TWRA Requests Public Input Concerning 2011 - 2012 Hunting Season

[R_Bert]

TWRA Requests Public Input Concerning 2011-12 Hunting Seasons

[DaveS]

Interesting reading. It looks like us Pig and Coyote hunters lose again!

[ShaunM]

Maybe one of these days they will wise up.

[DaveS]

When? When the coyotes meet you in the front yard, and pigs chase you in the back? "Pig Bomb" is coming to Stewart County folks!

[ShaunM]

I know really dont understand Their logic behind the madness.

[Andyshowfan]

I'm not sure of what all the wording means but it appears to me that hog hunting will only be available to the land owner and maybe on WMAs if that WMA specifically has a season for feral pigs. I really do not understand their reasonings. I believe we will soon be overrun by wild pigs and they will open the season back up, but won't be soon enough for me. I beg everyone to write in to TWRA and state your opions on the proposals.

[Guest mds3d]

I looked at the rules, and can't tell what has changed for Coyote hunters... Can someone point me in the right direction. I want to voice my opinion on this.

[Andyshowfan]

I looked at the rules, and can't tell what has changed for Coyote hunters... Can someone point me in the right direction. I want to voice my opinion on this.

I'm not a coyote hunter, but from what I can tell it is still open year round with no bag limit. Not sure if the use of "predator calls" at night changed it up or not.

[Guest Conrad]

I am confused ( which is normal when dealing with the TWRA). Will the actual Landowner be the only one allowed to kill wild hogs on their property? I need clarification on this because if that is true that is really going to suck. I will no longer be buying a Tennessee hunting license and do all of my hunting in Georgia. It cost over $150 to be able to hunt in Tn for a resident (absolutely ridiculous) but i can buy a non resident hunting license in GA for $300 and do all the hunting i want with none of the restrictions TN has. This is the only state i know of that supposedly has a hog problem but does allow baiting or night hunting. And i know we have a coyote problem and cannot hunt them at night either. Just doesnt make any sense.

[Guest GunTroll]

Silly citizen. Everyone should know that its better to be reactive than proactive.

Just think, I read somewhere that the TWRA board members aren't elected by YOU the people that must abide by there policies and pay their salaries. I wonder if they even hunt? Probably out of state if so.

[Andyshowfan]

I emailed my representives as well as the speaker. I know for the most part I'm getting a generic "politician" answer but it is somewhat promising nevertheless. here is the copy of my email and the reply from one

Mr. Johnson

Please see the following email from one of my constituents regarding a new TWRA proposal for the 2011-2012 hunting season. I would appreciate your letting me know if TWRA is in fact proposing to make the change that my constituent is concerned about and, if so, then I would like to register my opposition to the proposal for the reasons stated by Mr. Valentine.

I look forward to hearing from you in this regard. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Doug Overbey

StateSenator

306 War Memorial Building

Nashville, TN 37243-0208

615/741-0981 -- phone

615/253-0224 -- fax

800/449-TENN; ext. 10981

From: Charles Valentine [mailto:cvalentine@seviervilletn.org]

Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 8:02 AM

To: Doug Overbey

Subject: New hunting season policy proposals

After reading the new TWRA proposals for the upcoming 2011-2012 hunting season. It appears to me that feral pig (wild hog) hunting would be available to land owners only. As I understand it, wild hogs reproduce at an alarming rate. A sow can produce several young per litter, up to three separate times per year and her female offspring will be sexual mature at just 6 months old. I have seen firsthand the property damage these animals cause and I know several land owners that do not hunt and probably would not feel comfortable in hunting these animals. A good example is here in Sevier County we have many large land owners that do not reside in this county nor in some cases the state. Most of these property owners will not be hunting the hogs. I feel by not allowing a more liberal hunting of the animal that the population of feral pigs will sky rocket. , I wanted to get my sons started in hunting and with our hectic schedule it was nice to have a season that was open year round. Please reconsider keeping season open year round to any legal hunter on private or public land, and possibly consider opening it year round on WMAs. In closing I feel that the TWRA lawmaker/policy makers are not taking into consideration the impact of limiting the hunting of these animals and will only make the matter worse. In my honest opinion I feel we will be in a great deal of trouble with the destruction these animals have and will cause, especially with an uncontrolled population increase this policy will cause. Mr. Overbey, I am a registered republican voter in Sevier County and I humbly ask for your help in this manner.

Sincerely,

Charles A. Valentine

Building, Plumbing, Mechanical Inspector

City of Sevierville,Tennessee

Ph: 865-453-5504 Fax: 865-453-5518 www.seviervilletn.org

Edited April 19, 2011 by Andyshowfan

[Guest 270win]

Yes, I can pay 136 for a resident hunting license in Tennessee or get a 300 dollar non resident hunting license in Arkansas.

I don't even need a hunting license in Arkansas to shoot wild hogs and can hunt them at day or night on private property with or without dogs. They are not even regulated by the Game and Fish Commission because they are feral animals. People often just dump them after being killed because they are such a problem.

I'm almost about to give up hunting in TN and just get a non resident license and hunt back home in Arkansas because it wouldn't cost me much more and there are some decent WMA land in east AR and I can hunt on club land with family.

Coyotes in Arkansas can be shot with centerfire rifles up to 30 cal when I was living there even during bow seasons. Just don't look like a deer hunter or turkey hunter with a turkey call. TN has too much silliness when it comes to hunting regs. If i was still an Arkansas resident my hunting fishing combo license would cost me $35! Too bad I didn't get the Lifetime license for $1000 before I moved.

Edited April 19, 2011 by 270win

[Guest mds3d]

After a little further reading. I doesn't look like much has changed for hunting coyotes. Its not any better, but not worse.

It does like Hog hunters got the shaft if the landowner thing turns out to be true.

[Guest adamoxtwo]

am I the only one who noticed that you can hunt pigs at night with approval from TWRA? I think is most cases they won't mind. but the land owner thing sucks. Also, you should be able to kill yotes at night with permission as well. I still recommend if you want to do it contact your local TWRA ranger and ask for permission. I think you would be surprised what answer you get.

[DaveS]

If you're the "land owner". It says nothing about a guest aor someone he allows to hunt. It says "land owner"!

[Guest adamoxtwo]

If you're the "land owner". It says nothing about a guest aor someone he allows to hunt. It says "land owner"!

not even their Kids:stunned:

[jimic]

TWRA is usually the last one to catch on as to what is going on . Maybe raise licenses fees and purchase more land we cant hunt.

[Andyshowfan]

I just had a message from Nat Johnson with TWRA, I'm assuming he is high up on the food chain, the message went a little something like: "Mr. Valentine, your senator Doug Overbey called me about your concerns about the possible new policies. Please give me a call so we can get an open line of communication going between you and I about the proposals." I still say it's alot of political "i'll tell him what he wants to hear" but it's a good step I think

[Guest GunTroll]

At least your talking to someone! Kudos to your senator.

Represent us well and do let us know.

[Andyshowfan]

I talked to him about 20 minutes yesterday. Mr. Johnson states that we will still get to hunt on private property, however the owner of said property will have to call TWRA to let them know "I can not take care of the hogs on my property, so I'm getting Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith to come help me dispatch them." Mr. Johnson also stated that the means of dispatching the hogs will be more liberal on private property, such as hunting them at night, baiting, trapping at night and the like. His direct quote was "We (TWRA) feel that the only good hog is a dead hog" He states this proposal is supposed to help elimanate people bringing in hogs to charge hunters x amount of dollars to come and kill the hog they have "stocked". I'm still not sure how it will help, but..................... I also asked him about WMAs, he stated that not much of that will change. You can kill them during deer seasons with whatever may be legal for dispacting deer. I believe the committee votes on this May 17th and then TWRA will decide how best to enforce the recommendations. His words were "we're not changing anything other than taking them off the big game proclaimation and putting them on nonprotected proclaimation so it will be easier to kill them"

[Guest mds3d]

So it sounds like they are trying to make it be "landowners and those with permission"

I guess the notification process would prevent people who are "stocking" by making them call the TWRA with a different name every week.

[Guest GunTroll]

SSS!

[DaveS]

If you read the proclamation, it STOPPED hog hunting on Cross Creeks Refuge. Folks that Refuge is overrun with hogs and the damage there is unbeleivable! No Turkeys, no Quail. Duck and Goose eggs are being eaten by the hundreds! Major damage every where....yeah smart move.....stop people from hunting them!!! What genious thought that up (PETA). Maybe with the mighty dollar and Magic bubget of the USDA and USFWS...they can pay $10,000 a day for a helicopter "flyover" to shoot hogs and leave them to rot in the fields! I've already seen it, and it's discusting! All the hungry people in this Country, and we leave hundreds of thousands of pounds of good lean pork to rot in the fields....I think I will contact my representitive!

[Guest adamoxtwo]

If you read the proclamation, it STOPPED hog hunting on Cross Creeks Refuge. Folks that Refuge is overrun with hogs and the damage there is unbeleivable! No Turkeys, no Quail. Duck and Goose eggs are being eaten by the hundreds! Major damage every where....yeah smart move.....stop people from hunting them!!! What genious thought that up (PETA). Maybe with the mighty dollar and Magic bubget of the USDA and USFWS...they can pay $10,000 a day for a helicopter "flyover" to shoot hogs and leave them to rot in the fields! I've already seen it, and it's discusting! All the hungry people in this Country, and we leave hundreds of thousands of pounds of good lean pork to rot in the fields....I think I will contact my representitive!

I think my rep is the same since I'm just in Adams. I think it's time to take a more active roll as well!

[DaveS]

You are right. I can't fight it by myself. Nothing will ever change anyways.....