Turkey Numbers

[JMalin]

Texas has more corn feeders than any state in the nation. Tilting at windmills if you think corn is a big factor in turkey populations declining.

[Greg Massey]

No doubt predators are a problem I think we all agree. But habitat improvements is something that is needed to help increase the number of turkeys. I've seen what habitat improvements have done in our area with CRP land, this is areas we don't bush hog on a regular bases, we have done some forest tree cutting and opened up the forest canopy and we have planted and maintained food plots mainly clover. Overall our turkey numbers have increased.

Regardless if this is the same stories /issues helping keep awareness about the way others made improvements with trying to increase turkey numbers is a good thing in my turkey story book. If you care you will always share your opinions.  I Agree most of us have a concern about the wild turkeys and the resources. What about you

[Tom007]

No doubt predators are a problem I think we all agree. But habitat improvements is something that is needed to help increase the number of turkeys. I've seen what habitat improvements have done in our area with CRP land, this is areas we don't bush hog on a regular bases, we have done some forest tree cutting and opened up the forest canopy and we have planted and maintained food plots mainly clover. Overall our turkey numbers have increased.

Regardless if this is the same stories /issues helping keep awareness about the way others made improvements with trying to increase turkey numbers is a good thing in my turkey story book. If you care you will always share your opinions.  I Agree most of us have a concern about the wild turkeys and the resources. What about you

Agreed Greg,
There's always the sarcastic ones that could care less as long as their not affected...

[stinkpickle]

Turkey numbers seem to be pretty steady where I hunt.  Although I haven't seen any big jumps in raccoons, opossums, skunks, coyotes, or other nest raiders, birds of prey have become MUCH more populous.  Perhaps the recent dry nesting seasons have countered that, though. 

[zelmo1]

Corn feeders aren't picky, they attract all animals. Raccoons being one of the most numerous. More raccoons, less nests are successful, it's basic math. If you feed the turkeys, use something other than corn. Z

[slicksbeagles1]

All have stated good points that are agreeable! There is a study fixing to come out by the TFT and I think Iowa that I am wanting to see. Farming practices aren't helping anything either and I understand that they are trying to make all they can but in my opinion the no till drill farming has hurt all wildlife dramatically. Who would have ever thought a squirrel was a nest raider!

[mdmitchell]

All have stated good points that are agreeable! There is a study fixing to come out by the TFT and I think Iowa that I am wanting to see. Farming practices aren't helping anything either and I understand that they are trying to make all they can but in my opinion the no till drill farming has hurt all wildlife dramatically. Who would have ever thought a squirrel was a nest raider!

I'm not trying to argue but how do you figure that no till is BAD for wildlife?

[slicksbeagles1]

mdmitchell It seems that herbicide kills unwanted plants in the corp fields and by doing so 1) there are no more buffers around the fields that used to be good cover used for raising there young, protection for rabbits, quail, and turkeys 2) if ingested will it harm the animals? It can humans! 3) I don't know for sure but do they use pesticides? This could also be ingested through what the animals eat! 4) I don't know about this either what is used to inoculate the seed can it cause problems? 5)This is not necessarily a no till drill problem it could be any crop. Is animal manure type fertilizer spreading disease? Possibly the bird flu when using chicken manure? 

[mdmitchell]

mdmitchell It seems that herbicide kills unwanted plants in the corp fields and by doing so 1) there are no more buffers around the fields that used to be good cover used for raising there young, protection for rabbits, quail, and turkeys 2) if ingested will it harm the animals? It can humans! 3) I don't know for sure but do they use pesticides? This could also be ingested through what the animals eat! 4) I don't know about this either what is used to inoculate the seed can it cause problems? 5)This is not necessarily a no till drill problem it could be any crop. Is animal manure type fertilizer spreading disease? Possibly the bird flu when using chicken manure?

Yeah the herbicide use isn't exclusive to no till. My dad's an agronomist so I grew up around it. But I do agree with you overall - modern farming practices are probably the single biggest threat to habitat. Whether it's tile use instead of water ways, lack of filter strips, clearing fencerows and woodlots for a few extra bushels, etc...

[mountainhunter1]

Everyone needs to get on board with improving habitat, especially for brood period. Whatever we are doing for habitat, that needs to be increased 300-500 percent. We need to address the predator factor, but really good habitat can help with that more than many realize.

So, I am with not only in agreement with paulmyer, but Chestercopperpot on this one - Corn needs to be addressed yesterday. I have waited for nearly five years of observation to make sure my hypothesis was true before saying anything. Corn is destroying the public land hunting where I live as much if not more than any other factor. I have killed a lot of turkeys, so don't try to sell others or myself that we just cannot cut it out there. But corn on the ground is anything but the turkey's friend. Beyond what is wrong with corn that has already been said by others in this current discussion, corn on the ground all the way around the perimeter of a public track that is say 25,000 acres, is pulling the birds completely off of public and onto private ground. The guys sitting by the corn pile on private are having a field day, while I know good hunters who are going the whole season now on public and hearing only a gobble or two the whole season in the heart of some of the local WMA's. That is because the birds are not there, they are on the corn piles on the private lands. And say what you want, but sitting on a corn pile is not turkey hunting.

[Bottomland OG]

I feel as though everything that everyone has mentioned is a part of the problem. I'm not saying things that go along with farming that was named isn't harmful but take Kansas for example turkey population was off the charts in early 2000's and not a lot of hunters, by 2010 hunter numbers were rising fast and turkey population was in a decline. I witnessed it first hand. People were farming way before the turkey population got so high. Next example the Ozark mountains. Missouri and Arkansas both had awesome hunting in the 90's but the hunter plague came through and now they almost non existent in comparison to what it used to be like. Hardly any farm in those parts so we can't blame that on farming. Tennessee is another prime example there decline happened not long after the world got out about how good the hunting was. This just few states that I was blessed to be able to hunt when it was what I called good. Is it just a coincidence? I personally don't think it is but that's just my 2 cents. We have a 500 acre farm in this region I trap around a hundred critters a year off the place and have for several years now some years there more bird than other years. I keep clover plots on parts, hay fields and you name it. I go above and beyond for the turkeys. With all that being said a couple years ago I had 8 longbeards on the place. I hunted public never shot the first one off this place, my neighbor has a couple grandkids and when I say grandkids they are grown with there own family's but them boys killed all 8 of them birds that year. This year there was one and I hope he made it. So you throw in everything that everyone else is saying plus a few bad years for hatching and it extremelyr the hens to rebound from it. 

[Kyle_Ott]

Predation has changed in a myriad of ways.

Nest predator populations have certainly exploded as the fur market crashed and as large blocks of land previously trapped/ coon hunted now have unchecked nest predator populations.

Poult predation has also changed.  Coyotes are abundant virtually everywhere, bobcats are more plentiful than ever and the WORST culprit and least discussed is avian predation.  Falcons, hawks and eagles exterminate poults, plain and simple.

And then we have humans in the spring.....  We kill at an astoundingly efficient rate and we do it in volume each year between March-June around the country.

When you consider that brood habitat is virtually non-existent in many areas of the country, it's no wonder turkey numbers are falling precipitously.

Between the habitat issues, the critter predation and the sheer number of turkeys we as human beings kill it's a recipe for disaster.

I don't want to think about the 25 year outlook for wild turkeys across the majority of the landscape.  Like elk and mule deer, the demand for wild turkeys is insatiable and their reproduction rates simply cannot satisfy it.

[WV Flopper]

Man is the Biggest Predator!

Realize and it will get better, excuse and it will only get worse!

[nativeks]

I agree with almost all the perspectives shared, but I strongly agree with the habitat findings. We've always had predators and turkeys done well. I do think raccoons are a much more prevalent since the fur market crashed. However, if we have good habitat I think their impact is much less. I also think Human encroachment is impacting turkeys. More and more land is being swallowed up and developed in some form.

When it comes to habitat, most landowners just do not give a dam. If it cost money to do or it doesn't make them money they aren't interested. One way to augment this is for conservation agencies and sportsmen's groups to pay up for habitat projects. Put money in their hands and landowners will do it. This is expensive, but every little bit helps. I would like to see some public information posted on web site as to what good habitat looks like and how to get it established. Research is useless paper if findings are never implemented. I know NWTF has made some efforts towards this, but I suspect they spend way more on member recruitment and social programs. I won't knock salaries, because someone has to do the work. I would like to see a program like the CRP program for forest land.

Kansas has Habitat First. They still can't get landowners to sign up. I used it for native grass restoration and tree removal, but I am a needle in a haystack on the landscape. Actually had a Jake strutting in my south field this year, but I haven't shot a turkey since 2020. I am still a sponsor member of our NWTF as our chapter does a lot of good work.
https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Private-Landowner-Assistance/Wildlife-Biologists/Habitat-First-Program/Practice-Descriptions/Practice-Descriptions-Specifications

[eggshell]

That's sadly the common response around the country NativeKS. Thank you for your part and work. I don't know whatthe answer is. Besides money it takes time and equipment and those are both items that are a premium to farmers or absent for forest land owners. I don't know if it would be feasible for wildlife agencies and organizations to develop mobile teams to do work or not. Your talking a huge price tag. I am guilty as well. I have the equipment and the time and I could do more. I do have a plan in place on my small farm, but I need to change a couple fallow fields to better plantings. One by the woods is all fescue and I need to convert it to clover. I have managed my timber to preserve mast producers and enhance understory and travel lanes. I have ponds for water as well. The rub is the family has probably 10 remote fields in forest lands and none of them are managed for turkeys. I would have to trans port my equipment to the farm to do the work, but convincing them to purchase the required seed is unlikely. They are happy with the fescue fields they just mow once a year. If they got paid to do it they might I'd donate the time and my equipment and I know a buddy that would donate his equipment as well. I have brought it up and got "we'll think about it" as an answer. Seed, fertilizer and fuel for just a couple large food plots and clover for a few acres of fields would run in excess of $ 2,000.00. When you tell non hunting landowners it'll mean more wildlife they just answer there's plenty of wildlife now. Why should I spend that money? Farmers will often think, "yeah more deer to eat my crops". It's a tough sell for sure.