New fall wild turkey hunt a "go"

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smacdonald

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OFAH FILE: 842
March 20, 2008
For Immediate Release

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New fall wild turkey hunt a "go"
M.N.R. Minister, staff confirm fall season at O.F.A.H. Annual Conference
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MISSISSAUGA– Before an audience of several hundred outdoor enthusiasts, Ministry of Natural Resources (M.N.R.) Minister Donna Cansfield announced that there will be a fall wild turkey hunting season in designated Wildlife Management Units in Ontario, beginning this year.

The Minister gave the welcome news on March 14, during her speech to the delegation of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) 80th Annual General Meeting and Fish and Wildlife Conference. Several key M.N.R. staff were on hand for the Minister's presentation to O.F.A.H. members.

"The O.F.A.H. is delighted that Minister Cansfield chose the O.F.A.H. Conference to confirm that there will be a fall wild turkey hunt, as promised last year by former Minister Ramsay," said O.F.A.H. Executive Director Mike Reader. "Our members and other outdoor enthusiasts are pleased that the M.N.R. is moving ahead with the regulations in time for a 2008 fall season. We are also pleased that three additional Wildlife Management Units will enjoy spring wild turkey seasons this year."

The M.N.R. posted the long awaited wild turkey management plan and regulations to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) registry for public comment in mid-January. On March 14, new spring wild turkey hunting seasons in St. Joseph Island, Bracebridge and Minden were announced on the Ministry's website.

Wild Turkey Facts:

* The O.F.A.H. initiated the highly successful program to bring back the extirpated eastern wild turkey to Ontario more than twenty years ago.
* There has been a hunting season since 1987, and during that time wild turkey populations and hunting opportunities have continually increased. Moderate estimates place Ontario's turkey population at well over 70,000 birds.
* The wild turkey is a popular game bird, even though hunters require special training and certification to obtain the designation on their hunting licence.
* Since 1987, the O.F.A.H. has trained 78,300 turkey hunters in seminars held across Ontario.
* Last year, wild turkey licence sales contributed $936,789 to provincial revenues.

With over 83,000 members and 655 member clubs, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the leading fishing, hunting and conservation organization in Ontario, and the voice of anglers and hunters.
 
The municipal governments seem to be getting there hands into this mess. I have not read it yet but I heard from one fellow at the local gun store that Huron county has voted a bylaw against it. I haven't found it in writing yet but It wouldn't surprise me after the Sunday hunting fiasco.
 
so have they said what WMU's will have the hunt and when?? I see so many turkeys while deer hunting. I know i can get one. They always come close to the stand. Now that there will be a hunt, I likely won't see one.
 
Hussar_ca said:
so have they said what WMU's will have the hunt and when?? I see so many turkeys while deer hunting. I know i can get one. They always come close to the stand. Now that there will be a hunt, I likely won't see one.
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Depending on when it is, it's going to screw up some deer hunting with everyone out shooting turkeys before the deer hunt.

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7.62mm said:
I wonder if unused tags from the spring will be able to be used, or if you have to buy separate tags for the fall. My bet is, the money grabbing MNR and OFAH being the way they are, is separate tags. Just a guess!
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Nope, seperate tags. The fall hunt is to be either ### tag, the spring is still Toms only.
 
The first dips*&t fall turkey hunter that tresspasses and stumbles by one of my occupied treestands during deer archery season is gonna get an adjustment for sure. Having hunters cruising through the woods bustin' turkeys will certainly effect the deer and the presure they feel in the fall. Just to be on record....I'm not a fan of this fall season.
 
Chilly Willy said:
The first dips*&t fall turkey hunter that tresspasses and stumbles by one of my occupied treestands during deer archery season is gonna get an adjustment for sure.
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There's probably going to be a lot of that. One of the strong points in favour of keeping it spring only for turkeys was the lack of other hunting going on at the time.
 
Those that know me know how I lobbied against this fall season for turkeys... which by the way is completely out of character for me as I am a vocal advocate for more hunting opportunities by all reasonable means. I believe that this season was created to placate the vocal few who see the growing Turkey population as a threat for whatever reason.... crops... other game species... or just a vested interest in more hunting opportunities at any cost.
There are a number of problems with this ill-thought fall season.
Firstly they are going to run the hunting hours the same as for Deer... 1/2hr before sunrise to one half hour after sunset and include Hens. And we all know where this is going... the shooting of Roosted birds (Hens). I can see guys that are out deer hunting unsuccessfully going straight to the Roost Tree at sundown... no sense going home empty handed right! I would really like to think the best of the hunters out there... but hey if it's legal what's to stop them!:rolleyes:
Secondly the season is going to open right before the open gun season for deer during the most sensitive time "the chase period" just prior to the rut!!!! You will see a lot of deer get educated at the worst possible time and I believe this will dramatically affect the success rate for deer hunter as these now educated first and second year deer go nocturnal! If you doubt this then just try shooting a deer in a high hunter population area in the second week of the gun season! :runaway:
Third is the fact that if the deer numbers are close to carrying capacity and hard to hold down now, a poor hunter success rate over one or two years could lead to a surge in numbers. I don't need to school anyone here on the foibles of that situation, what with the growing threat of CWD and such.:eek:
The ramifications of this fall season are vast and ethereal at this point but I just can't see any good coming out of it at all. Check me next year at this time and we'll talk!:wave:
 
Coyote population UP.....record winter snow fall this year......growing Fisher population.....increasing number of spring turkey hunters year to year.....flash thaws and freezings during the winter months.....wet springs...all of this will surpress the growing turkey population and help stabilize it....We don't need to fill our freezer with a small little hen at the cost of potentially not getting your deer due to added hunters in the woods. Here's my suggestion for the brainless twits at the MNR...why not issue a archery only turkey tag with the archery ONLY deer tags...this ensures that those hunters that would normally be in the woods hunting deer...are still in the woods doing what they have been in the past but now have an option to plug a bird while on stand. Does this make too much sense??? Maybe up the tags to two per deer archery tag to balance their idea of a population reduction is met.
 
Or change the date to the 1st week of October or the 3rd week of November. Or let the birds flourish and can the whole fall thing.
 
Have any details been released on what WMU's and when the hunt will take place...like actual dates not just "a fall hunt"?

Been checking the MNR and OFAH sites and neither have any specifics on this. I'd agree with the majority here, this does not appear to have been well thought out at all.
 
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