COVID19

COVID19 , Corona Virus, China Virus, etc. will have an impact on your turkey hunting and fishing seasons in more than a few states. upon publishing prior related post earlier today, it became apparent that more than a few statewide decisions were made known yesterday and today. This is an update of currently impacted state turkey hunting and fishing seasons that are now an unfortunate reality. I will update this as more states follow suit and when states ease and or rescind restrictions entirely.

Arizona– San Carlos Apache Reservation turkey hunts canceled https://www.huntingfishing.com/index.php/2020/03/28/san-carlos-apache-tribe-cancels-spring-turkey-hunts-due-to-covid-19-concerns/

Colorado– all playgrounds, campgrounds, dispersed camping and camping facilities (including yurts and cabins) at Colorado’s state parks as well as camping at State Wildlife Areas are closed.

Illinois– all state parks, fish and wildlife areas, recreational areas and historic sites closed, hunting and fishing prohibited on public areas https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/news/Pages/Illinois-Department-of-Natural-Resources-Guidance–for-Spring-2020-Turkey-Seasons.aspx

Kansas – travel quarantine from the following: International– China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran States- California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Washington https://khap2.kdhe.state.ks.us/NewsRelease/PDFs/3-27-20%20travel.pdf https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/When-to-Hunt/Turkey

Massachusetts – MassWildlife canceled all 2020 Youth Turkey Hunt Seminars. Only those who have completed Basic Hunter Education and the Youth Turkey Hunting Seminar allowed to participate in the Youth Turkey Hunt on April 25.  https://www.mass.gov/news/masswildlife-covid-19-response

Maryland– strict w/penalty stay at home directive. recreational boating is banned. Subsistence hunting and fishing — limited hunting and limited recreational fishing and crabbing for sustenance only. No permits for fishing tournaments, Commercial fishing deemed essential https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2020/03/30/dnr-issues-guidance-on-governor-hogans-stay-at-home-order/

Nebraska– suspended the sale of nonresident spring turkey hunting permits immediately. http://outdoornebraska.gov/wildturkey/

New Hamshire– no longer issuing kid’s fishing derby permits or any bass tournament permits. Online sales only for licenses and permits https://wildlife.state.nh.us/about/covid19.html https://www.1011now.com/content/news/Nonresident-spring-turkey-permit-sales-to-end-immediately-569248661.html

North Carolina– multiple boat access, camping, public land closures see: https://www.ncwildlife.org/News/NCWRC-Coronavirus-related-Closings-and-Alerts#107242136-public-fishing-access-area-closures

Washington- Fishing closed, youth turkey hunt canceled. Six game management units that were scheduled to open on April 1 for spring bear hunting closed pending further evaluation. Nearly 90 percent of spring bear permit holders traveling from outside the area. A decision on regular spring turkey may come by 4/6 https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/covid-19-updates

Canada– inaugural New Brunswick spring turkey season canceled https://www.facebook.com/251311101719404/photos/pcb.1360785240771979/1360796154104221/?type=3&theater Ontario is also rumored to have changes, unable to confirm at this time.

COVID19 , Corona Virus, China Virus, whatever label you prefer, it has or will have an impact on your turkey hunting and fishing seasons. For those of you with early seasons down south, you have enjoyed a geographic advantage that the rest of the country will see less of or maybe not at all. You have my envy for time afield.

Before I comment further it is prudent to say that health concerns, the well being of family, friends, neighbors, fellow humans rise well above our beloved pursuits of fin and feather. It may be painful to put our favorite seasons on the back burner, however the reasons for measures taken are stark and very clear although we may or may not agree on the severity or extent of some measures. We defer to our healthcare experts and those in charge of protecting the public. Fisherman, turkey hunters may know a lot of stuff, know it all according to some opinions, but let us leave this to the healthcare professionals as the go-to experts…

I will defer as to what is open or legal to engage in to each of your respective states as it changes daily if not hourly. Some states are temporarily closing public lands, gun stores,sporting good stores and waterways. Fishing in the state of Washington closed just recently. Please check with your local and state governments and respective DNR’s, DEC’s. etc Some states are recommending fishing, hiking, using open spaces as a means to decompress, work off stress, engage in healthy exercise without being in proximity of others.

For us in the northern states trout seasons open tomorrow in many places, turkey hunting opens mid April or May 1st for much of the North East. Maybe…

Turkey hunting and fishing can be enjoyed as a singular pursuit and with minimal interactions with others, easily beyond the six foot social distancing rule currently in place. Trips to the diners, restaurants after a great morning hunt, or day on the water are not allowed currently here in NY. The comforts that we might enjoy during epic fishing and hunting trips now have to be planned and in some cases discarded as non-essential services, businesses are either not open, or pickup and delivery only. Gatherings at hunting and fishing camps are now either temporarily banned or strongly discouraged. Again, you have to check with your respective state. Guiding and charter businesses are taking an especially hard hit in this shutdown.

Those that have planned trips, self guided, outfitters, fishing charters, any of you that have plans to travel may have to reschedule or absorb the costs of canceled hunts, and fishing charters well into early summer. We know it will open back up, but when is the billion dollar question.

For me, the trip to Maryland in late April looks to be a non starter. I am pledged to help the land owner take care of a nemesis gobbler on a great property that needs to be dealt with and it is a personal matter, a vendetta if you will. First fish camp for me in May is postponed, possibly canceled til next May. Just got word that the NYSOWA Spring safari for NY writers is canceled and to be combined in the fall. A trip to Maine later in May is sketchy as well. It is all very understandable, yet terribly disappointing. Like most of you, Spring seasons are a time of rejuvenation, recharging the batteries, a time we more than look forward to.

Should there be a travel ban which keeps coming up as a solution for mitigating the spread of the virus, it would put a big damper on racing from one hot spot to another to find a hot gobbler or from one body of water to another in the quest to find where the fish are biting . It would stop out of state travel all together from NY. Should the news turn from bad to something worse on this pandemic, you can see it happening.

As sportsmen we are driven each season sometimes with reckless abandon. As we are morally and legally obligated to follow the emergency measures in place and that has to be checked daily. We should be mindful of the spirit of the laws/orders put in place. The health and well being of our families, ourselves. any and all those we share this planet with can be greatly affected by our failure to do our part to reduce the spread, and the unfortunate impacts of the foe we currently face.

Stay safe, care for your families, and we’ll see you on the other side of this.

-MJ

© 2020 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media