Turkey biology

[krm944]

Good Morning. I just watched this vid with THP and the University of Missouri research project.

https://youtu.be/7_7kpj3eGiI

Has anyone followed this study?
Any critiques of this study?

I am searching for updates to this study as I think the information gleaned is amazing.

[Dtrkyman]

I saw the video, have not seen any updates either.  I assume THP will post videos on the projects they have seen in the past in their off season videos.

I have hunted Missouri since the mid 90s and have seen the decline first hand, Missouri always had some of the better public lands with food plots and brooding habitat mixed in with the natural habitat so it will be interesting what they come up with.

Generally habitat is the major issue, invasives in the midwest are certainly a problem, particularly bush honeysuckle, but the fact it is a state wide issue and even most of the country is having similar issues there are a multitude of problems.

Good thing is there are a lot of projects going now that it has gotten some attention, I still think putting all of that money into habitat projects and trapping would be more effective but that is just an opinion, though an educated one from the stand point of a former land manager.

Everyone is looking for the smoking gun that is the cause but it is not just one thing.

The trend now is to chit on all the youtubers, at least THP is using some of their influence and money to help the resource!

[krm944]

I sent an email to The Hunting Public and asked if they had any updates. I wasn't sincerely expecting a reply as they are on tour. Aaron actually replied and the study group won't release any preliminary findings until they are peer reviewed post study.

Shane Simpson did an interesting experiment with some chicken eggs in mock nests. 3 of his 4 nests were destroyed by a badger, skunk and crows- surprisingly no raccoons! I think this will be a great experiment to replicate with my son

https://youtu.be/sSRo8T-aKeM

I have noticed the animosity against the YouTubers and agree THP has done great things for conservation and education.

[deerhunt1988]

The trend now is to chit on all the youtubers, at least THP is using some of their influence and money to help the resource!

But can you even put a monetary value on the amount of public land hunting opportunity lost because of the YouTubers? Brew on that a bit.

Ok, they help raise $50k for a study that requires $500k+ to execute. Cool.

In the process, they cost thousands of publc land hunters hunting opportunities, possibly indefinitely.

Is the trade worth it?

[Mossyguy]

But can you even put a monetary value on the amount of public land hunting opportunity lost because of the YouTubers? Brew on that a bit.

Ok, they help raise $50k for a study that requires $500k+ to execute. Cool.

In the process, they cost thousands of publc land hunters hunting opportunities, possibly indefinitely.

Is the trade worth it?

This man knows a thing or two because he's seen a thing or two

[krm944]

So your argument is Public for me, not for thee? I'm not understanding what opportunity is lost?

[deerhunt1988]

So your argument is Public for me, not for thee? I'm not understanding what opportunity is lost?

You haven't been keeping up very closely if you aren't aware of the tremendous amount of public land hunting opportunities that we have recently lost that have been fueled by the commercialization and exploitation of our public land resources. All so a few can make a couple bucks and get some fame from their boy crushers.

[GobbleNut]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but just once I would like to see somebody say,..."This is what we are studying. These are the known and/or anticipated outcomes of the study,...and THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN, OR PROPOSE, TO DO ABOUT IT!" 
Unfortunately, I NEVER see the "AND THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING ABOUT IT" part. 
News Flash For All Researchers:  Quit telling us ONLY what the problems are.  Start telling us what the SOLUTIONS might be!

[Greg Massey]

No most of the time the answers we get from these so called studies , is lets move the season back or lets shorten the season...  I'm like you GobbleNut i was to see what they propose or what future plans are in making some better decisions, than the 2/3 obvious ones like, lets move the season or shorten the season and lets take birds away from the limit you can kill. 

[silvestris]

Every time a human goes through the forest, the turkeys get a little wiser.  When a bunch goes running and occasionally somehow killing one, they get real smart/wild.  Keep preaching, Nathan, a small number may learn something.

[Dtrkyman]

Fine point Gobblenut, that's why I would prefer money go to habitat first and trapping next!

THP is not responsible for the decline of the turkey population, nor are hunters in most cases!


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[ScottTaulbee]

I sent an email to The Hunting Public and asked if they had any updates. I wasn't sincerely expecting a reply as they are on tour. Aaron actually replied and the study group won't release any preliminary findings until they are peer reviewed post study.

Shane Simpson did an interesting experiment with some chicken eggs in mock nests. 3 of his 4 nests were destroyed by a badger, skunk and crows- surprisingly no raccoons! I think this will be a great experiment to replicate with my son

https://youtu.be/sSRo8T-aKeM

I have noticed the animosity against the YouTubers and agree THP has done great things for conservation and education.

I was listening to the wild turkey research podcast the other day and they were talking about a study they had done with fake eggs and fake nests, covered and uncovered. I forget the amount of nest they done but the uncovered ones had a 30 something % failure whereas the covered ones had a 70 something % failure. They covered them in burlap that had been left outside for months and took scent free precautions when placing it. But, having a trapping background, you can never be scent free, they always know you've been there. Not sure if you can judge that study accurately or not...

And for the guys who want to help public hunting, join the Backcountry Hunters And Anglers. There is a chapter in nearly every state, I've been a life member since 2019 and was a district coordinator for my chapter for a couple years. I can tell you that they do more for public lands users and public lands than turkey for tomorrow or NWTF ever thought of. I can't speak on the guys at the top but Every guy on the board in a local or regional setting is 100% volunteer. There is no pay or handouts to those guys and instead of "give me money so I can find out when turkeys gobble" the BHA uses the money either from fundraising locally or from the pockets of the chapter leaders and makes things happen. They fight daily for your public land rights regardless of how you use the land. Several times a year our chapter holds "clean ups" where they pick a WMA or National Forest, rent a dumpster, buy contractors bags and gather a group of volunteers, usually the chapter leaders and family and they comb the place with a fine tooth comb and pick up any litter, tires, etc for the whole day and pick up hundreds of pounds of trash to make the land better and help the habitat, they stock trout in streams, and countless other things for the public land "owners"


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[makestomstremble]

Unfortunately, people are not smart enough to figure out what is happening to the turkeys. We have the same problem with quail. I live in Oklahoma and we used to have some of the best quail hunting found anywhere, you will find very few birds now. The ODWC is doing a study to try to discover what the problem is with the quail, but so far I don't believe we really know the answer(s). Starting our season later and reducing the spring bag limit from three birds to one is what they (OWDC) have come up with so far. I believe the main cause for the decline is something else.

[dah]

 makesometrouble, you are correct , I am in central Oklahoma and the main problem is something other than bag limit and start date . Turkeys flourished here with the start date and bag limit , and how long was this in place in the south east with no positive result . Our wildlife department reacts , they are not pro-active . and it takes an earthquake to get the reaction . I don't believe the department has enough serious personal until you get the earthquake . I do want to credit them on our public lands , they do make an effort and use good vision . I am puzzled by turkey numbers , I have access to private land that was loaded with birds here in central , could take your bird and move to the next county . This land has been in the family forty years . Bird numbers way down there now , same scenario on private in central Texas . I am starting to lean that bird numbers were to high and mother nature caught up , like to many frogs in the pond .

[jhoward11]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but just once I would like to see somebody say,..."This is what we are studying. These are the known and/or anticipated outcomes of the study,...and THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN, OR PROPOSE, TO DO ABOUT IT!" 
Unfortunately, I NEVER see the "AND THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING ABOUT IT" part. 
News Flash For All Researchers:  Quit telling us ONLY what the problems are.  Start telling us what the SOLUTIONS might be!

Kinda reminds me of pharmaceuticals. If you fix the problems, you won't have a job. Or you won't get the funding. Bring back trapping with payouts and you'll see the population go back up. There, I fixed it. Please send the funding money to???