Our state up here has just enacted some new turkey hunting laws. First they opened up youth hunting a week earlier and the rest of us a day early, Then took away all tagging requirements. Yes all tagging requirements which is most likely going to make it hard for any turkey counts. But they will send a questioner to all registered turkey hunters. They also are asking any banded turkeys taken to be reported to help them keep track of banded ones..

Doing away with tagging requirements was stupid. I assume you have a season limit on turkey, there will be no way to tell if a person shot the limit or 5 birds over the limit. Depending on people to be honest and report the true number they killed is a fools game and they should know better. Other than deer, turkey is probably the next on the hit parade for the killing over the limit violation.

That’s my feeling as well.. Our nice governor opened it up that way..

I bet your Wardens are not happy about it and neither should your hunters .

What was the tagging requirements before Phil?

-Jake

Some parts of the state is two spring birds and the southern half four. All must be bearded birds and tagged at a tagging station for $2 a tag. They allow more in the southern part because of more fields and farms. But most all of the land is posted which leaves most of us out of that area..

Yes I am guessing that most of the wardens are very upset along with our state biologists who rely on tagged birds for a population count. It surely is not a very good thing..

Most States are going away from check stations.

Did your state do it because of corona and not wanting crowds at check stations or were they in the process of going that way anyway?

Ohio used to have check stations. Those are mostly all gone now. There still are a few. But you can check your deer or turkey right from your phone by either calling it in, or getting online and doing it.

I'm of the opinion that honest people will be honest and dishonest people will behave that way regardless of check stations.

It's easy to shoot a turkey, throw it in the truck and drive home. Having required check stations doesn't make that more difficult. So those behaving that way will likely behave that way regardless of the laws.

Pennsylvania relies on hunters to self report as well. I don't think it's a good system, I think allot of game goes unreported. But it may be as good as is reasonable to do.

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-Jake

Not having to tag your bird is not going to be good for the population I imagine. We went away from the check station several years ago but still have to have the tag prior to hunting and then the harvest must be checked in online within 24 hrs. Even with that it has opened the door for some not to check their birds. Just last week around the public areas I hunt most their was a group that got caught (only because they shot from the road onto private land and the farmer happened to be there with his cows) with 9 unchecked birds. It just seems to open other avenues for untrustworthy folks to get away with more.

This is due to the Coronavirus and trying to keep people away from each other. I think by doing this it is just simply bad news..