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Question on Turkey numbers….

CottonwoodCanyon said:
Agree on trapping, disagree on bounties. They don't work at scale, look at SD. Their bounty program maxes out at $500k. $10 each means they pay for the first 50k animals and then it's out. 50k isn't a dent in a statewide population. Bounty programs can't tap into PR, federal funding, grants, etc for so the available funding is pennies compared to actual conservation practices. Those organizations should be focused on habitat and conservation. Bounties are a "feel good" band-aid. It's like the homeless programs in CA- just throwing money at a problem will not solve it. "Look, look, we're doing something!"
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So what’s your solution then?

You lost me when you compared South Dakota to Iowa (Large % of the state in Upland habitat vs low % of the state in Turkey habitat) apples to oranges……….

I know a 50 acre farm, good habitat, good cover, good roosting; the 9 yards for turkey habitat. Getting trapped every year. Pulled 30-40 coons off it, none of the neighbors are trapping, all the habitat in that area is similar. Very good stuff. Since trapping, noticeable differences in turkey numbers, 10x. There’s no limit to how many or how little killed. Every single one killed is one less chance turkey nest is raided……….
 
Like other have said, I too started trapping coons heavily 3 years ago after turkey numbers dropped to about ZERO. This spring I am back to seeing groups of 25-50 turkeys.

Probably trapped 150+ coons in the last 3 years on just 80 acres. Still see a few coons on trailcams but nothing like how many I was seeing in the past.
 
Muddyrem said:
So what’s your solution then?

You lost me when you compared South Dakota to Iowa (Large % of the state in Upland habitat vs low % of the state in Turkey habitat) apples to oranges……….

I know a 50 acre farm, good habitat, good cover, good roosting; the 9 yards for turkey habitat. Getting trapped every year. Pulled 30-40 coons off it, none of the neighbors are trapping, all the habitat in that area is similar. Very good stuff. Since trapping, noticeable differences in turkey numbers, 10x. There’s no limit to how many or how little killed. Every single one killed is one less chance turkey nest is raided……….
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I totally hear you and I don't have a silver bullet. SD is just the best example of why bounties don't work like people think they will. What we need is for some dumbass social media influencer to make coonskin hats cool and a commodity. Create market value for furs again.
 
Shouldn’t need a bounty to convince anyone to kill coons, it’s not hard to do. There’s plenty of different legal ways to kill them and getting the government involved has never had a good track record. Buy a dozen coon cuffs or a couple boxes of shells for someone you know with a thermal and hammer them .

One thing I’ve seen different conservation groups do near me is hold a coon killing competition, they seem to kill a couple thousand every year and it’s only a 24 hour deal.
 
From what several friends have told me, and from what I’ve read here, removal of a large number of coons, maybe 1 coon or more per acre, can result in good to great increases in turkey numbers in a couple of years or so.
I imagine decreases in bobcats and other predators can help too, but the comments on coons removal is making a believer out of me.
Our neighborhood has pretty decent habitat, in my opinion. We can do much about the weather. We can do something about the coons.

I’m impressed by the comments here. Thank you!
 
The common house cat has caused quite a bit of critters to go extinct. 63+ according to various reports.

Now we are giving them super powers....bobcats.

Think about that for a second.

Interesting data about coons. Opossums love their nests also I've found out
 
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