2 Bird Limit?

The fall season is needed far more than a second bird in the spring. The point of the fall season is to allow the harvest of some hens which would never be allowed in the spring.

The counties that lack turkey hunting also lack the habitat neccessary to support a turkey population, not having a fall season will not change that.

Turkeys are VERY adaptable critters. While I don't believe that there would ever be huge amounts of turkeys in some areas, I do believe that every county could support a huntable population. Maybe a 3-5 bird harvest annually, but still turkey hunting close to home! Look how well deer and coyotes have adapted to urban life. Turkeys can and do also.

Well first of all, the fall season does allow us to harvest hens which could be considered a necessary evil. But bumping our spring season up to a 2 bird limit is a little premature, as our turkey population is still expanding its range...thus the closure of several counties state wide. Opening up these counties to hunting 2 years after the relocation would be the worst thing you could do! Most of those counties did not have a sustainable turkey population prior to the releases. Decatur is right on the money...every county has several, if not many, pockets/areas (primarily riparian [river] corridors) in which turkeys could take hold and do quite well. That's why there was another relocation effort 2 years ago.
Mbogo...you have been listening to our 'old school' turkey biologist too much, as the turkeys themselves have proven they DO NOT need old growth and large tracts of woods to flourish, as was once believed! AND THEY ARE STILL EXPANDING THEIR RANGE because there is suitable habitat available in those non-traditional-turkey counties!

Woody...you are right. There are some northern counties in which most of the county is flat, farm country with little trees/woods. Benton County is a fine example, as most of the county is flat fields where ther fence rows were removed years ago to allow for more crop produciton. It's pheasant country up there. I'm sure many of you have been up there, it doesn't look like much for the turkey. HOWEVER, there are wild turkeys in Benton County, a huntable population. I have seen them and know several folks who have harvested them there...and they are not farm/feral birds. There is more turkey habitat in Marion County of all places than Benton County, yet they have found their way there via Pine Creek out of Warren County, and are doing well. I'm not saying that someday they will be well populated in every Indiana county, BUT THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT THEY CAN FLOURISH IN AREAS THAT BACKS HAS DEEMED UNSUITABLE HABITAT....such as most of northern IN in counties that have a spring harvest of 50 or more birds.

As much as I'd love to get after another bird, I'm happy with the one that I do get (most times). Until turkeys reach a level that it's in the species best interest to 'thin' the flocks than I will be happy to take one bird.

What I wish more than that is for Indiana and surrounding states to lower the outrageous out of state hunter fees for turkeys! I can see paying $150 to kill a trophy buck out of state, but a turkey??? That's way too much IMO to pay for a relatively small amount of meat.

I started turkey hunting in Indiana. Since then I have moved all over the south, currently live in Kentucky. I still come back to Indiana every spring to hunt with my buddys. I usually hunt 4 states in the spring, and Indiana is by far the most expensive. I would not mind it as much if the bag was 2 turkeys, which I think is feasable, or lower the non-resident price.

2 birds may not be a good thing yet statewide but I could forsee it in areas or counties just like the modern spring season started and now the fall season, these birds are deffinitely thriving in places they were not expected to do so well, as for north or south, I am a northerner here in starke county and man do we got the birds, my hunt here is usually quicker than my trips nearly every spring out to Missouri where they do have a 2 bird spring but the second one can't come until the second week of season begins, and then no hunter can take more than one a day for the remainder of the season, and we all know what a challenge it gets to be after the first week or so goes by and the toms get less and less interested and more and more pressure. maybe some catch like Missouri's might give more opportunity but also add more difficulty.

We've came a long ways ina short time here in Indiana. I remember not too long ago you didn't see Wild Turkey in Indiana, they have taken off and done well. I believe the DNR and the NWTF have done an outstanding job re-introducing wild turkey to our State. I have confidence that they know what there doing as far as turkey populations go, now deer...that's getting better thanks to the one buck rule. I've seen more big buck the last 3 years and most recently last year than I ever have. I think they're one the right track for now at least. I'm happy to do whatever it takes to sustain a good heathly population of birds throughout the state without getting greedy. One bird in the spring and one is the fall is fine with me..

Responding to the above post by Bigred:
Illinois non-resident will go up$ 40.00 this year from $275.00 so thats $315.00 plus habitat stamps, I think it comes to $443.00 for non-resident archery tag, just looked at it this morning trying to download my application for this year archery tag......Ridgerunner

It's still far too early for a "two birds in Spring" limit , maybe in a few years . Why dump the Fall season at all ? You're getting two birds now , and sooner or later the hens will begin to need thinning out anyway . Might as well practice on them now . It's all about sustainability fellas . Personally , I'd much rather hunt a Fall turkey , far less bugs out then , and someday we'll have Fall gobblers as well as just Spring . Be patient .