Something i noticed from last year to this year with Owl's. On one part of the Farm last year we had a lot of Owl's with very little to no gobbling in this area as in years past. Now on the upper end of the farm last year the concentration of Owl's were less with more turkeys and more gobbling in that area. It's strange in my opinion how turkeys are affected by the number of Owls in a location or area. Now back to this year on the same area that had very little gobbling or hen activity last year i heard only one Owl off in a distance and the gobbling / hens roosted in this area was unreal .... So don't think for a minute Owl numbers in an area doesn't affect the roosting of the hen, because in my opinion it has a big effect on them. I'm one of these, people who don't use all these locator calls like Owl hooters ... All I might use during mid-day is a crow crow. But most of the time if I'm trying to strike a bird i'm using a turkey call of some kind ... In my opinion a larger concentration of Owls means less roosting of the hens... IMO.... What's your opinion in your area? Owls?
Owls eat turkeys. You got it.
Barred Owls are a positive for gobbling. Great Horned Owls are another matter.
I agree Greg. I have noticed over the years that places holding larger numbers of owls , I hear less turkey vocalizing. Now I seem to hear more gobbling farther off when I'm surrounded by owls cutting up.
Greg, instead of trying to explain why hen turkeys will try to avoid areas heavy with owls, I thought it pretty much summed it up. They are prey, owls prey on them. Hens need only be in an area a short time to figure out where the least owls are. Especially nesting hens.
Now contrary to all that is that there is a hen on a nest not 60 yds from the tree a Barred owl prefers to rest in. 19 eggs she started to set them on the 19th. 8 ft off the driveway.
Where I've hunted, mainly in Florida, SC and Tennessee, are loaded with owls. Gobblers hammered at my owl calling and at real owls. The other states I've hunted were just quick trips, so I can't comment. But in my experience, I haven't found owls to be a deterrent to gobbling, or turkey activity.
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There is a video out there that I can't find right now of two turkey sitting on a ledge and you are watching for several seconds and you see this orb off in the distance, then all of a sudden this I believe it was a Great Horned Owl comes and snatches the one in back while the other has it's back turned. The one is just left there looking like "Where'd George Go" and seemed very confused. Cat's are another one, if they are around all birds and rabbits are going to be lessened, there needs to be a season on them.
Quote from: ferocious calls on April 21, 2023, 10:26:13 AM
Owls eat turkeys. You got it.
Great horned owls will kill and eat just about everything excluding larger mammals like a deer. With respect to gobbling... I haven't noticed a big difference in areas I hunt with a lot of owls versus areas without.
Growing up around alot of old time turkey hunters, they always said that an owl will snatch or knock a turkey off the roost at night time. I don't know first hand to any of that however. Owls will prey on hens and poults most definitely. As far as owl hooting, I haven't seemed to notice a difference. I will definitely be in the future though. Interesting thought there.
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The last few days the early gobbling I heard was in response to crows rather than owls. Crows are more than tickled to raid turkey nest or hassle poults. Turkeys don't seem to care for either.
I think you will have pretty good data since your able to observe your land year after year. I can't say since I'm hopping around in public land. I do think I have a pretty good owl hoot with my Harrison hooter and I hardly ever get a gobble with it. I think the turkeys get hooted at so much where I'm at they just don't respond to owl hoots as much. Idk
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In the portion of WV I hunt the population of Owls was very high in the late 80's and 90's. So was the turkey population!
There are very few hoot owls here now. And seems to be less turkeys as well but plenty of turkeys for all.
I think owls overall have Very Little effect on turkey population, yes they get some, but some.
Horned owls look huge but are just like a hoot owl, 50% feathers. They ain't real big and I question killing of any mid size mammals. Would doubt they get more than one or two full grown turkeys a year either.
Great horned owls in this area are almost nonexistent. I have only seen a few and I was kid when I seen those. Last one I seen I was 17 years old. It landed beside me while I was bowhunting, on the same limb I was setting on but 3' away.
Ravens do more damage in this area than all owls combined.
Unless it's Great Horned Owls you're hearing/seeing then I think it's purely coincidental. Barred Owls will snatch a poult or juvenile but I doubt they're much of a threat to mature gobblers.
A good sized barred owl is 2 pounds. They are early nesters and February-March is typical. Owls are territorial and if you're seeing "groups" of owls it would be an adult pair and their chick's.
I could see a nesting pair of barred owls "defending" their territory against turkeys, but doubt they are doing much more to turkeys than pestering them to leave.
Great horned owls are about 5 pounds and will take turkeys
Quote from: WV Flopper on April 21, 2023, 04:08:40 PM
In the portion of WV I hunt the population of Owls was very high in the late 80's and 90's. So was the turkey population!
There are very few hoot owls here now. And seems to be less turkeys as well but plenty of turkeys for all.
I think owls overall have Very Little effect on turkey population, yes they get some, but some.
Horned owls look huge but are just like a hoot owl, 50% feathers. They ain't real big and I question killing of any mid size mammals. Would doubt they get more than one or two full grown turkeys a year either.
Great horned owls in this area are almost nonexistent. I have only seen a few and I was kid when I seen those. Last one I seen I was 17 years old. It landed beside me while I was bowhunting, on the same limb I was setting on but 3' away.
Ravens do more damage in this area than all owls combined.
Great horned owls kill mature gobblers. Have had many killed off the roost. Trail cam pics confirm it. They ALWAYS come back the next night. Take it to the bank.
Interesting thread.......
Owls I haven't noticed any difference in gobbling activity. Coyotes are like a light switch here.
Quote from: guesswho on April 22, 2023, 06:58:26 AM
Owls I haven't noticed any difference in gobbling activity. Coyotes are like a light switch here.
Funny you mention that. On my buddy's farm and haven't heard a gobble. First time this has ever happened. We did shoot a coyote about 20 minutes after daylight though.
Owls have been on the increase as turkeys.have decreased over the last several years.