Change the starting date for turkey season?

I voted keep it the same. There are just too many variables to predict when they will have hens.

Keep it the same but maybe start a North - South zone like ducks. Up north its a might bit colder than it is along the Ohio River. h.h.

If anything start it later!

I dont think some really understand that being henned up means its too early for good calling. If a gobbler is henned up, it means to me anyway, he has live hens that havent been bred and they call better than I do. At least thats the way I see it. I love late season Turk hunting.

Now this is my kind of topic ;D. I went fishing yesterday morning and heard three different gobblers between 6-9am. This morning at 10am I went to take my blind out of my food plot and ran a gobbler off out there strutting by himself. I wish season was still in!!



It is very accurate. The toms are usually henned up pretty good from the start of April-early May. The season is set to catch the middle-end of the breeding cycle and the secondary peak of gobbling.



Usually this is because turkeys are focused on different things in the spring/fall. The fall is all about establishing dominance and eating...and staying alive. Turkeys have different food sources in the spring and fall, that is usually why you see flocks shifting throughout the winter. In the spring, it is all about breeding. Hens will move to the other side of the woods or out of the woods to find suitable nesting habitat. The gobblers just follow them.

I don't like the idea of raising the limit to two at all. A lot of the state does not have enough birds to do so or do not have suitable habitat to support enough birds in the future to do so either. An additional bird by area (meaning certain portions of the state) is only going to increase pressure from both resident and non-resident hunters. I have a lot of friends from around the country that want to come and hunt Indiana gobblers, but not for $200 for one bird. For two birds, they would be here each spring.



Late season hunting is the best. And probably more productive if you look at the number of birds killed vs. the number of hunters in the woods. The only thing I wouldn't like about a later season is the foliage and the ticks.



I'd go for this if the DNR sold a North or South Zone tag also. I am fortunate enough to live in the most southern part of the state. It is loaded with birds and I have great public ground within 20 minutes of my house. Although there are a lot of birds around, I don't know that it could handle the pressure that would occur if the northern half of the state could come down here and hunt birds a week (or two) earlier. Don't take that the wrong way, I know that not everyone has as many (or any) birds in their areas, but if I could drive a couple of hours and hunt a week early, I would be doing it too. Actually, I do drive to Kentucky every year to hunt a week earlier.

Hey Woody, can we talk about changing the hunting time back to 5:30-noon next?

I'd say keep it the same. If anything, I'd like to see them extend it another week!

I say leave it to the biologist they have done a good job so far so i voted leave it alone

I don't know about the rest of the state, but in the extreme south of the state, the peak of activity is WEEKS before the season opens. I guess the DNR is going for a middle of the road approach on the date to keep things simple and fair.

What I think would be more helpful than moving the date is adding a week in either direction.
I can't hardly get any spare time in the spring, getting the yard up to speed, the gardens started, etc.

It's fine the way it is. If they were going to change it I would vote for a week later. There will be alot of older birds out looking this week that have had hens with them all season.

It was trained educated people who restored this countries turkey population.
Let them decide whats good for the turkeys.