The way I've been scouting is following Horse Trails at the top of ridges,find a good place to set,have my morning Coffee. Well this morning I was setting there having a good time listening to Hens and heard couple Toms across the holler.Seen one hen,one Tom was coming to her.Then I lost sight of the Hen but I seen a Coyote sneeking her way.I could still hear the Tom,didn't hear a peep out of the Hen.Then everything got dead quite,like them birds were never there. Now I've seen this before and I've had Coyotes and Bobcats try sneeking up on me while I'm calling.I'm thinking they think they have a chance catching an Adult Bird,even though I've never seen them catch one.I would think they would have better luck with Poults and Eggs. oneshot They are for the Big Grin
Poults and eggs aren't around just yet I would guess. And those prego hens might be easier to catch than another that isnt?
Adult Turkeys aren't the hardest prey for animals like bobcats and coyotes. I read something awhile back that said how many adult turkeys a grown bobcat eats in a year and it was really surprising, a bunch. They aren't stupid, but they aren't the hardest thing in the world to make a meal out of either.
A few years ago my BIL was telling me that him and a friend was sitting out on the side of the farm house and two baby foxes came out from under a barn and started playing. They thought it was great. A couple weeks later they returned and by the hole the foxes were at were two turkey carcasses and feathers everywhere. Thats is when they decided they weren't so cute. Never seen the foxes again. So if a fox can get a turkey, I am sure a yote or cat could catch them as well. I have had a yote 12 yards to me as he was stalking a decoy. When he seen me he took off, turning around and looking at me until he was out of sight.
I dont know whats happened to all the turkeys in missouri. It used to be when we'd go turkey hunting we'd here several but now we barely hear one or maybe two. :whinging:
shoot i bet coyotes and bobby kill alot of turks.here a few weks agoi watched a pair sneaking up on a strutting gobbler,they didn't get it, just a few tail feathers but till awsome to watch.another time watched a pair working a draw one jumped in a hen came flying out.they didn't get her but they got the eggs off the nest.a few years ago i was watch8ng some turks in a road when all of a sudden a yote came out grabbed one, three shakes and it was over that quick.four thing that are always on my death list,coyotes,bobbys,coon,possums.
I think that turkeys are sometimes easy and other times hard for predators. I watched 4 Jakes about 3 years ago chase off a young yote. Man it was pretty darn funny. This coyote didn't know what to do. The four Jakes would run at him and then give some lame gobbles and they did this til he finally left for parts unknown. Probably went home and his momma kicked his :ass: for being upstaged by turkeys. Jack
:hysterical::hysterical: That or he hit a drive thru Taco bell on the way home...they open late ya know !
Those Jakes are just like teenage boys. Sometimes they gotta show just how tough they are. Another time I was turkey hunting we had some Jakes come up to a flock of Canada geese and try and breed them. I have this on video somewhere around here. It was hilarous. The geese would start honking like crazy and the Jakes would gobble in return. Jack
