Split turkey Season?

[10Gauge]

There is an old "poll" or post on this thread about the season being too late that goes back to 2003 (I think).

This got me to thinking about the possibility of Ohio having a split Turkey season (North & South) similar to Waterfowl hunting seasons. Typically birds in the southern part of Ohio will start gobbling, and reproducing earlier than the northern counterparts by maybe 1-2 weeks.

So, if any of you ODNR fellows are listening, why not consider a split season and open the southern half 1-2 weeks earlier and extend the nothern half 1-2 weeks longer. That would give Ohio hunters a longer season and put less pressure on the birds during nesting time.

What do you guys think?

[shotgun]

no thanks! Public land down here gets hit hard enough as it is, give us a 2 week jump and every turkey hunter and there brother will be down here. Im not saying an earlier season down south wouldnt be more productive i just think you would have to many hunters espicially in turkey hunting where pressure plays such a key role.

[10Gauge]

Why do you think there would be more hunters?

Don't you think guys up north come to Southern Ohio now on Opening Day?

Would you go up north for their opener?

I hunt public land for turkeys every year on opening day in a top producing county in Southeastern Ohio, drive for me is about 3 hours. Some years are worse than others (people wise) where I hunt and it is usually because the Ohio Fish & Game rag publishes an article stating this area will be great for turkeys this spring! I don't agree with increase hunter numbers for a split season (my opinion), most guys who turkey hunt only take a few days off to do it. I see more locals than out of towners like me. I hunt the first week, all week every year, if I kill my "limit" I guide for other hunters.

[Buckmaster]

I would agree that there seems to be about a two week difference between north and south turkeys in terms of their activity. I've seen a difference in behavior where I hunt north and south for about 10 years now.

Split season? I'm not too sure about. It would probably intensify the hunting pressure within that given region.

[CritterGitter]

I don't think a split season is a good idea. A longer season maybe? Also, I could see possibly giving bow hunters a 2 week jump on it. I think that would be an option worth exploring.

CG

[shotgun]

Would you go up north for their opener?
If it was 2 weeks early? youre dang right i would!


my opinion is that if the season is open in southern ohio and not in northern ohio any dedicated turkey hunter will be in southern ohio. If it was reversed and northern ohio opened earlier i would travel to hunt earlier and this is from someone who doesnt travel to hunt turkeys. I think we all are so ready to hunt turkeys we are going to do it the first chance we can wherever it is, atleast the hunters like me are.



Bye the way 10 gauge what county do you hunt, i hunt lawrence mostly but would like to go up to jackson and vinton if i get a chance this year, ill also slip into eastern scioto county everyonce in a while.

[10Gauge]

Maybe you guys are right about the increased numbers of hunters but I'm not convinced, yet?!?! I would agree to an extended season statewide, because I think the longer season gives hunters more time in the field. Historically, longer season don't increase harvest numbers.

I just don't see the numbers of turkey hunters on public land the rest of you guys do I guess? Don't get me wrong, opening day I'll usually hunt areas other guys won't because there are a lot of people in the woods where access is easy. But unlike deer season most (75%) of the turkey hunters are gone by day 2 and by day 3 I can hunt almost anywhere and not see another hunter!

Shotgun, I hunt in Perry, Mushingam, Noble, Guernsey and Morgan in the east mostly public land. I also hunt Vinton, Ross, Jackson, Pike and Highland in south central, mostly private land. Our hunt club leases nearly 1300 acres in Ross & Vinton counties, but there aren't any turkeys thanks to local poachers! I also hunt Montgomery (live here), Warren, Prebble and Greene County again mostly private land in the western part of Ohio.

[10Gauge]

One other think in previous years have skipped the Ohio opener and went the second week, not by choice but due to work commitments. In those years I had better success than other years I hunted opening day and the 1st week. I think this was due to less pressure on the birds by week 2, I've even had very successful hunts during week 3.

To mee turkey hunting isn't like deer hunting, turkey's don't seem to "disappear" like deer after the first 2-3 days. And thank god turkey hunters don't put on drives! I'm not opposed to drives, either, they are great for putting meat (prefferably does) in the freezer.

[shotgun]

i go to school up around montgomnery and greene county, it sure is different land up here than it is back home but ive thought about hitting some areas closeby since i cant make it home til the weekends.

[Darron]

10ga,
I have to agree if a split season did take place the pressure in SE Ohio would sky rocket if it opened up first. It's all ready bad enough down there as it is, even on private land, why make it worse??? I understand your thoughts and it would be a great idea if people wouldn't zone jump, but they would.
As far as your lease having "no turkeys" with 1200 acres there is bound to be some on there. I have talked to guys who use to turkey hunt that spot when it was open to the public and people have taken birds off that piece of property. I wouldn't give up on it. As you know I do ALL of my turkey hunting in Vinton County, some spots very close to your lease, and the one thing I have found is if you have access to a decent piece of land down there turkeys will be on it sometime. I was down there this morning and heard some decent gobbling, but it varied farm to farm. I could go to one farm and not hear a bird, then go to another one 2-3 miles away and they would be hammering.

[10Gauge]

Darron,

As far as the turkey numbers on our lease we have two big problems, poaching and habitat loss.

Habitat loss has been the result of the clearcut timer harvests that have taken place over the past 3-4 years. While this has been great for deer and grouse it has cause a significant decline in the turkey numbers. Second, we don't have much mast (oaks) these trees were select harvest 50-75 years ago and the only food a turkey finds is on our small food-plots. We need more plots but have no place to put them!

Poaching by a few locals has been devastating, these guys are and will kill anything. We know who is doing it but catching them is up to the ODNR! It is getting a little better but it will take several years for the numbers to be really good on our lease!