Wild Turkey population is tanking across most of its range

[H20fwler]

In the area I grew up in SE MN, turkeys were absent until the mid 90's, and once they arrived, their numbers exploded. My theory is that the predators in the area had any experience hunting them, so there was little natural control. The hunting was unbelievable in the early 2000's, and it was pretty rare to take more than a day to fill a spring turkey tag. I would estimate today that the turkey numbers are half what they were during the peak, despite no major changes in habitat quality. I've watched coyote packs hunting turkeys and they clearly know to hunt them these days.

Our turkey numbers are still pretty good, but I really doubt they will ever reach the numbers in the early 2000's.

Maybe

Around here a couple of the younger guys chase them like crazy, they always try and shoot two gobblers then start taking friends out to shoot their two. Happens on the farm right next to me.
Our county was never a popular turkey destination with any kind of numbers to notice.
Making it a two bird county was just stupid.

Even the southern part of the state that used to have a LOT of turkeys for decades is a shadow of what it used to be since the two gobbler and a hen in fall limits went into place.

I think absolutely everything eats turkeys, I’ve called in yotes, eagles, feral cats, fox and even had a red tailed hawk swoop a decoy while hunting. And raccoons go after turkey nests like sweet corn.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Maybe

Around here a couple of the younger guys chase them like crazy, they always try and shoot two gobblers then start taking friends out to shoot their two. Happens on the farm right next to me.
Our county was never a popular turkey destination with any kind of numbers to notice.
Making it a two bird county was just stupid.

Even the southern part of the state that used to have a LOT of turkeys for decades is a shadow of what it used to be since the two gobbler and a hen in fall limits went into place.

I think absolutely everything eats turkeys, I’ve called in yotes, eagles, feral cats, fox and even had a red tailed hawk swoop a decoy while hunting. And raccoons go after turkey nests like sweet corn.

I know a guy like you describe in ky. Drives me insane. Has to get his two and then starts taking everyone and their cousin to get theirs. That’s a taker not a steward.

 

[SwampCat]

Until this year, turkeys would not show up on my place until March. Never see them in the fall in the past ten years. This year, they have been here since last fall. We have very few coyotes, a lot of bobcats, very few rabbits, snakes, and very few cotton rats. We have a fair coon, possum and skunk population. But, between trapping and thermal hunting, they are pretty well persecuted. I have a feeder on one piece of land a few miles away where I do not trap coons or thermal hunt them. Common to see 15 or more at the feeder. On my home ground, maybe two at a feeder. Used to have a lot of hogs, but they have been absent for the last six months. We have never had many rabbits.

I think it is fairly difficult to successfully manage turkeys on smaller acreage, like my 350 acres. I have had a few turkey for the past five or six years in the spring - where my neighbors have had none. But my neighbors do absolutely no wildlife management of any kind. there is this small transient population that annually moves to my land because of better habitat than surrounding cattle ground. I can see a noticeable difference in my deer herd since I have owned the place. Cant really say that about any other species.

 

[Mtyhunter]

On my current lease i've been on for 10 years, the place initially had more turkeys than i could shake a stick at. every year seemed to be less and less, and about 4 years ago we didn't see a single turkey in person or on camera. Everyone in oklahoma I knew was singing the same verse, and it was disturbing. the year after that, had 3 jakes and a hen show up. next year, the number doubled. This last fall, I have cam pics with more than 30 turkeys in one pic. We obviously didn't hunt any turkeys the last 5 years. I haven't scouted this year yet, but I'm sure most of them survived, as the winter hasn't been too bad.
The only thing I've done to maybe help the situation was having a buddy come to our place who knew how to trap coons. I never knew about the impact coons had on the turkeys until i saw it on this forum, so i asked him to come out. I knew there were coons out there, but didn't know he'd trap around 30 in a 3 month span. I also went on a coyote hunting spree, and managed to get about 10 in the last few years. I don't think my actions were completely responsible for the turnaround, but I'm sure it helped.
I've shot turkeys out to 40 yds a few times, but, its most satisfying getting them in your lap and making a 5 yd shot. I've spent some time patterning my shots, so I've never considered shooting past 40yds. i could prob get a pellet or 2 in a bird at 50-70yds, but then I'd have to shoot more than once. Since i'm a one and done guy when it comes to shots, i need to get them closer for sure.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I believe predator numbers are way up compared to when trapping was decent profit years ago. Remember finding a big ole coon under our huntn cabin in the winter as a kid. Would guess died of mouse poison or something. Prices were good. We got $25 for that one frozen like a rock and not skinned. Nice looking pelt though. Inflation calculator says that is $97 in today's dollars. Never saw a coyote or wolf back then ever. Saw a fox once doing a deer drive. Now hear coyotes howling at night from my house fairly often. Coons are all over. Imagine at $100 each folks would put a hurt on their numbers.

 

[Turkish]

With the proliferation of baiting, we should expect nest predator populations to be through the roof. I don’t really see TSS as an existential threat to huntable populations.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

With the proliferation of baiting, we should expect nest predator populations to be through the roof. I don’t really see TSS as an existential threat to huntable populations.

I don’t think it’s the smoking gun, no pun intended, but i absolutely think it’s a negative when the species needs all the help it can get. If distance isn’t a variable then we might as well use rifles.

 

[Turkish]

I don’t think it’s the smoking gun, no pun intended, but i absolutely think it’s a negative when the species needs all the help it can get. If distance isn’t a variable then we might as well use rifles.

Shooting wellll over the limit in the Deep South turkey woods has been a badge of honor among the hardcore turkey hunters for decades (back when copper plated shot was cutting edge). You don’t hear it talked about because they all did it. I think what’s not well appreciated is how ubiquitous it was for even some guys that are pretty highly regarded today as ambassadors for the sport.

Point is… there are bigger problems with the harvest habits of turkey hunters than the shot type. Chief among those problems is abiding by the limit.

 

[Turkish]

Funny TSS story, so I don’t turn this into an argument…

My first or second season using it for turkey hunting, I called in a turkey and killed it. While I was admiring him, a group of tiny little wild piglets came running by me. Instinctively, I threw up and started dropping them like a covey of obese pigeons. I shot 2 with the shells I had left in the gun and immediately reached in my pocket for more shells, with some pigs still close by. Then I had a moment of clarity about how much those little 15lb piglets were costing me at $10+ per trigger pull. I’m pretty sure I said out loud, “you idiot.”

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Shooting wellll over the limit in the Deep South turkey woods has been a badge of honor among the hardcore turkey hunters for decades (back when copper plated shot was cutting edge). You don’t hear it talked about because they all did it. I think what’s not well appreciated is how ubiquitous it was for even some guys that are pretty highly regarded today as ambassadors for the sport.

Point is… there are bigger problems with the harvest habits of turkey hunters than the shot type. Chief among those problems is abiding by the limit.

In your next of the woods would you happen to be referring to guys that make game calls and or guys with a tree on their shirts?

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Never saw any turkeys on our farm growing up. Then it seemed like overnight we had a steady population pushing 30-40 year round. Never hunted them, just enjoyed watching. Now on our new family farm, I see sometimes upwards of 50 on adjacent properties on a very regular basis. Hoping with the establishment of cover, we'll start to see some make their way on over. Agreed on the OP, no one should be taking shots on wild game of any type when the distance is questionable.

 

[Turkish]

In your next of the woods would you happen to be referring to guys that make game calls and or guys with a tree on their shirts?

I’m not trying to call anyone out. My point is that it was a cultural norm. Kinda like shooting an extra dove on opening day to them. I think the recent talks about turkey numbers has caused some folks to slow down, which is good. With that said, some of the early Primos guys that started as cameramen were absolute assassins!

Mossy Oak folks were from the north part of the state. At least lately, I’ve grown to really appreciate that group and feel like their “Gamekeeper” schtick is genuine for the top brass. Too busy counting money to poach.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I’m not trying to call anyone out. My point is that it was a cultural norm. Kinda like shooting an extra dove on opening day to them. I think the recent talks about turkey numbers has caused some folks to slow down, which is good. With that said, some of the early Primos guys that started as cameramen were absolute assassins!

Mossy Oak folks were from the north part of the state. At least lately, I’ve grown to really appreciate that group and feel like their “Gamekeeper” schtick is genuine for the top brass. Too busy counting money to poach.

I really like the gamekeeper podcast. Toxey seems to be a legitimate good humble guy.

 

[Turkish]

I really like the gamekeeper podcast. Toxey seems to be a legitimate good humble guy.

Did you catch the one last year where they were wringing their hands over the dismal outlook for the wild turkey and Dudley asked Toxey how many he had killed the last season? Surprised Dudley still has a job.

ETA: I think it was a quail episode. Toxey was going on and on about how could never dream of shooting one. They transitioned to turkeys, then Dudley dropped his bomb. Lmao.

 

[buckdeer1]

Its been at least 10 yearrs when the turkey population started falling almost across the US.First time we saw it was we started finding sick or dead turkeys shed hunting.Fish and Wildlife didn't know what was going on but I talked to guys in other counties that were seeing same thing. The it was in other states.I saw a study the other day that only 3% of toms hatched make it to be a 3 year old tom.Thats not from over hunting in most cases it's from lack of good nesting and nest predators. I can't figure why some states limit the number of bearded turkeys in a way as it's always been said that no matter what animal the population of females is what dictates numbers. One tom will breed every hen that will stand still. For several years we didn't turkey hunt but it was there were no turkeys. I can tell you that the fall before they went to crap I shot something like the 137th turkey to walk out in the field in front of me that day during fall season when they were bunched up. Four months later we saw 1 tom the whole season. I have seen a good amount of most age groups this year so hopefully they are back on the upswing.

 

[Mortenson]

Did you catch the one last year where they were wringing their hands over the dismal outlook for the wild turkey and Dudley asked Toxey how many he had killed the last season? Surprised Dudley still has a job.

ETA: I think it was a quail episode. Toxey was going on and on about how could never dream of shooting one. They transitioned to turkeys, then Dudley dropped his bomb. Lmao.

No clue who those guys are, but did Toxey answer? I assume he must've shot a few. Do those guys also hop many states shooting up all the nice young bucks and donating the meat or recovering it the following 80 degree morning?

 

[SwampCat]

If you havent ever listened to this podcast - probably one of the best for all round discussion that I have heard. Of course, it features Craig Harper - everything from season opening dates to the need to thin your native grass. Good stuff

 

[Turkish]

If you havent ever listened to this podcast - probably one of the best for all round discussion that I have heard. Of course, it features Craig Harper - everything from season opening dates to the need to thin your native grass. Good stuff

Surprised you give them the time of day since they aren’t too high on the “predators are the problem” theory. ;)

 

[Catscratch]

Not sure what podcasts I've listened to and not listened to, but one of them talked heavily about Aflotoxins due to baiting being very bad for turkeys. Also listened to one that said owls were very high on the list of turkey killers.

 

[SwampCat]

Surprised you give them the time of day since they aren’t too high on the “predators are the problem” theory. ;)

That is not what I took from it. Go to around the 44 min mark or so and listen - harper states “the big limiting factor that we have easily identified is predators”.

I dont take that statement as “arent too high on the predators are the problem theory”. I guess we just have different interpretations of his statement