by county. I mean, give us the harvest record, but is the by county harvest total  level of transparency really necessary? 

On this forum: When someone says "Great kill on ____WMA or even national forest...you're drawing an x on a map for trollers and other hunters. Granted it's a big x and no, maybe it will be hard to find "your" spot but I guarantee it will be an x on somebody's honey hole. If nothing else it puts an easy arrow for cyber scouters to follow. What's wrong with just saying public land? I mean, it's great that you're excited and want to post every detail of your hunt and the success, but just omitting the WMA or NF name would keep the cyber guys guessing. 

Companies focusing on making a buck and marketing the easiest course of action to pulling the trigger on a 65 yard shot. Learn to call, learn to hunt...it's a skill and you don't learn the trade sitting in a blind with a remote driving a gobbler decoy around a clover patch for 8 hours. 

I'm all for mapping, GIS software advancements, and for sure the DNR telecheck because it's finally showing what some of us have been saying since 2003 (turkeys are going bye bye). I do think that all of us have a duty to try and not blow up public hunting opportunities for the masses. Let them do what we did, figure it out with maps, chance, and boot leather. Private messages is what location donations are for, not an open forum. 

Just saying and yes, I'm done with my rant  

Good luck to everyone for the remainder of the season and stay safe out there!!!!!

JB


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## DRBugman85 (May 3, 2017)

JMB said:


> At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly and too much like a "the way it used to be", I've gotta voice my opninon on a few things. More hunters in the woods, less private land available, and shrinking habitat means more pressure on public lands that hold turkeys. The internet and technology have both directly and inadvertently increased pressure on places I personally hunt. How do I know this? I've asked other hunters I see with out of state or county license plates how they found out. You know what the near unanimous answer is...the internet.  I started turkey hunting in the 80s, there was no internet and we guarded our spots closely. The way I was raised. If someone asks, don't be rude, but don't give up anything because if you tell one, you've told ten. Turkey hunting isn't a team sport and no I don't want company from people I don't know when I'm in the woods. For the last few years, it's been getting worse; pressure, cars parked every mile on public land that used to be unknown or at least un-pressured. I've nearly been shot twice, had multiple birds buggered up, and talked to too many guys who, I'm sorry-but, have no business being in the woods (apologies to you millennials who have the offense meter of a 7 year old girl from Vermont). What do I think some issues are...
> 
> The new DNR telecheck, while neat to look at, is basically pointing a finger on a map and saying "here is where the turkeys are" county by county. I mean, give us the harvest record, but is the by county harvest total  level of transparency really necessary?
> 
> ...


5X times.It all but over because of the internet. Never give up the spots you hunt and if you do expect company.That all I got to say about that.


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## GLS (May 3, 2017)

I learned the hard way about sharing spots with fellow duck hunters. It used to be sharing a spot with someone you thought would keep it to himself until you saw his buddy's show up.  I couldn't agree more about 'net blabbers.  Not so concerned about Telecheck as I suspect most kills are on private property unless someone blabs I killed it on a specific WMA.  If I identify a WMA with a kill, you can bet it is 250 miles from the actual spot. 
Years ago I was talking with an older fisherman who had photos of a big catch of seatrout.  "Where'd you catch them, Eagle's Nest?"  "No, Cat's Neck."  "Where's that?" "About this far from where the sun doesn't shine"  he said as he held his hands about a foot apart. Hook, line and sinker.  He used a more descriptive term than "where the sun doesn't shine."  Gil


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## XIronheadX (May 3, 2017)

I miss the days when the only people that knew you had success in the woods were the few you actually SAW that asked you. The personal challenge was the important part. Now it's just a picture with a dead animal for the internet. Pat me on the back and tell me how great I am.


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## bassculler (May 3, 2017)

Welcome to the time when people feel it necessary to take selfies, post their entire life on social media, " checking in at wal mart" etc. ITS OUT OF CONTROL!  For whatever reason people feel the need to share every detail. Every picture etc. When i was growing up, we had pagers. If you wanted to talk to someone, you called or went by their house. I was raised in country and would jump in truck to go talk to a friend. What i cant figure out is why do people think others give a szit if they are at wal mart, mcdonalds or anywhere else for that matter.....i really miss the old days...


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## TenPtr (May 3, 2017)

I could not agree more with this.  I once enjoyed this forum and participated in turkey hunting discussion to the point of being one of the more active and recognized members.  I made some amazing connections through the turkey forum and even more amazing friendships which grow stronger each spring.  It was several years ago when a noticeable change began to evolve.  A new generation of turkey "hunters" became present on the scene.... A generation of various age classes, all of which had been spawned by mother internet and father media.  Along with this new generation came an explosion of absurd products and pathetic methods for a new and pathetic generation to kill turkeys.  Pop up blinds and gobbler decoys, some of which are run via remote controls, had all of a sudden taken over the outdoor channels and all other internet/media sources.  It was this way of "hunting" that enabled those who can't kill turkeys like turkeys should be killed, to actually achieve success after 100% failure as a true turkey hunter.   
The forum went from a bunch of turkey hunters sharing knowledge and helping newbies become efficient woodsman and turkey killers, to a bunch of fools discussing foolish stuff and less and less true turkey hunters talking true turkey talk.  The new generation of techno turkey clowns managed to make me and many others completely lose interest and respect for this forum and everything hunting media related.   If I want to watch a turkey hunting show, I go to youtube where I can find respectable material, not anything on outdoor television channels.  If I want to talk turkey, I do so with my like minded buddies rather than forums.  If I have a hard time killing a particular turkey, I don't reach out to the general public for advice.... I figure him out myself and kill him with the help of my own knowledge and experience.  That is what turkey hunting is all about but this new techno generation is taking the hunt out of hunting while overcrowding the spring woods and ultimately being a major factor in a major decline in the turkey population.  
There is way more value placed on kill photos for social media recognition than there is on what matters more than anything...  The techno gen as a whole has no knowledge or interest in turkey habitat, enhancing that habitat, managing numbers based on isolated turkey population per property, year to year variations in numbers based on hatches and other factors, how to be respectful of fellow hunters, the land, the privilege to hunt, and the methods of fair pursuit.  If you claim to be a good hunter but can't kill turkeys with 1 call, cheap camo clothes, and a shotgun with a effective killing range of 35 yards, ... You aren't even close to a respectable turkey.  That is just a fact.  Our numbers are on the decline as a result of the increasing popularity and pathetic ways for terrible woodsman to be successful in the turkey woods.   Generation techno is taking away more and contributing far less to the conservation of wild turkeys.  It is snowballing every year, getting worse and worse.  The future is not bright if things continue to spiral in this current direction.
Im all about doing what is necessary to ensure that future generations of turkey hunters will be able to enjoy what all of us passionate and respectful hunters have been blessed with in the spring woods.  Turkeys are not like deer in that turkeys are a fragile species and do not adapt well to habitat loss and/or changes such as deer.  Turkey populations can be easily destroyed by a number of factors including over harvest by hunters.  Turkeys are very comparable to wild bobwhite quail... They require much more specifics to establish, maintain, and/or exceed prior population per general area.  Turkeys depend on their incredible eyesight to protect them from natural predators...pop up blinds enable people to wear orange, use flashlights, play on computers or cell phones, move around carelessly, use bows and film with a camera on a tripod and feel like the bow kill was more of an accomplishment than the guy actually hunting whose toting a 12 gauge......    Pop up blinds are great for many situations but not for the physically capable person that wants to become a more successful and respected turkey hunter.
I could go on and on about recent developments negatively impacting every aspect of GA turkey hunting but its too frustrating.


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## Todd E (May 3, 2017)

Arrogant, better than thou, hunters ..... ruined this board, too.

Just sayin' .........


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## horny1 (May 3, 2017)

You won't find a pic from me. Turkey hunting? You mean u can hunt them thangs? Its a snowball beaded for he....... Well u know. Same with ducks. The places we used to legally limit out every weekend no longer hold ducks. But you can bet your tail about 2 miles away a group of 16 year olds are blasting away to put that picture on snapchat or facebook. Mama and daddy buy them all the gear they need and they buy the corn. Its pretty sad and pathetic. Makes you want to quit. Question is, who is going to watch out for the ducks? Who is going to watch out for the turkeys? I called one up off a neoghbors property last weekend and killed him the righy way. Well wouldn't you know, he was full of corn and feed oats. I felt like i had accomplished more by calling him through a creek and through a claer cut. When i was cleaning him i felt differently. This is because the turkeys have been disappearing pretty rapidly on this place. Ive heard these folks shoot a many time in the same place i called this turkey from. They've only hunted it a few years. Makes since now. Just aint right. Teach your youngsters how to hunt, not poach.


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## horny1 (May 3, 2017)

Todd E said:


> Arrogant, better than thou, hunters ..... ruined this board, too.
> 
> Just sayin' .........



This directed at the OP??


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## Gut_Pile (May 4, 2017)

Todd E said:


> Arrogant, better than thou, hunters ..... ruined this board, too.
> 
> Just sayin' .........



No, people pretending to be "turkey hunters" ruined this board.

Just sayin


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## turk2di (May 4, 2017)

TenPtr said:


> Pop up blinds are great for many situations but not for the physically capable person that wants to become a more successful and respected turkey hunter.
> I could go on and on about recent developments negatively impacting every aspect of GA turkey hunting but its too frustrating.



Amen brother! I miss the days of chasing gobblers up and down the hills and hollers of Land between the lakes or Pennyrile state park in Western Ky. I hunt only 3 farms now days, both mostly fields, and the need of a pop up blind, sadly, is the smart way to go there. Just completed my 28th season, have a bad back also. I hate hunting that way but its far better then leaving turkey hunting. What i have seen enter our grand sport of turkey hunting is nauseating. I greatly fear for ALL states and the much added pressure put on the gobbler, which was already high years ago.. It cant go on indefinetely.....


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## Nicodemus (May 4, 2017)

I wish you fellers could have experienced turkey hunting around here in the late 1950s and early 60s.


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## deast1988 (May 4, 2017)

Loose lips, sink ships


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## Booner Killa (May 4, 2017)

The days of public kill pics have long been gone for me for this reason. I don't post pics anywhere anymore and there are but a small few of select friends that even know about it. Facebook is the devil!!!


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## Nicodemus (May 4, 2017)

Booner Killa said:


> The days of public kill pics have long been gone for me for this reason. I don't post pics anywhere anymore and there are but a small few of select friends that even know about it. Facebook is the devil!!!



You can regulate who sees your pictures and posts on Facebook. Here, the entire world can see what you put up. A lot more info gets out here than there.


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## MKW (May 4, 2017)

TenPtr said:


> I could not agree more with this.  I once enjoyed this forum and participated in turkey hunting discussion to the point of being one of the more active and recognized members.  I made some amazing connections through the turkey forum and even more amazing friendships which grow stronger each spring.  It was several years ago when a noticeable change began to evolve.  A new generation of turkey "hunters" became present on the scene.... A generation of various age classes, all of which had been spawned by mother internet and father media.  Along with this new generation came an explosion of absurd products and pathetic methods for a new and pathetic generation to kill turkeys.  Pop up blinds and gobbler decoys, some of which are run via remote controls, had all of a sudden taken over the outdoor channels and all other internet/media sources.  It was this way of "hunting" that enabled those who can't kill turkeys like turkeys should be killed, to actually achieve success after 100% failure as a true turkey hunter.
> The forum went from a bunch of turkey hunters sharing knowledge and helping newbies become efficient woodsman and turkey killers, to a bunch of fools discussing foolish stuff and less and less true turkey hunters talking true turkey talk.  The new generation of techno turkey clowns managed to make me and many others completely lose interest and respect for this forum and everything hunting media related.   If I want to watch a turkey hunting show, I go to youtube where I can find respectable material, not anything on outdoor television channels.  If I want to talk turkey, I do so with my like minded buddies rather than forums.  If I have a hard time killing a particular turkey, I don't reach out to the general public for advice.... I figure him out myself and kill him with the help of my own knowledge and experience.  That is what turkey hunting is all about but this new techno generation is taking the hunt out of hunting while overcrowding the spring woods and ultimately being a major factor in a major decline in the turkey population.
> There is way more value placed on kill photos for social media recognition than there is on what matters more than anything...  The techno gen as a whole has no knowledge or interest in turkey habitat, enhancing that habitat, managing numbers based on isolated turkey population per property, year to year variations in numbers based on hatches and other factors, how to be respectful of fellow hunters, the land, the privilege to hunt, and the methods of fair pursuit.  If you claim to be a good hunter but can't kill turkeys with 1 call, cheap camo clothes, and a shotgun with a effective killing range of 35 yards, ... You aren't even close to a respectable turkey.  That is just a fact.  Our numbers are on the decline as a result of the increasing popularity and pathetic ways for terrible woodsman to be successful in the turkey woods.   Generation techno is taking away more and contributing far less to the conservation of wild turkeys.  It is snowballing every year, getting worse and worse.  The future is not bright if things continue to spiral in this current direction.
> Im all about doing what is necessary to ensure that future generations of turkey hunters will be able to enjoy what all of us passionate and respectful hunters have been blessed with in the spring woods.  Turkeys are not like deer in that turkeys are a fragile species and do not adapt well to habitat loss and/or changes such as deer.  Turkey populations can be easily destroyed by a number of factors including over harvest by hunters.  Turkeys are very comparable to wild bobwhite quail... They require much more specifics to establish, maintain, and/or exceed prior population per general area.  Turkeys depend on their incredible eyesight to protect them from natural predators...pop up blinds enable people to wear orange, use flashlights, play on computers or cell phones, move around carelessly, use bows and film with a camera on a tripod and feel like the bow kill was more of an accomplishment than the guy actually hunting whose toting a 12 gauge......    Pop up blinds are great for many situations but not for the physically capable person that wants to become a more successful and respected turkey hunter.
> I could go on and on about recent developments negatively impacting every aspect of GA turkey hunting but its too frustrating.



I logged on for the first time in a long while to say "bravo" to this post. I got tired of beating my head against this wall. Keep up the good fight!
I have stopped going on most internet turkey forums because they are not really about turkey hunting any more. It seems all folks are interested in is instant success and have no interest in actually learning about turkey behavior and how to hunt them. They just want to know what "crutch" they can buy to help them get that picture for InstaLife.
Anyway, great post! I could not have written it better.


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## brittonl (May 4, 2017)

Good rant JMB, well said sir


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## horny1 (May 4, 2017)

Make the cyber Scouters do there own homework. It can take a few years to actually learn through trial and error on public land.


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## KentuckyHeadhunter (May 6, 2017)

Well said rant Jamie.  I couldn't agree more.  I don't feel the need to post a turkey on the internet every time I shoot one.  That takes away the authenticity of the hunt.  Trying to prove something to someone or maybe trying to prove something to themselves.  Just hunt.  Enjoy it.  Why does the whole world have to know.  Weekend warriors are the worst kind of hunters.  The new generation of hunters will NEVER know what it's truly about.


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## JMB (May 9, 2017)

Man, I've had some great times on 

Albany  Nursey WMA
Alexander Tract WMA
Allatoona Etowah Tract
Allatoona WMA Etowah Tract
Allen Creek WMA
Altamaha Waterfowl Area
B. F. Grant WMA
Baldwin State Forest
Beaverdam WMA
Berry College WMA
Big Hammock WMA
Big Lazer Creek WMA
Blanton Creek WMA
Blue Ridge WMA
Broad River WMA
Bullard Creek WMA
Carpenter Tract of B. F. Grant Forest
Cedar Creek WMA
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
Chattahoochee River Park
Chattahoochee WMA
Chestatee WMA
Chickasawhatchee WMA
Clark Hill WMA
Cohutta WMA
Coleman River WMA
Coopers Creek
Coosawatee WMA
Crockford Pigeon Mountain
Dawson Forest Amicalola Tract
Dawson Forest Atlanta Tract
Dawson Forest Wildcat Creek
Dawson Forest WMA Wildcat Creek Tract
Di-Lane Plantation
Dixon Memorial WM
Dukes Creek Conservation Area
Dyal Pasture WMA
Elbert WMA
Elmodel WMA
Fishing Creek WMA
Flint River WMA
Germany Creek WMA
GrandBay WMA
Griffin Ridge WMA
Hannahatchee Creek WMA
Hart Count WMA
Horse Creek WMA
J.L. Lester WMA
Joe Kurz WMA
Johns Mountain WMA
Keg Creek WMA
King Tract WMA
Lake Allatoona WMA
Lake Burton WMA
Lake Russell WMA
Lake Seminole WMA
Little Satilla WMA
Lula Bridge Tract Part 1
Lula Bridge Tract Part 2
McGraw Ford WMA
Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area
Oaky Woods WMA
Oaky Woods WMA, West Tract, Houston County
Ocmulgee WMA
Ocmulgee WMA, Gum Swamp Creek Tract, Bleckley County
Oconee WMA
Ogeechee WMA
Ohoopee Dunes Natural Area
Ossabaw Island WMA
Otting Tract WMA
Paudling Forest WMA
Paulks Pasture WMA
Phinizy Swamp WMA
Pine Log Mountain WMA
Rayonier WMA
Redlands WMA
Richmond Hill WMA
Riverbend WMA Laurens County
Riverbend WMA Laurens County 2
Rocky Mountain and Public Fishing Area
Rum Creek WMA
Sansavilla WMA
Sapelo Island
Sheffield WMA
Soap Creek WMA
Sprewell Bluff Public Hunting Area
Sprewell Bluff, including Pigeon Creek Tract and Nichols Tract
Sprewell Bluff, Public Hunting Area
Standing Boy Creek Tract, Muscogee County Georgia
Swallow Creek WMA
Tallulah Gorge State Park 1
Tallulah Gorge State Park 2
Tuckahoe WMA
Tuckahoe WMA Hilltonia Tract
Tuckahoe WMA Spring Lake Tract
Walton Public Dove Field
Warwoman WMA
West Point WMA
Wilson Shoals WMA
Yuchi WMA
Zahnd Tract Natural Area


Lots of birds gobbling, killed 2, saw ten shot, talked to four guys who hunted and heard gobbling, and saw a bunch in there deer hunting. 

There, I just hotspotted all of the WMAs. If you can't beat em...


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## bfriendly (May 9, 2017)

I dont care near as much about the harvest as I do just  being out in the woods. Seeing anything or hearing a gobble off in the distance is icing on the cake for me.............I hunt PUBLIC Land. 

I hunt to be in the woods and enjoy Everything about  it, including being wore  out  when I get back to the truck after walking alot farther than  I wanted to

 I thought I was one of very few  who even hunted Public  land..............I thought ya'll ALL had a lease somewhere


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## ryanwhit (May 11, 2017)

Somehow, there are some who just don't see this.

Loose lips do indeed sink ships.


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## Nicodemus (May 11, 2017)

ryanwhit said:


> Somehow, there are some who just don't see this.
> 
> Loose lips do indeed sink ships.



That was THE FIRST lesson my Granddaddy taught me nearly 60 years ago. To keep your mouth shut as to where you were hunting.


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## bfriendly (May 11, 2017)

I guess I am one of those who just wont.  Or perhaps I subconsciously wont tell someone exactly where I got something, but give general info instead(so maybe I do). I do find joy in sharing something that just might give another some joy...........thats the way I was raised.

All this talk of No birds is just something I have not felt..........I see them everywhere and hear them blasting off at mid day

Maybe if I were a true Turkey Hunter I'd have my limit for sure by now If I could call worth a flip, that would help too

Of course I have had many days when I see or hear nothing, but I am blessed.  If someone asks(and I get plenty of PMs), I am happy to share. But I am having a fantastic time in the turkey woods-its my favorite season and I have yet to kill a bird

Right now I am more concerned with a big food plot that just got mowed or harvested or something, but is no longer there. 

That super  high moisture holding grass(whatever it is) would surely have had  the  pigs in it good in just another week or two


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## Gut_Pile (May 11, 2017)

Currently Active Users: 794 (83 members and 711 guests) 

Just remember these numbers every time you post a location here.


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## goblr77 (May 11, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> That was THE FIRST lesson my Granddaddy taught me nearly 60 years ago. To keep your mouth shut as to where you were hunting.




My Grandaddy taught me the same thing about hunting and fishing. When someone asked him where he caught his fish he would always tell them, "north of the dam."


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## ryanwhit (May 11, 2017)

goblr77 said:


> My Grandaddy taught me the same thing about hunting and fishing. When someone asked him where he caught his fish he would always tell them, "north of the dam."




I had a long and serious talk with my 6 year old about this matter earlier this spring.  Tell nobody.  That includes family.  Once that information has passed over your lips you no longer have any control over it..


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## cumberland (May 12, 2017)

JMB said:


> At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly and too much like a "the way it used to be", I've gotta voice my opninon on a few things. More hunters in the woods, less private land available, and shrinking habitat means more pressure on public lands that hold turkeys. The internet and technology have both directly and inadvertently increased pressure on places I personally hunt. How do I know this? I've asked other hunters I see with out of state or county license plates how they found out. You know what the near unanimous answer is...the internet.  I started turkey hunting in the 80s, there was no internet and we guarded our spots closely. The way I was raised. If someone asks, don't be rude, but don't give up anything because if you tell one, you've told ten. Turkey hunting isn't a team sport and no I don't want company from people I don't know when I'm in the woods. For the last few years, it's been getting worse; pressure, cars parked every mile on public land that used to be unknown or at least un-pressured. I've nearly been shot twice, had multiple birds buggered up, and talked to too many guys who, I'm sorry-but, have no business being in the woods (apologies to you millennials who have the offense meter of a 7 year old girl from Vermont). What do I think some issues are...
> 
> The new DNR telecheck, while neat to look at, is basically pointing a finger on a map and saying "here is where the turkeys are" county by county. I mean, give us the harvest record, but is the by county harvest total  level of transparency really necessary?
> 
> ...


I don't have to worry about my spots because no one would hunt them over once because of how rough, and how little game they hold. Have at it. LOL.


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## cumberland (May 12, 2017)

The "smoked him" hunters are what ruined everything. LOL.


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## cumberland (May 12, 2017)

When i started turkey hunting in the late 70s we had great guys in turkey hunting like Ben Rodgers Lee, and Dick Kirby, and now we all we got is the dirt nap, smoked him punks.


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## MKW (May 12, 2017)

You forgot Thunder Chicken...can't forget Thunder Chicken.
I freakin' hate that.


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## JMB (May 17, 2017)

Oh buddy...don't get me started on this ridiculously ignorant "dirt nap selfie" thing I've been seeing. I don't know who started that, but I'd like to hit them in the face with a shovel. Whatever happened to having some respect for the game and a little reverence for the sport. Bottom line, thunder chicken, smoked 'em, dirt nap selfie, glory hounds, and Internet hotspotters should all take up golf and leave turkey hunting to those of us who actually care about the game and the future of the sport (the real sport of it, not this made up, commercialized version I'm seeing). It's scary that new hunters are learning how to hunt from social media, forums, and you tube videos. It's all breeding a terribly perverted doppelgänger to what hunting really is. This look at ME, watch ME, I'm so great, I just love the outdoors and let me take selfies and share what I've experienced today because I know everyone wants to hear about ME does not cut at the heart of hunting or human existence for that matter, but that's another story for some theological or philosophical forum that has probably been buggered up by some millennial hipsters in tweed jackets trying to remember what Thoreau looked like before he went for long walks in the woods.


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## KentuckyHeadhunter (May 17, 2017)

You're on a roll!  Very well said.  The deer guys are even worse.  Heck I can't even stand to see a Yeti sticker on a truck.  Look at me.  I bought an expensive cooler.  Twenty years ago the last child left the woods never to return.  It's all internet now.


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## KentuckyHeadhunter (May 17, 2017)

Jamie I'm just as fired up over this as you are.  I saw a show tonight called Wildgame Nation, Urban Thunder Creepers.  I almost threw up.  They were bowhunting turkeys off someone's back porch in a ground blind.  This advocates this type of "hunting".  It's not hunting.  These guys should be ashamed of themselves.  I'm calling them out as shameful and embarrassing to the art of turkey hunting.  Date of episode is 3/13/17.  Hunting shows are a joke and I hate to think people sit and absorb​ this trash.  I only check that channel to see Ted Nugent say crazy stuff and see Jim Shockey's daughter. Wowza.


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## Covehnter (May 19, 2017)

I couldn't agree more with most of what is stated above. 

Today is the first time I've logged on since turkey season started. That didn't used to be the case. 

I dropped BookFace on opening day of Georgia's season this year. I have watched things take a turn. And the turn wasn't a good turn. It was a downhill, slippery turn that is sure to end in a god awful train wreck type of turn. 

I was watching goons of social media be praised and worshiped. Guys that just don't love it like I love it- yet they pretend too. . . it was making me twisted. 

I watch guys attempt to walk in the foot steps of people before them. Mimicry. Instead of blazing their own path. Making their own story. 

I once enjoyed sharing my travels. I watched it inspire folks to pack a bag and try some new ground, outside their comfort zone. I do enjoy being helpful. But there comes a time when one must realize the crowd has gotten cloudy, hard to tell the difference in the worthy and the worthless. So the crowd pushed me to fade this spring as the opening days across the southeast began to arrive.  My responses got vague and my participation grew weak. And the spring carried on just the same. . .without social eyes.

I still have a couple weeks before I run the last patch down the barrel. I am still undecided on whether I'll put together a thread of travels for 2017. Either way. . . life will go on.


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## cumberland (May 19, 2017)

KentuckyHeadhunter said:


> Jamie I'm just as fired up over this as you are.  I saw a show tonight called Wildgame Nation, Urban Thunder Creepers.  I almost threw up.  They were bowhunting turkeys off someone's back porch in a ground blind.  This advocates this type of "hunting".  It's not hunting.  These guys should be ashamed of themselves.  I'm calling them out as shameful and embarrassing to the art of turkey hunting.  Date of episode is 3/13/17.  Hunting shows are a joke and I hate to think people sit and absorb​ this trash.  I only check that channel to see Ted Nugent say crazy stuff and see Jim Shockey's daughter. Wowza.


I know a lot of people like Drury Outdoors, but i lost all respect for them about 8 years ago in a video where Mark pickup a turkey they shot and the turkey was still alert, and holding it's head up, and Mark and the crew were laughing their heads off at it. No more Drury Outdoors for me after that.


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## cumberland (May 19, 2017)

Covehnter said:


> I couldn't agree more with most of what is stated above.
> 
> Today is the first time I've logged on since turkey season started. That didn't used to be the case.
> 
> ...



I know what you mean, i have almost gotten embarrassed to post my adventures and success for feeling like people will just think i am one of those modern glory hunters, instead of just wanting to show my passion for the whole adventure.


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## M Sharpe (May 19, 2017)

I stopped watching videos when the truth series, volume 1 came out... When I started, all you had was an audio cassette tape! I was doing good on my own. After listening to the tape I learned the mating cackle, the cut, and all the rest of the junk!! Yep, you guessed it!! It all went down hill for a few years until I realized this was a bunch of malarkey!! Then came the "everyone gets a trophy bunch"!! I'm sorry but if the girl friend wants to go kill a turkey but she's got to have a blind so she can chat to her BFF and do her nails and have her snacks, she doesn't deserve to kill a turkey!!!! Man, I miss the old days!!!
 I remember putting my foot on the head of a gobbler once and sending a guy a picture. That was the most insulting thing I have ever done!! I swore I would never do that again...and I haven't!! Nor do I ever intend to again!!! Just like calling them thunder chickens or taking dirt naps!!


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## Nicodemus (May 20, 2017)

M Sharpe said:


> I stopped watching videos when the truth series, volume 1 came out... When I started, all you had was an audio cassette tape! I was doing good on my own. After listening to the tape I learned the mating cackle, the cut, and all the rest of the junk!! Yep, you guessed it!! It all went down hill for a few years until I realized this was a bunch of malarkey!! Then came the "everyone gets a trophy bunch"!! I'm sorry but if the girl friend wants to go kill a turkey but she's got to have a blind so she can chat to her BFF and do her nails and have her snacks, she doesn't deserve to kill a turkey!!!! Man, I miss the old days!!!
> I remember putting my foot on the head of a gobbler once and sending a guy a picture. That was the most insulting thing I have ever done!! I swore I would never do that again...and I haven't!! Nor do I ever intend to again!!! Just like calling them thunder chickens or taking dirt naps!!





I believe you know my thoughts on all that foolishment. As for the old days, I still hunt about like I did back in the early 1960s. No decoys, tent blinds, or any of that stuff, and no dancing, hollering, and carrying on on like  a  Saturday night drunk. After watching a couple of so called hunting shows back in the early 80s, I realized right quick that the only good one was The American Sportsman hosted by Curt Gowdy.  Doubt many here ever heard of that one. I`m not old school, I`m Old Testament. 

Here`s to how it`s supposed to be, and originally was.


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## turkeykirk (May 20, 2017)

Dang! I amgetting old. Remember watching the American Sportsman on Sunday afternoons in the mid 60's. Great outdoors show. Nothing compares to it now.


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## DRBugman85 (May 20, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> I believe you know my thoughts on all that foolishment. As for the old days, I still hunt about like I did back in the early 1960s. No decoys, tent blinds, or any of that stuff, and no dancing, hollering, and carrying on on like  a  Saturday night drunk. After watching a couple of so called hunting shows back in the early 80s, I realized right quick that the only good one was The American Sportsman hosted by Curt Gowdy.  Doubt many here ever heard of that one. I`m not old school, I`m Old Testament.
> 
> Here`s to how it`s supposed to be, and originally was.


That really brings back memories,Black & white TV, 3 channels The American Sportsman was our family show and now I don't watch TV but for the news and weather. The old way have past and the new generation of TV is a joke.I still keep it simple old camo and a few calls in a sack with a fat boy cushion all though I did hunt this year with a new A5 Browning,it reminds me of dad's old Belgium Browning that is retired now.Simple still works for my hunting. Back in the early 60s we watched the radio and listened to the Grand Ole Opry,The Superman series and news as a family now with computers,cell phones, tablets and videos it's not a  family affair thing.Mabe I'm getting old (65)but I sill like it simple 
 I'm blessed every day just to be around to enjoy the outdoors,and had the pleasure of introducing a young man to turkey hunting this year again (he missed) but he's hooked for life.He got his first gobbler with his dad on a family farm the  2nd week of the season and called me and said I wish you could have seen this.I could picture it as he told the story.Looking for next year all ready .


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## hrstille (May 20, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> That really brings back memories,Black & white TV, 3 channels The American Sportsman was our family show and now I don't watch TV but for the news and weather. The old way have past and the new generation of TV is a joke.I still keep it simple old camo and a few calls in a sack with a fat boy cushion all though I did hunt this year with a new A5 Browning,it reminds me of dad's old Belgium Browning that is retired now.Simple still works for my hunting. Back in the early 60s we watched the radio and listened to the Grand Ole Opry,The Superman series and news as a family now with computers,cell phones, tablets and videos it's not a  family affair thing.Mabe I'm getting old (65)but I sill like it simple
> I'm blessed every day just to be around to enjoy the outdoors,and had the pleasure of introducing a young man to turkey hunting this year again (he missed) but he's hooked for life.He got his first gobbler with his dad on a family farm the  2nd week of the season and called me and said I wish you could have seen this.I could picture it as he told the story.Looking for next year all ready .



Tell me about the depression. How did y'all survive? How good were the good old days (60s)? In all seriousness, things have changed tremendously due to modern hunting shows and social media. Some good changes and many bad changes. People approach hunting all wrong these days, not just newbies, I see experienced hunters going about it all wrong. I don't mind more folks being in the woods as long as they do things the right way.


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## doublebarrel (May 20, 2017)

I never watch hunting shows anymore,sickening! BB


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## turk2di (May 21, 2017)

TenPtr said:


> I could not agree more with this.  I once enjoyed this forum and participated in turkey hunting discussion to the point of being one of the more active and recognized members.  I made some amazing connections through the turkey forum and even more amazing friendships which grow stronger each spring.  It was several years ago when a noticeable change began to evolve.  A new generation of turkey "hunters" became present on the scene.... A generation of various age classes, all of which had been spawned by mother internet and father media.  Along with this new generation came an explosion of absurd products and pathetic methods for a new and pathetic generation to kill turkeys.  Pop up blinds and gobbler decoys, some of which are run via remote controls, had all of a sudden taken over the outdoor channels and all other internet/media sources.  It was this way of "hunting" that enabled those who can't kill turkeys like turkeys should be killed, to actually achieve success after 100% failure as a true turkey hunter.
> The forum went from a bunch of turkey hunters sharing knowledge and helping newbies become efficient woodsman and turkey killers, to a bunch of fools discussing foolish stuff and less and less true turkey hunters talking true turkey talk.  The new generation of techno turkey clowns managed to make me and many others completely lose interest and respect for this forum and everything hunting media related.   If I want to watch a turkey hunting show, I go to youtube where I can find respectable material, not anything on outdoor television channels.  If I want to talk turkey, I do so with my like minded buddies rather than forums.  If I have a hard time killing a particular turkey, I don't reach out to the general public for advice.... I figure him out myself and kill him with the help of my own knowledge and experience.  That is what turkey hunting is all about but this new techno generation is taking the hunt out of hunting while overcrowding the spring woods and ultimately being a major factor in a major decline in the turkey population.
> There is way more value placed on kill photos for social media recognition than there is on what matters more than anything...  The techno gen as a whole has no knowledge or interest in turkey habitat, enhancing that habitat, managing numbers based on isolated turkey population per property, year to year variations in numbers based on hatches and other factors, how to be respectful of fellow hunters, the land, the privilege to hunt, and the methods of fair pursuit.  If you claim to be a good hunter but can't kill turkeys with 1 call, cheap camo clothes, and a shotgun with a effective killing range of 35 yards, ... You aren't even close to a respectable turkey.  That is just a fact.  Our numbers are on the decline as a result of the increasing popularity and pathetic ways for terrible woodsman to be successful in the turkey woods.   Generation techno is taking away more and contributing far less to the conservation of wild turkeys.  It is snowballing every year, getting worse and worse.  The future is not bright if things continue to spiral in this current direction.
> Im all about doing what is necessary to ensure that future generations of turkey hunters will be able to enjoy what all of us passionate and respectful hunters have been blessed with in the spring woods.  Turkeys are not like deer in that turkeys are a fragile species and do not adapt well to habitat loss and/or changes such as deer.  Turkey populations can be easily destroyed by a number of factors including over harvest by hunters.  Turkeys are very comparable to wild bobwhite quail... They require much more specifics to establish, maintain, and/or exceed prior population per general area.  Turkeys depend on their incredible eyesight to protect them from natural predators...pop up blinds enable people to wear orange, use flashlights, play on computers or cell phones, move around carelessly, use bows and film with a camera on a tripod and feel like the bow kill was more of an accomplishment than the guy actually hunting whose toting a 12 gauge......    Pop up blinds are great for many situations but not for the physically capable person that wants to become a more successful and respected turkey hunter.
> I could go on and on about recent developments negatively impacting every aspect of GA turkey hunting but its too frustrating.



Amen amen!!! Havent read any post yet after this one, but im bettin that it butt hurt the ego's of posters following this post. Turkey hunting is an art, keeping turkey numbers safe is a way of life for many of us!


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## cumberland (May 21, 2017)

TenPtr said:


> I could not agree more with this.  I once enjoyed this forum and participated in turkey hunting discussion to the point of being one of the more active and recognized members.  I made some amazing connections through the turkey forum and even more amazing friendships which grow stronger each spring.  It was several years ago when a noticeable change began to evolve.  A new generation of turkey "hunters" became present on the scene.... A generation of various age classes, all of which had been spawned by mother internet and father media.  Along with this new generation came an explosion of absurd products and pathetic methods for a new and pathetic generation to kill turkeys.  Pop up blinds and gobbler decoys, some of which are run via remote controls, had all of a sudden taken over the outdoor channels and all other internet/media sources.  It was this way of "hunting" that enabled those who can't kill turkeys like turkeys should be killed, to actually achieve success after 100% failure as a true turkey hunter.
> The forum went from a bunch of turkey hunters sharing knowledge and helping newbies become efficient woodsman and turkey killers, to a bunch of fools discussing foolish stuff and less and less true turkey hunters talking true turkey talk.  The new generation of techno turkey clowns managed to make me and many others completely lose interest and respect for this forum and everything hunting media related.   If I want to watch a turkey hunting show, I go to youtube where I can find respectable material, not anything on outdoor television channels.  If I want to talk turkey, I do so with my like minded buddies rather than forums.  If I have a hard time killing a particular turkey, I don't reach out to the general public for advice.... I figure him out myself and kill him with the help of my own knowledge and experience.  That is what turkey hunting is all about but this new techno generation is taking the hunt out of hunting while overcrowding the spring woods and ultimately being a major factor in a major decline in the turkey population.
> There is way more value placed on kill photos for social media recognition than there is on what matters more than anything...  The techno gen as a whole has no knowledge or interest in turkey habitat, enhancing that habitat, managing numbers based on isolated turkey population per property, year to year variations in numbers based on hatches and other factors, how to be respectful of fellow hunters, the land, the privilege to hunt, and the methods of fair pursuit.  If you claim to be a good hunter but can't kill turkeys with 1 call, cheap camo clothes, and a shotgun with a effective killing range of 35 yards, ... You aren't even close to a respectable turkey.  That is just a fact.  Our numbers are on the decline as a result of the increasing popularity and pathetic ways for terrible woodsman to be successful in the turkey woods.   Generation techno is taking away more and contributing far less to the conservation of wild turkeys.  It is snowballing every year, getting worse and worse.  The future is not bright if things continue to spiral in this current direction.
> Im all about doing what is necessary to ensure that future generations of turkey hunters will be able to enjoy what all of us passionate and respectful hunters have been blessed with in the spring woods.  Turkeys are not like deer in that turkeys are a fragile species and do not adapt well to habitat loss and/or changes such as deer.  Turkey populations can be easily destroyed by a number of factors including over harvest by hunters.  Turkeys are very comparable to wild bobwhite quail... They require much more specifics to establish, maintain, and/or exceed prior population per general area.  Turkeys depend on their incredible eyesight to protect them from natural predators...pop up blinds enable people to wear orange, use flashlights, play on computers or cell phones, move around carelessly, use bows and film with a camera on a tripod and feel like the bow kill was more of an accomplishment than the guy actually hunting whose toting a 12 gauge......    Pop up blinds are great for many situations but not for the physically capable person that wants to become a more successful and respected turkey hunter.
> I could go on and on about recent developments negatively impacting every aspect of GA turkey hunting but its too frustrating.



I totally agree with you on the opinion of people bowhunting and filming in blinds and thinking it is such a great accomplishment. I have killed quite a few Gobblers in pop up blinds bowhunting, and it is very easy compared to getting on a gobbler and calling him up next to a tree with a shotgun. That is why i got away from that and back to chasing them with one call and a single shot shotgun.


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## XIronheadX (May 22, 2017)

cumberland said:


> I know a lot of people like Drury Outdoors, but i lost all respect for them about 8 years ago in a video where Mark pickup a turkey they shot and the turkey was still alert, and holding it's head up, and Mark and the crew were laughing their heads off at it. No more Drury Outdoors for me after that.



I met him in Washington Co. in the mid 90's. I lost all respect for them yesterday when they blocked me from their page for questioning their hunting practices. 15 ft up on a deer tower over a decoy.


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## turkeykirk (May 22, 2017)

XIronheadX said:


> I met him in Washington Co. in the mid 90's. I lost all respect for them yesterday when they blocked me from their page for questioning their hunting practices. 15 ft up on a deer tower over a decoy.



 Maybe they needed the elevation to pull of those 60 yard shots they advocate.


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## GLS (May 22, 2017)

Nic, thanks for bringing back memories of The American Sportsman.  Remember Phil Harris bird hunting with Bing Crosby?  I believe Harris was on more than once.  I recall him standing around a camp fire and singing.  These new age snuff videos drive me nuts with the musical accompaniment.  For the life of me I don't know how they hide the musicians and why the birds don't spook because of the loud music.  Gil


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## Klondike (May 25, 2017)

So I moved to Colorado a year ago and I want to let everyone know that i miss the heck out of GA turkey hunting.  Is it getting worse?  Maybe / sure but hunting Turkey in GA is still pretty great.  Lost access in GA and killed one hard to kill gobbler in Alabama and that made my season.

Now to the ultimate cure to internet hunters everywhere.  Come hunt Merriams on public land at 8K elevation.  3 miles back, usually up 3K feet.  10 miles on the boots by 10AM.  You see awesome things you only get to see in the woods (mountain lions - bring your 45), yotes, fox, mulees, moose and bears but the turkey to land ratio is ridiculous.  Went 6 times on public land, so big saw no one, blew one awesome gobbler being careless and other than that the gift was 5 fabulous days of solitude in the mountains

The members on the board would be up for this every time, internet hunters, not so much.


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