Turkey Movement on a Property

[Kywoodsman]

     I have a question for everyone. On a specific property I hunt it seems like the presence of turkey is kinda spotty. I hunt deer there every year but have recently started turkey hunting it. For years the only time you would see turkey was in the late spring you would only see a lone hen preparing to nest and then you would see her with her poults in the summer and early fall and then they would be gone for winter. In the spring you would never hear gobbling or see any gobblers, so the only thing I could figure was the hen was traveling a considerable distance away from the toms to prepare for nesting and to nest (probably from the nearby river which is about a 1/2 mile away). Last year though about 6 hens showed up early in the spring and were accompanied by a single tom which I was lucky enough to harvest the second week of season. Well, in the last weeks 12 hens have showed up on the property in the mornings. My question is would you say these hens will still be around in about a month when season comes in or will they probably move on and would you say the gobblers will show up again also? Has anyone else experienced this kind up and down property like this and if so what suddenly makes gobblers show up in the spring like last year after so many years of not being able to find a gobbler anywhere within half a mile of there? Sorry for the overly long post and thanks in advance for any responses.      KYwoodsman

[dirt road ninja]

As long as there is food and they feel safe your birds should stick around. I would bet the lone hen you referred to was bred very near or on your ground as well.

Maybe your area has had a good hatch and the population is growing, or perhaps they lost their old homes to property development or logging. This would be a good time to start habitat improvements on your property to keep them around and to draw more birds in. Glad to hear you have a few now and where there are hens there will be toms.

[honker22]

Similar thing happens on my property each year.  The population is real spotty and I haven't killed a gobbler in a few years, yet each year, we have 1-3 hens show up to nest.  They stay thoughout the summer and leave in early fall.  If those hens stay around, you will have gobblers show up.  Good luck

[GeorgeJR]

On our family farm we have 15-20 around in the spring...  however come fall we have 60-80 birds which makes the winter fields look like they are moving.  Come winter they start to spread back out and by spring back to the normal group.  DNR friend of mine has watched some flocks go 10 miles in the fall over several days.  Interesting to say the least.  Our woods we have natural spring fed into drainage ditches that are open year round (even in Wisconsin winters).  Population is doing very well, but still scratch my head why so many show up around deer season. (Thanksgiving time).  Not sure where you are located, but chances are they may have split from another group and go "visit" their friends at times.

[Kywoodsman]

Thanks guys for the responses. I've still been seeing the birds around the last couple days so i figure they are here to stay. Thanks again.