THP hunting in SC

[mudflat]

They are persistent, id gave up a lot sooner, shot one of them farm turkeys. Posted it on here and called it some hybrid and let the debate begin.

[FOWL MOUTH]

People want to blame, possums, coons, coyotes, habitat, etc, etc. for the decline in turkey numbers...the top of the list should be social media, right along with gobbler fans/decoys & cell cams. But social media is at the top. It's easy to see how the number of "turkey hunters" has sky rocketed.

[M2Field]

I hope the social media and youtube frenzy fizzles out. How many pictures of dead turkeys do we need to see. How many do we need to watch get killed. I hope it stops

[Model12]

`Where most all of our land is private and not available.

[TXFowler]

Y’all have lost your minds. The only difference beween a the THP YouTube channel and MossyOak’s “hunting’ the country” is the platform that it is aired. Also, the fact that they are hunting public land instead of some stocked, high fenced management property. Notice that all of the bigger hunting shows are gravitating towards social media? Hell mossyoak started their own platform! Y’all are nuts and are just looking for something to blame. Turkey hunter numbers CONTINUE TO DECLINE - PROVEN FACT.


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[mudflat]

You must not be a member of the cult?

[TXFowler]

Looks like you folks that were blessed to hunt in the glory days of the early 80’s had the peak hunter numbers across the board. Dig a little deeper and find something worthwhile to bitch about.


https://wildlifeforall.us/resources/...g-and-fishing/

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing
In recent decades the number of hunters and anglers in the U.S. has declined both in actual numbers and as a percentage of the total U.S. population, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records of annual hunting and fishing license sales from all states (including U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.) and U.S. Census Bureau data.
Since 1960, the actual number of hunters has increased until peaking at 16.7 million in 1982, after which it began to decline. The numbers started to climb again after 2010 but remain well below the 1982 peak. In 2020 there were 15.2 million hunters in the U.S.
In relative numbers, the percentage of the U.S. population that hunts has been on a steady decline since at least 1960, when there were 14 million hunters, representing 7.7 percent of the total U.S. population of 180.7 million people. In 2020, hunters represented only 4.6 percent of the U.S. population. Even at the 1982 peak, hunters only represented 7.2 percent of the U.S. population.
Between 1960 and 2020, the actual number of hunters grew by 8.6 percent, but the U.S. population increased by 83.4 percent, nearly ten times as fast.
The actual and relative number of anglers has also declined but not by as much. The actual numbers of anglers peaked in 1991 at 30.8 million, then declined gradually until ticking up slightly in recent years. In 2020 there were 29.2 million anglers in the U.S.
The relative numbers of anglers has also declined over the past 40 years. In 1960, there were 19.1 million anglers, representing 10.6 percent of the total U.S. population. At the 1991 peak anglers represented 12.1 percent of the total population. In 2020 that figure fell to 8.8 percent.
Between 1960 and 2020, the number of anglers increased by 53.4 percent, more than six times as fast as the increase in hunters but still far less than the 83.4 percent growth in total population.
The data clearly show that the percentage of Americans who hunt and fish continues to decline, a trend that threatens the revenues of state wildlife agencies. It is also the reason why most state wildlife agencies have embraced R3 efforts to “recruit, retain and reactivate” hunters and anglers in order to boost the number of license buyers.
Total Number (millions)19601982
(peak hunting year)1991
(peak fishing year)2020Change
1960-2020
Hunting licenses sold in U.S.14.016.715.715.28.6%
Fishing licenses sold in U.S.19.130.030.829.353.4%
U.S. Population180.7231.7253.5331.483.4%
Number of hunting license buyers as a percentage of state population
Number of hunting license buyers* as a percentage of state population
The chart above was created using 2021** data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
*Hunting license buyers include both residents and nonresidents for each state.
**The data reported by USFWS historic license sales is listed by “calculation year.” Calculation year is the federal fiscal apportionment year with a two year lag. The US government fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. So, the USFWS national hunting license data for calculation year 2021 (as is used in the above chart) is actually for licenses purchased for the year ending September 30, 2019. This is an important distinction, because this data does not reflect any COVID or Presidential election year spikes in license sales.


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[PBiz]

98.97% of Turkey hunters remain gay..

[TXFowler]

98.97% of Turkey hunters remain gay..

Now we’re on to something


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[BRR]

How do lifetime licenses and or increasing popularity of not buying a license at all factor in......

[Kioti]

Looks like you folks that were blessed to hunt in the glory days of the early 80’s had the peak hunter numbers across the board. Dig a little deeper and find something worthwhile to bitch about.


https://wildlifeforall.us/resources/...g-and-fishing/

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing
In recent decades the number of hunters and anglers in the U.S. has declined both in actual numbers and as a percentage of the total U.S. population, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records of annual hunting and fishing license sales from all states (including U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.) and U.S. Census Bureau data.
Since 1960, the actual number of hunters has increased until peaking at 16.7 million in 1982, after which it began to decline. The numbers started to climb again after 2010 but remain well below the 1982 peak. In 2020 there were 15.2 million hunters in the U.S.
In relative numbers, the percentage of the U.S. population that hunts has been on a steady decline since at least 1960, when there were 14 million hunters, representing 7.7 percent of the total U.S. population of 180.7 million people. In 2020, hunters represented only 4.6 percent of the U.S. population. Even at the 1982 peak, hunters only represented 7.2 percent of the U.S. population.
Between 1960 and 2020, the actual number of hunters grew by 8.6 percent, but the U.S. population increased by 83.4 percent, nearly ten times as fast.
The actual and relative number of anglers has also declined but not by as much. The actual numbers of anglers peaked in 1991 at 30.8 million, then declined gradually until ticking up slightly in recent years. In 2020 there were 29.2 million anglers in the U.S.
The relative numbers of anglers has also declined over the past 40 years. In 1960, there were 19.1 million anglers, representing 10.6 percent of the total U.S. population. At the 1991 peak anglers represented 12.1 percent of the total population. In 2020 that figure fell to 8.8 percent.
Between 1960 and 2020, the number of anglers increased by 53.4 percent, more than six times as fast as the increase in hunters but still far less than the 83.4 percent growth in total population.
The data clearly show that the percentage of Americans who hunt and fish continues to decline, a trend that threatens the revenues of state wildlife agencies. It is also the reason why most state wildlife agencies have embraced R3 efforts to “recruit, retain and reactivate” hunters and anglers in order to boost the number of license buyers.
Total Number (millions)19601982
(peak hunting year)1991
(peak fishing year)2020Change
1960-2020
Hunting licenses sold in U.S.14.016.715.715.28.6%
Fishing licenses sold in U.S.19.130.030.829.353.4%
U.S. Population180.7231.7253.5331.483.4%
Number of hunting license buyers as a percentage of state population
Number of hunting license buyers* as a percentage of state population
The chart above was created using 2021** data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
*Hunting license buyers include both residents and nonresidents for each state.
**The data reported by USFWS historic license sales is listed by “calculation year.” Calculation year is the federal fiscal apportionment year with a two year lag. The US government fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. So, the USFWS national hunting license data for calculation year 2021 (as is used in the above chart) is actually for licenses purchased for the year ending September 30, 2019. This is an important distinction, because this data does not reflect any COVID or Presidential election year spikes in license sales.


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You could have hunted tens of thousands of game management in the early 80's around here and wouldn't have seen five other turkey hunters.

[FLS]

It’s not just turkeys, it’s all hunting. There are more duck hunters, more turkey hunters, more deer hunters, more hog hunters, etc.
If the states population and rate of development continues 20 years your kids will be entering a lottery to get one turkey tag, and landowner tags will go to the highest bidder.

[TXFowler]

You could have hunted tens of thousands of game management in the early 80's around here and wouldn't have seen five other turkey hunters.

You are making my point for me. The same point I made and stated somewhere above, in a previous post!

There are less hunters, but also far less areas to hunt, giving the perception that hunter numbers are rising, but that isn’t true. We are being condensed!


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[TXFowler]

It’s not just turkeys, it’s all hunting. There are more duck hunters, more turkey hunters, more deer hunters, more hog hunters, etc.
If the states population and rate of development continues 20 years your kids will be entering a lottery to get one turkey tag, and landowner tags will go to the highest bidder.

I am literally slapping you people in the face with cold hard facts and you still want to say otherwise. Ignorance is running rampant in this place!


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[Highstrung]

I just don't watch any hunting videos or shows.. I'm not losing time watching anyone do something I can do better. It's that simple. I consider myself an apex predator, and any goofy guy wearing new age camo patterns can't convince me otherwise. I did buy a couple of TK and Mike vhs tapes when they first came out, and my BIL one Christmas years back gave me a vhs tape of the original duck commander. TK and Mike were straight entertainment though.

[Hogg]

I just don't watch any hunting videos or shows.. I'm not losing time watching anyone do something I can do better. It's that simple. I consider myself an apex predator, and any goofy guy wearing new age camo patterns can't convince me otherwise. I did buy a couple of TK and Mike vhs tapes when they first came out, and my BIL one Christmas years back gave me a vhs tape of the original duck commander. TK and Mike were straight entertainment though.

But you watch golf...

[Highstrung]

Ha, and I know I'm not as good as those guys.. I'm grounded

[jwterry3]

It is clear that lot on this thread have not watched THT......

They do it about as good as you can.

[Highstrung]

If it's turkey hunting then they're shooting a bird while it's walking on the ground..

[Tater]

Looks like you folks that were blessed to hunt in the glory days of the early 80’s had the peak hunter numbers across the board. Dig a little deeper and find something worthwhile to bitch about.


https://wildlifeforall.us/resources/...g-and-fishing/

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing
In recent decades the number of hunters and anglers in the U.S. has declined both in actual numbers and as a percentage of the total U.S. population, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records of annual hunting and fishing license sales from all states (including U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.) and U.S. Census Bureau data.
Since 1960, the actual number of hunters has increased until peaking at 16.7 million in 1982, after which it began to decline. The numbers started to climb again after 2010 but remain well below the 1982 peak. In 2020 there were 15.2 million hunters in the U.S.
In relative numbers, the percentage of the U.S. population that hunts has been on a steady decline since at least 1960, when there were 14 million hunters, representing 7.7 percent of the total U.S. population of 180.7 million people. In 2020, hunters represented only 4.6 percent of the U.S. population. Even at the 1982 peak, hunters only represented 7.2 percent of the U.S. population.
Between 1960 and 2020, the actual number of hunters grew by 8.6 percent, but the U.S. population increased by 83.4 percent, nearly ten times as fast.
The actual and relative number of anglers has also declined but not by as much. The actual numbers of anglers peaked in 1991 at 30.8 million, then declined gradually until ticking up slightly in recent years. In 2020 there were 29.2 million anglers in the U.S.
The relative numbers of anglers has also declined over the past 40 years. In 1960, there were 19.1 million anglers, representing 10.6 percent of the total U.S. population. At the 1991 peak anglers represented 12.1 percent of the total population. In 2020 that figure fell to 8.8 percent.
Between 1960 and 2020, the number of anglers increased by 53.4 percent, more than six times as fast as the increase in hunters but still far less than the 83.4 percent growth in total population.
The data clearly show that the percentage of Americans who hunt and fish continues to decline, a trend that threatens the revenues of state wildlife agencies. It is also the reason why most state wildlife agencies have embraced R3 efforts to “recruit, retain and reactivate” hunters and anglers in order to boost the number of license buyers.
Total Number (millions)19601982
(peak hunting year)1991
(peak fishing year)2020Change
1960-2020
Hunting licenses sold in U.S.14.016.715.715.28.6%
Fishing licenses sold in U.S.19.130.030.829.353.4%
U.S. Population180.7231.7253.5331.483.4%
Number of hunting license buyers as a percentage of state population
Number of hunting license buyers* as a percentage of state population
The chart above was created using 2021** data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
*Hunting license buyers include both residents and nonresidents for each state.
**The data reported by USFWS historic license sales is listed by “calculation year.” Calculation year is the federal fiscal apportionment year with a two year lag. The US government fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. So, the USFWS national hunting license data for calculation year 2021 (as is used in the above chart) is actually for licenses purchased for the year ending September 30, 2019. This is an important distinction, because this data does not reflect any COVID or Presidential election year spikes in license sales.


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A few of problems with that argument as it pertains to turkey hunting in SC.

-The turkey tags were free
-We had fall turkey hunting so damn near all deer hunters got turkey tags
-The “hunt club” structure as you know it did not exist
-We had 3,000,000 acres of WMA (and just like today, the majority was in the upstate)

The turkey numbers then were on par with the turkey numbers right now. I’ve said it before (and people hated it) and I’ll say it again (and people will still hate it) turkey populations are generally where they need to be. You fuckers got spoiled by the over-inflated numbers of the 90’s and 00’s as the populations expanded and colonized areas they hadn’t been in. Now they’ve leveled off and folks that never knew any better feel like we’re in a crisis. Hell, back in the 70’s and 80’s there were a few counties around South of The Border (shithole, so nobody cared) that had a 2 bird limit or no hunting at all.