Banded birds

[Chris O]

I was just wondering if any of you have banded turkeys or used to have in your State?Years ago in my county in Iowa we didn't have turkey hunting.We only had certain zones of the state that we could hunt.Eventually the DNR started trapping and relocating birds to help populate more areas of the State.My dad was lucky enough to kill one of the original banded birds that the DNR transplanted in our county and was a very cool trophy.That bird was on his fifth spring when he was killed And weighed 23lbs and had a good beard and spurs but I don't remember the actual lengths. I was just curious if any of you had any similar stories?The bird was caught and released as a Jake and was trapped by Lake Redhaw for any of you Iowan's that might live by there or know where it is.

[Will]

In the mid 2000's there was a sport shop named Dave's just outside of Salisbury Maryland in Somerset County Maryland. In the back he had a turkey mounted full strut. The bird had a NWTF leg band and he mentioned this bird was a transplant bird killed on the Eastern Shore. Transplanted from Western Maryland. He has since closed shop but I remember it well. Wish I was lucky enough to bag one.   

[Happy]

Non of our turkeys have been talented enough to be in a band.

On a serious note I did research and we have never had turkeys stocked into our area. Extreme Western Md/Wv was the last holdout of the wild turkey population in Md. Supposedly we have pure strain around here. I do remember them trapping and sending birds to the MD eastern shore when I was younger.

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[Hook hanger]

They are banding them in extreme north missouri last couple years and next couple.

[TauntoHawk]

had a trail cam pics some years back of one when we looked into it the only banding and release in the area had been 7yrs prior about a mile away but never killed him.

[fountain2]

I went with an outfitter in Kansas a few years back, Misty morning outfitters, and they habe killed several.  They have actually killed a lot.  I'm not sure why there are than many in that area, but they kill several every year.  There could possibly be some tagging done outside of the dnr department may be, I don't know.  I do know they kill several every year

[honker22]

My first bird ever, was an original transplant.  I killed him in 1996 (first year that turkey season opened), he was transplanted and released in 1989... I'm assuming as a jake but I can't remember.  I had no clue what was clanking on his leg when I shot it.

Also, killed 2 banded birds 8-10 years ago maybe.  The state was doing some type of turkey research. They had been caught in February and banded about 3-4 miles from where I killed them.

[Tail Feathers]

I killed a banded bird on my lease a few years ago.  Two birds came out, I got the second one.
It was banded the years before as a jake. 
It was banded by a local State guy doing a study.  I went to his office with the band and he looked it up.  He remembered it, and told me he had only banded two jakes.  They were running together when netted and one was a double beard.

I'll always wonder if I passed on a double beard banded bird to shoot the one behind him...

[Chris O]

They are banding them in extreme north missouri last couple years and next couple.

Is this a survey? Do they think their population is dwindling? I have heard bobcats are really hard on them.At least That is what some southern Iowa guys are saying. Thanks for all the replies we got some interesting stories.

[Hook hanger]

Yes a survey like a five year study banding them.

[Greg Massey]

I don't think any birds that got banded years ago in Tennessee are still living ....

[HookedonHooks]

They are banding them in extreme north missouri last couple years and next couple.

Is this a survey? Do they think their population is dwindling? I have heard bobcats are really hard on them.At least That is what some southern Iowa guys are saying. Thanks for all the replies we got some interesting stories.

In my opinion, the turkey populations in Northern Missouri are being primarily damaged by the large removal of timber lines and positive habitat for ag fields and cattle. Along with this, if the properties coyote population is not also kept in control, they will destroy your turkey population, because northern Missouri is loaded with more coyotes than potentially anywhere else in the United States.

[Chris O]

They are banding them in extreme north missouri last couple years and next couple.

Is this a survey? Do they think their population is dwindling? I have heard bobcats are really hard on them.At least That is what some southern Iowa guys are saying. Thanks for all the replies we got some interesting stories.

In my opinion, the turkey populations in Northern Missouri are being primarily damaged by the large removal of timber lines and positive habitat for ag fields and cattle. Along with this, if the properties coyote population is not also kept in control, they will destroy your turkey population, because northern Missouri is loaded with more coyotes than potentially anywhere else in the United States.

We have lost tons of habitat here in the last 5 years also.It is sickening places I could always rely on for a little hunting and trapping are getting leveled and tiled and every fence row that had any kind of cover is gone.

[deerhunt1988]

In 2016 I harvested two banded toms with GPS/radio transmitters in South Carolina. They were part of a research project.





The first bird I killed was banded in February of that same spring, nearly 2.5 miles away. The grad student on the project sent me a map of the bird's movements since the banding and his movements the day I killed him. Meet gobbler #80:





It gets even cooler. As part of the project, I had a GPS tracker on me when I harvested the bird.





A couple days later, I managed to bag one of the first birds banded for the project. Meet gobbler # 3:






Gobbler # 3 was banded in January of 2014 and had 1" spurs at the time of banding. So he was likely 5 years old when I got him 1.3 miles from where he was trapped.


You are probably thinking "DANG, how lucky can a turkey hunter get?!"

Well it ain't over.

This spring I traveled to Oklahoma and managed to bag yet another banded gobbler.





He was banded the year before as a jake in the same area I harvested him.






I don't hunt waterfowl, but I reckon I'm gonna start me a band necklace. 

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

Deerhunt 1988 that's very impressive and very rare.  Thanks for sharing and huge congrats!