Nothing new.
Turkey study
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
I studied the 3 in my back yard today. It will take me a week or 2 to release my findings and publish the full write up.
It is really not that hard of a problem for then to be spinning themselves into the ground where they can no longer get there head up to look at the problem. There is a sure and immediate cure for what ales the turkey.
If I am alive when the last living known wild turkey gobbler gobbles his last gobble, I hope I'm the one that pulls the trigger and blasts his head off. Then I will stand over him with a primordial shout and say.....I Finally Did it!!!
Goals are important.If I am alive when the last living known wild turkey gobbler gobbles his last gobble, I hope I'm the one that pulls the trigger and blasts his head off. Then I will stand over him with a primordial shout and say.....I Finally Did it!!!
Gawd.... don’t tell me another thread where I have to see view ignored content again.
We will look forward to your beer reviewed findings.I studied the 3 in my back yard today. It will take me a week or 2 to release my findings and publish the full write up.
Too many nest predators... Duh.... :wave1:
Good article. They didnt mention trapping once, stated habitat loss and degredation were major issues, habitat loss and fewer nest sites is the reason for nest predation issues, populations werent supposed to be as high as they were to begin with, etc. One part they got wrong is the impact of hunting. If liberal regs were the issue then Missouris population wouldnt be down just like the rest. Some states maybe be bumping the additive mortality ceiling but even there almost all of their harvest is compensatory. And, at the end of the day, whether a guy is shooting next years turkey today or not its still a successful hunter and a quality hunting trip.
Habitat and weather.... thats it. Thats all that matters in modern turkey populations.
Habitat and weather.... thats it. Thats all that matters in modern turkey populations.
sureGood article. They didnt mention trapping once, stated habitat loss and degredation were major issues, habitat loss and fewer nest sites is the reason for nest predation issues, populations werent supposed to be as high as they were to begin with, etc. One part they got wrong is the impact of hunting. If liberal regs were the issue then Missouris population wouldnt be down just like the rest. Some states maybe be bumping the additive mortality ceiling but even there almost all of their harvest is compensatory. And, at the end of the day, whether a guy is shooting next years turkey today or not its still a successful hunter and a quality hunting trip.
Habitat and weather.... thats it. Thats all that matters in modern turkey populations.
Well, I have an issue with the Habitat blame. Where I hunt in Kansas, the same habitat has been in place for 30 years or more, same pastures, same fields, same trees, same cropsmaybe more corn) but the turkey population has gone down.
Now 20 miles from where I hunt the habitat is an issue, most pastures are fields now, tree lots and tree rows are gone. You can see for miles and nothing to obstuct your vision or turkeys to nest or hide in.
Now 20 miles from where I hunt the habitat is an issue, most pastures are fields now, tree lots and tree rows are gone. You can see for miles and nothing to obstuct your vision or turkeys to nest or hide in.
If nothing is done to it habitat doesn't stay the same... Trees mature, grasslands change...Well, I have an issue with the Habitat blame. Where I hunt in Kansas, the same habitat has been in place for 30 years or more, same pastures, same fields, same trees, same cropsmaybe more corn) but the turkey population has gone down.
Now 20 miles from where I hunt the habitat is an issue, most pastures are fields now, tree lots and tree rows are gone. You can see for miles and nothing to obstuct your vision or turkeys to nest or hide in.
Weather
Heavy rain and below-average temperatures in May create a double-whammy for poults. Many biologists believe nesting hens are easier for predators to smell when it’s wet, and so more nests are outright destroyed during rainy springs. Young poults are also highly susceptible to freezing to death when rain persists for more than 12 hours and it’s below 52 degrees.
20's THOUGHT - I'SNT SPRING ALWAYS RAINY???????????????
Predators
At the height of the turkey restoration, coyotes weren’t even present in much of the Eastern landscape. Now they’re everywhere. Along with foxes, bobcats, and birds of prey, they account for some turkey predation. But nest predators such as opossums, raccoons, and skunks actually do the most damage. Raccoons account for 50 percent or more of turkey-egg destruction.
20's THOUGHT - IT CLEARLY SAYS NEST PREDATOIOD, HENCE PREDATORS ARE AN ISSUE!
Disease
Turkeys are susceptible to diseases, including blackhead, avian pox, West Nile, and others. Some people have wondered if commercial poultry farms are to blame. A 2016 Tennessee study found a possible link but nothing definitive. Several states are actively testing harvested birds for disease prevalence, but the reality is, not much can be done to control diseases when they are found.
Fewer Nest Sites
Research at the University of Tennessee has tracked hens that moved up to 6 miles from their wintering areas to find nesting sites. The best habitat for poults is full of insects and cover but has an herbaceous layer open enough for the poults to move about in. The best is often a mix of native grasses and forbs, and with changing land-use practices, that type of habitat isn’t as prevalent as it once was.
20's THOUGHT - TURKEY MIGRATE DURING WINTER, NOTHING NEW!!!
Hunter Success
Hunters account for most adult gobbler mortality. How much does that gobbler take affect the turkey population? Maybe more than we thought. It’s a tightrope, balancing hunter expectations with potentially stricter regulations, because we pay the bills and our numbers are declining. But hunter harvest is the one thing state agencies can adjust as they continue population studies
20's THOUGHT - LIBERALIZING SEASONS DURING A PERIOD OF DECLINE IS AT BEST VERY IGNORANT!
Heavy rain and below-average temperatures in May create a double-whammy for poults. Many biologists believe nesting hens are easier for predators to smell when it’s wet, and so more nests are outright destroyed during rainy springs. Young poults are also highly susceptible to freezing to death when rain persists for more than 12 hours and it’s below 52 degrees.
20's THOUGHT - I'SNT SPRING ALWAYS RAINY???????????????
Predators
At the height of the turkey restoration, coyotes weren’t even present in much of the Eastern landscape. Now they’re everywhere. Along with foxes, bobcats, and birds of prey, they account for some turkey predation. But nest predators such as opossums, raccoons, and skunks actually do the most damage. Raccoons account for 50 percent or more of turkey-egg destruction.
20's THOUGHT - IT CLEARLY SAYS NEST PREDATOIOD, HENCE PREDATORS ARE AN ISSUE!
Disease
Turkeys are susceptible to diseases, including blackhead, avian pox, West Nile, and others. Some people have wondered if commercial poultry farms are to blame. A 2016 Tennessee study found a possible link but nothing definitive. Several states are actively testing harvested birds for disease prevalence, but the reality is, not much can be done to control diseases when they are found.
Fewer Nest Sites
Research at the University of Tennessee has tracked hens that moved up to 6 miles from their wintering areas to find nesting sites. The best habitat for poults is full of insects and cover but has an herbaceous layer open enough for the poults to move about in. The best is often a mix of native grasses and forbs, and with changing land-use practices, that type of habitat isn’t as prevalent as it once was.
20's THOUGHT - TURKEY MIGRATE DURING WINTER, NOTHING NEW!!!
Hunter Success
Hunters account for most adult gobbler mortality. How much does that gobbler take affect the turkey population? Maybe more than we thought. It’s a tightrope, balancing hunter expectations with potentially stricter regulations, because we pay the bills and our numbers are declining. But hunter harvest is the one thing state agencies can adjust as they continue population studies
20's THOUGHT - LIBERALIZING SEASONS DURING A PERIOD OF DECLINE IS AT BEST VERY IGNORANT!
we shoot the Toms that gobble and don't shoot those that don't so we are breeding them out...
I shoot the Tom that walks in range.we shoot the Toms that gobble and don't shoot those that don't so we are breeding them out...
You are right and I have mentioned this before. The main thing that has changed is the spraying of the pastures, trees along the creeks, spraying the ditches for invasion plants. It was not done until starting about 8 years ago. I'm not talking just where I hunt but a 20-30 sq mile area. They spray the crap out of it every year, who knows how harmful that stuff is for animals and birds. Kind of like DDT back in the 50-60's.If nothing is done to it habitat doesn't stay the same... Trees mature, grasslands change...
Also, as I have mentioned before, last year I talked to a game biologist and game warden where I hunt(they stopped by to check my bird I was carrying out). Biologist said that usually rain is the main factor in reproduction, in which SE Kansas 2 years in a row had a lot of rain when hens were sitting on eggs, but not in this part of the state. So they were ruling rain out as the main reason since the population has gone down across the midwest.
There is a reason people do not put there dogs/animals out on freshly weed and feeded yards.
Why go through all the hassle of waking up early, buying expensive shells, trying call a stubborn azz bird in against his natural instincts? Just go collect the eggs and fry em up!
Weather
Heavy rain and below-average temperatures in May create a double-whammy for poults. Many biologists believe nesting hens are easier for predators to smell when it's wet, and so more nests are outright destroyed during rainy springs. Young poults are also highly susceptible to freezing to death when rain persists for more than 12 hours and it's below 52 degrees.
20's THOUGHT - I'SNT SPRING ALWAYS RAINY???????????????
Predators
At the height of the turkey restoration, coyotes weren't even present in much of the Eastern landscape. Now they're everywhere. Along with foxes, bobcats, and birds of prey, they account for some turkey predation. But nest predators such as opossums, raccoons, and skunks actually do the most damage. Raccoons account for 50 percent or more of turkey-egg destruction.
20's THOUGHT - IT CLEARLY SAYS NEST PREDATOIOD, HENCE PREDATORS ARE AN ISSUE!
Disease
Turkeys are susceptible to diseases, including blackhead, avian pox, West Nile, and others. Some people have wondered if commercial poultry farms are to blame. A 2016 Tennessee study found a possible link but nothing definitive. Several states are actively testing harvested birds for disease prevalence, but the reality is, not much can be done to control diseases when they are found.
Fewer Nest Sites
Research at the University of Tennessee has tracked hens that moved up to 6 miles from their wintering areas to find nesting sites. The best habitat for poults is full of insects and cover but has an herbaceous layer open enough for the poults to move about in. The best is often a mix of native grasses and forbs, and with changing land-use practices, that type of habitat isn't as prevalent as it once was.
20's THOUGHT - TURKEY MIGRATE DURING WINTER, NOTHING NEW!!!
Hunter Success
Hunters account for most adult gobbler mortality. How much does that gobbler take affect the turkey population? Maybe more than we thought. It's a tightrope, balancing hunter expectations with potentially stricter regulations, because we pay the bills and our numbers are declining. But hunter harvest is the one thing state agencies can adjust as they continue population studies
20's THOUGHT - LIBERALIZING SEASONS DURING A PERIOD OF DECLINE IS AT BEST VERY IGNORANT!
Jakes breed also and we shoot most toms after they have bred the hens.we shoot the Toms that gobble and don't shoot those that don't so we are breeding them out...
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