Turkey Season Times

[IlliniFIre]

I'm curious if anyone knows where the limit on afternoon turkey hunting came from? In Illinois we have to shut it down at 1 pm, but I'm seeing several articles about other states making changes to allow later hunting.

 

[Gut Shot]

When turkey numbers were still low, and the DNR was trying to bring numbers up, they cut off hunting in the afternoon to give the hens a chance to tend their nests without being disturbed by hunters.

In my opinion turkey numbers have recovered better than the DNR could have hoped for and it is past time to allow afternoon hunting in Illinois.

 

[1_pointer]

It used to be noon, IIRC, in Indiana. We can now hunt all day. The rationale given by Gut Shot was what I had heard for the reasoning as well. Now, if you could get the F&G to get a bit more liberal with the tags here in IN. We can shoot one in the spring and one in the fall. IMO, lots of places here could sustain a bit more of a harvest.

 

[dcopas78]

Here in Ohio, it is a split season. The first 2 weeks are til noon only, last 2 weeks you can hunt all day. I have gotten to like the afternoon hunting better. Turkeys don't come in to calling much anymore around here so I spot them in the fields in the afternoon and setup to ambush them.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Growing up in Missouri it was always 1 pm, then when Iived in Kansas it was all day. Nebraska is all day. It paid off once in Kansas when I shot a turkey after work 1 day which was cool, but I'm not sure I like all day because it means you end up out 14-16 hours a day hunting and traveling to hunt which gets to be brutal over the course of a few days. Hunting from a defined time like 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 pm makes me be more focused and hunt harder than the states where I do it all day.

 

[JDH]

In Indiana, I always just assumed it was to allow mushroom hunters to be safely in the woods. Under the "no turkey hunting past Noon" sign there seemed to be a reminder to mushroom hunters to stay safe.

 

[hansontyrel]

Weird... I've never heard of that.. In Wisconsin it's .5hr prior to sunlight to sunset.. Being done hunting before the day is through is crazy.