Letters To The Editor: June 2024

Daniel Darrien, of Metter, with a double-bearded gobbler, his first turkey, taken in Toombs County.

Enjoyed Your Story On Trapper Annabel Wilson

Dear GON,

I’m a long-time trapper and member of the Florida Trappers Association. I serve as one of their directors and instructors during our events. I just watched and read your interview with Annabel Wilson and enjoyed it a lot. She is an outstanding young lady and a heck of a trapper.

I met Mike Wilson (her dad) several years ago when I joined the GTA and he was president. We became friends , and he introduced me around to all the guys and his daughter Annabel. I realized she was a very good trapper when several of the GTA members would talk about her in their stories. Then she put a beat down on all the guys when she won the GTA Adult Field Trials State Championship, and I knew who to ask my questions to when I was up there.

Recently, Mike told me that GON had interviewed her, and that I should read it. I just did and I smiled through the whole thing. You can see her confidence when she’s speaking about trapping, and you can see her joy when she grins and talks about beating Daddy and Josh Hall, who both are good trappers themselves.

I suggest we keep our eyes on Miss Annabel. She’s gonna go far in the world of trapping and is already a great representative of our sport.

Mark Neely, Mark’s Nuisance Animal Removal

Editor’s Note: The article can be read at GON.com/hunting/trapping-with-a-state-champion.

DNR Removal Of Raccoon Season A Nice Thought But…   

Dear GON,

I live in Satilla River country and have hunted turkeys for 35 years. Much of the southeastern part of our state is swamp. One big change that I have seen getting worse over the years is the growing raccoon population.

In the 1970s and 80s, coon hides brought $25. That was a lot of money back then, and it had everyone hunting coons, trapping coons and just shooting them out of pecan trees or anywhere else they could find one. However, when the fur markets fell out, so did the coon control. With no other predators to speak of for them to worry about, populations keep climbing.

I know DNR removed the seasons on them, and they can be hunted year-round, but if no one hunts them, that really doesn’t help. I know this is not the only reason for the turkey decline, and I certainly do not have the answers, but I do think it is a contributing factor.

Thanks for listening. I know how much that helps sometimes. I am a county commissioner, and I get a lot of opportunity to listen.

Andy Riggins, Brantley County

What About Armadillos Affecting Poult Numbers?

Dear GON,

I’m not a turkey hunter, but a 72-year-old deer hunter who has been a 25-plus year subscriber to GON.

With regard to the dwindling turkey population, why don’t you hear much press about the affects of armadillos on nests? Their numbers have exploded over the same time period that your magazine has documented a steady decline in poult numbers. I have read that they eat fruit, eggs, carrion, as well as insects. The way they chewed up my yard last week suggests they could be major contributor to the problem.

Dana Gilson, Warm Springs

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Nash Johnson, 6, with an impressive bass caught in Bacon County.

Madison Pachov, 6, caught this largemouth during her first fishing trip to a private pond in Douglasville. Her little kid fishing pole was bending over at the end. Her parents are determined to get her to like hunting and fishing as much as they do. Great start!