I was fortunate enough to be contacted by our state's biologists in reference to their project on Maryland's turkey population. They had interest in a parcel of land I hunt on the Eastern Shore, and since I am an avid turkey hunter, the club president thought best they contact me for questions concerning the flock and their movement. The project would lead to the biologists tagging two hens with transmitters, with one nesting near my stand location for deer. To this day, both remain tagged and appear to be surviving well. I thought I would share the results of some of their progress so far with this study. The link below is provided. For those not familiar with the state of Maryland, the western region is mountainous with the eastern region being flat thick woods with some open parcels. Some parts of the eastern counties are swampy while other have open hardwoods. I found this particularly interesting when you look at the difference in predation from owls.
https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/MD-wild-turkey-research-project-update_9_24.pdf
https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/MD-wild-turkey-research-project-update_9_24.pdf
That is pretty cool.
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Quote from: Will on February 06, 2025, 05:56:52 PMI was fortunate enough to be contacted by our state's biologists in reference to their project on Maryland's turkey population. They had interest in a parcel of land I hunt on the Eastern Shore, and since I am an avid turkey hunter, the club president thought best they contact me for questions concerning the flock and their movement. The project would lead to the biologists tagging two hens with transmitters, with one nesting near my stand location for deer. To this day, both remain tagged and appear to be surviving well. I thought I would share the results of some of their progress so far with this study. The link below is provided. For those not familiar with the state of Maryland, the western region is mountainous with the eastern region being flat thick woods with some open parcels. Some parts of the eastern counties are swampy while other have open hardwoods. I found this particularly interesting when you look at the difference in predation from owls.
https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/MD-wild-turkey-research-project-update_9_24.pdf
https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/MD-wild-turkey-research-project-update_9_24.pdf
Nice job.
Awesome!
Thank you for sharing this.
Nice work! Some of the poult survival rates coming out of these studies are extremely alarming.
Great Horned Owl. I have only one highly suggestive experience with the owl (I do frequently hear them early and late in the day and frequently if out in the dark). Several years ago I was boehunting for deer and came up on three gobbler carcasses. All apparently were roosted in the same tree, and I surmised that was the work of the Great Horned Owl, a federal protected species.
It's eye opening how much predation has affected the populations
Quote from: Zobo on February 06, 2025, 09:29:50 PMIt's eye opening how much predation has affected the populations
I thought the same thing. I couldn't believe how much influence predation had on the population. Owls too, I have heard the same where owls are deadly on turkeys at night. There is a higher number of owl predation in the western portion versus the eastern and I wonder if this is because of more open mountainous terrain.
I have noticed, in my opinion, clear cutting has an impact. I have one area I hunt where clear cutting has slowed, and I the numbers of turkeys I see are lower than years we had a number of clear cuts throughout the property. In others parcels I hunt; we have substantial clear cuts around our properties and the numbers are high. I do believe cover is key to these birds' survival in the nesting stage.
Thanks Will, first for participating in this and second for posting, as a relative newbie to Eastern shore, 21 yrs, I have found it easier to go and hunt New Jersey, closer to where I live and better population of birds. I wish Maryland would go to a tag system like Jersey does, limit the number of people hunting per day. I know here in Cecil County the building that is going on has affected a lot of animals. Loss of land has condensed turkeys and predators into smaller areas.
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent research, field work and data collection/analysis. I knew owls were hard on roosted turkeys, but to me conventional wisdom has been foxes/yotes, raccoons and skunks having a more significant predation impact.
Thanks for sharing the link.
They just had a MD wildlife biologist involved with this study on the Wild Turkey Science Podcast talking about the state of the wild turkey in MD. Seems red fox are pretty tough on nesting hens in the eastern part of the state.
That is excellent!
Quote from: Paulmyr on February 17, 2025, 10:06:01 PMThey just had a MD wildlife biologist involved with this study on the Wild Turkey Science Podcast talking about the state of the wild turkey in MD. Seems red fox are pretty tough on nesting hens in the eastern part of the state.
Need more coyotes? :toothy12: They are tough on red fox.
Quote from: Treerooster on February 18, 2025, 08:39:17 PMQuote from: Paulmyr on February 17, 2025, 10:06:01 PMThey just had a MD wildlife biologist involved with this study on the Wild Turkey Science Podcast talking about the state of the wild turkey in MD. Seems red fox are pretty tough on nesting hens in the eastern part of the state.
Need more coyotes? :toothy12: They are tough on red fox.
The guy didn't get into it much but the coyotes mainly inhabit the western part of the state and red fox the eastern shore. Anecdotally turkey populations are doing better in the western part of the state.
Quote from: Paulmyr on February 18, 2025, 10:02:55 PMQuote from: Treerooster on February 18, 2025, 08:39:17 PMQuote from: Paulmyr on February 17, 2025, 10:06:01 PMThey just had a MD wildlife biologist involved with this study on the Wild Turkey Science Podcast talking about the state of the wild turkey in MD. Seems red fox are pretty tough on nesting hens in the eastern part of the state.
Need more coyotes? :toothy12: They are tough on red fox.
The guy didn't get into it much but the coyotes mainly inhabit the western part of the state and red fox the eastern shore. Anecdotally turkey populations are doing better in the western part of the state.
I am pretty much in the camp (also anecdotally, based on my personal observations) that coyote predation on wild turkeys is relatively minimal. I have observed coyote and turkey interactions on a number of occasions here and there seems to be a mutual understanding between them that they will go about their businesses without much concern for each other. Now, I am sure that coyotes will look for an opening to snatch an unaware turkey on occasion, but in each instance I have witnessed, every turkey in the area was quite aware of the coyote's presence and paid close attention to his actions... keeping an eyeball on him with obvious clear intent to take evasive action if needed. ...I suppose I will get more concerned with coyotes when they learn how to fly... ;D :angel9:
I suspect, as others here might be suggesting, that coyote predation on turkeys is more than offset by the benefits of them preying on the smaller predators that can have seemingly much more impact on turkey populations.
Yeah, that balance of nature thing we humans are so readily willing to upset with our greed and our amazing ability to be shortsighted, looking only at what we think might benefit us in the near future and not taking in the whole picture.
The fox bit intrigued me. Last spring I was hunting a state on the east shore and saw more red foxes in 2 days than I had the previous 3+ years combined. I had no clue red foxes were that thick anywhere!! It was nice to see them instead of coyotes that plague everywhere else. My friend actually got to watch 2 foxes unsuccessfully try and take down a hen.