Letters To The Editor – June 2021

U.S. Forest Service Burning Up Turkey Nests On April 20

Dear GON,

I went turkey hunting Tuesday, April 20 on private land less than a mile from Redlands WMA in southern Oglethorpe County. When I got out of my truck, the smell of smoke filled my lungs and stung my eyes.

Upon driving out, the U.S. Forest Service had done a controlled burn of thousands of acres along the Greene/Oglethorpe area of Redlands WMA and many stumps and fallen trees were still smoldering.

The GADNR has been working to improve the turkey population by asking hunters to sacrifice opportunities with a delayed season and reduced bag limits. If the GADNR is going to require hunters to sacrifice opportunities, then they should demand that the U.S. Forest Service coordinate the burning of national forest land and WMAs to stop the destruction of Georgia’s wildlife. How many hundreds of turkey nests were burned? How many turkey eggs were destroyed? How many hens stayed too long with their nest and lost their life?

The U.S. Forest Service burned thousands of acres at the peak of the turkey nesting period dealing a devastating blow to Georgia’s wildlife.

I hope that GON will work with the GADNR to try and raise awareness with the upper levels of the U.S. Forest Service that their thoughtless policies are damaging our turkey population.

I plan to contact my elected officials, and I hope other sportsmen will do the same. Thank you.

David Bolton, Suwanee

More Public-Land Turkey Nests Burnt Up On May 1

Dear GON,

I have a lease in Jones County, and I was down there on May 1 and noticed that Cedar Creek WMA had just burned the tract across the road from our lease. We reduced our turkey limit on the club last year to just two per member and one has to be taken by a youth. I find it disheartening that after all the talk about reducing the limit and delaying the opening of the season, which Cedar Creek has done for the last two years, that the Forest Service would burn this late in the season. I’m sure there were plenty of nests destroyed. Does this sound like a good practice to you?

Steve Owens, McDonough

Love The Trout Cover

Dear GON,

The perfect photograph of that beautiful rainbow trout on the cover of the April issue was classic. However, anyone who has ever lifted one of these magnificent fish out of the water will agree the camera that can accurately capture the depth of those colors has yet to be invented. I cannot think of the words that could convey just how mesmerizing that range of colors are to the eye.

In the late 60s and through the 70s, catching 5-pounders in Lake Lanier was not unusual. Sadly, introducing stripers was the end of that fishery because trout turned out to be their favorite meal.

John Ricketson, Macon

GON Social

GON Twitter:  Charlie Caricofe with a great Putnam County buck. Thank you @charliecaricofe for allowing us to celebrate your outdoor moment!

GON Facebook: Bradlee Jones, of Bowman, with a big buck he harvested several seasons ago in Hartwell.