2024_08_20 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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something we’re entertaining in the rule change, other small stuff like during spring turkey season you can shoot three turkeys per hunter for the whole season, but right now the way the rules are read, you, a hunter could shoot, could go out there and to shoot one turkey. He sees three toms – he shoots all three toms in one area so we’re adding a portion where it’s one bearded turkey per hunter per day so that someone’s not shooting the whole – potentially the whole male group that’s in that one area, right, so they could come back the next day and we can \[unclear\] that’s, you know, \[unclear\] hunting. That’s mostly for the turkeys – there’s some greyer stuff and, and these are all - we’re trying, we look at mainland rules where, turkey hunting is a big thing, we get a lot of mainland turkey hunters that come in the spring season, cause spring bearded turkey season on the mainland is a huge culture, so we get a lot of people that come here trying to bag a turkey \[unclear\]. As long as we get local hunters too, we’re hoping that it gains more popularity just so our hunters get out - it’s pretty unique \[unclear\]. Big Island is the only – Hawaii Island is the only island that has a spring turkey season none of the islands don’t – mostly because our turkey \[unclear\] other islands. So those are things that we’re entertaining for turkeys. I’ll pause there if anybody has any questions about it, if I might have left anything out from what you presented on… RD: No, that’s good, just one question – District – 1. How are you moving along with the rules? JPC: So, I can go over that one next. RD: OK. Sure… OK, good thanks. OK. BL: I have a suggestion. Like you were saying – there were like 3 tags. Why don’t you just limit – you can buy the three tags, but you can only get one tag Mauna Kea, one tag Puuwaawaa, one tag at another area that way, like you were saying, you’re not getting somebody that’s getting all the turkeys in one area – that’s an option on it. JPC: Yeah, that’s definitely an option. I don’t think we even thought of, you know. Yeah, some people only go Mauna Kea. I guess a limitation of that would be somebody only goes Mauna Kea. BL: Yeah, they would have to go out in other areas. JPC: Yeah. No, I like that suggestion. BL: Yeah, I mean as far as the \[unclear\], l’m always harping on it, you know, habitat. JPC: Yeah. BL: I mean the turkey population is taking a hit from where it’s been and like I said, we should allow one turkey theoretically the guys only saw five turkeys last year and I only shot one. JPC: Um-hum. Yeah, yeah… BL: The opportunities to shoot turkey on Mauna Kea is very limited and I have not seen much in travels this year, so… 22