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Anyone seeing fewer turkeys?

In SC Iowa we have plenty. Never have trouble hearing or seeing them. Numbers appear to be consistent year to year. That said I hear lots of coyotes and see bobcats on a regular basis. Idk.
 
After hunting nearly every day of third season. I would have to say for sure less turkeys in Mahaska county anyway. At least on the ground I have permission on. One spot that is normally a jackpot for half a dozen gobblers. Stopped two mornings in a row before light - nothing but silence. That place has never once let us down over the years.
One thing we did see a lot of during the day - Racoons, probably a dozen roaming in daylight over those days. Very odd.
Another odd thing I observed, out of all of the birds we saw in that time frame, not a single Jake was spotted.
 
I can only give you one small example. The Avian Bird Flu hit Western MN very hard (9 million domestic turkeys died) it wiped out entire barns-in 2014 or 15?. The state or DNR for some reason stacked the dead birds in piles to rot away, the smell was awful. A few farmers even got sick from it.

I had a three parcels of land in that area, and all of them were chock full of turkeys. We would sometimes see 12-20 turkeys per morning hunt. Within the next year, one farm in particular had zero turkeys on it, none. Not even on camera. Another had maybe 1/3 of the prior number.

This combined with Fishers moving into our area (Fishers can kill birds on the roost) and the population really dropped. Numbers are now up a bit, but it is still down overall.
 
I often wonder if Youth season has a bigger effect on them than we suspect. It so early in April and it used to be even earlier before they make it only a weekend before season 1. I am sure it a culmination of early hunting, more people tagging out, predators, habitat and pesticides.
 
Bowfisher said:
After hunting nearly every day of third season. I would have to say for sure less turkeys in Mahaska county anyway. At least on the ground I have permission on. One spot that is normally a jackpot for half a dozen gobblers. Stopped two mornings in a row before light - nothing but silence. That place has never once let us down over the years.
One thing we did see a lot of during the day - Racoons, probably a dozen roaming in daylight over those days. Very odd.
Another odd thing I observed, out of all of the birds we saw in that time frame, not a single Jake was spotted.
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I have also not seen a single jake in 2 years. Another odd thing i have happen over the last couple years, is red tail hawks attacking my hen decoy. I have had it happen twice in 5 years.
 
Just saw this on how the guys at Midwest Whitetail are assisting DNR to address the problem. Sweet turkey trap!



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I have not seen a jake this year or last year. I did get a Tom both years, but Turkey numbers are down in my area also. Not much hunting pressure for them around here, so it's not that.
 
This morning two Jakes came in to the decoys. I was in the area that people are saying that numbers are low and I know it’s very true from years ago cause I’ve hunted it for 33 years now. Not sure on the cause but l hardly see turkeys from the LW anymore.
Now where I live and usually hunt turkeys numbers appear to be good. Five Jakes seen so far this year.
 
I have been out every weekend of the seasons so far. Hunting daylight to atleast noon, plus a couple evenings after work. I have not had any confirmed jake sightings. Ran into one bird in the timber that I am not sure if it was a tom or jake, I saw a quick glance of a beard as it took off. Also another sighting of possibly a jake way way out in an open field with a hen, but not sure, to far to tell-I just could tell it was bigger than the hen.
 
Hadn’t seen any on or near my property in over a year. Kind of assumed bobcats or maybe a disease had depleted the population. Woke up this morning with 21 of them in the yard. Might have to consider a fall hunt
 
seven twenty said:
Hadn’t seen any on or near my property in over a year. Kind of assumed bobcats or maybe a disease had depleted the population. Woke up this morning with 21 of them in the yard. Might have to consider a fall hunt
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I can log a good report too...although these days it seems like an anomaly, not the norm. I did see a young flock (7-9) on my farm about a week ago, so we had at least some recruitment. :)
 
I haven't seen a single poult on camera this year. Insane. FWIW - I'm in central MO.

Insecticides, now very common in most ag seed coats, destroy acres upon acres of insects, which poults rely on.. Not saying this is the reason, just may be one more against them. Worth the watch..

Are Wild Turkeys Eating Toxic Seed? (638) - YouTube

- Another study: Insecticide known for killing pollinators found in deer across Minnesota (phys.org)

..Neonicotinoids, known for their devastating effects on pollinator populations across the continent..

- Also a good interview with Mark Drury on this subject:

Land & Legacy - Turkey Report w/ Mark Drury, Michael Hunsucker, and Shawn Luchtel by Sportsmen's Nation - Whitetail Hunting | Podchaser
 
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I have a few turkeys that show up on my cams once and a while but it has been a strange year. Last year, lots of poults. Have not seen a single one this year. Ringgold county.
 
cybball said:
Last year, lots of poults. Have not seen a single one this year.
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Very odd year for sure. Between my neighbor and I (Almost 400 acres, mostly his..), we have not gotten a single poult on camera with probably over a dozen cameras out this entire year.
 
At my farm I've seen multiple poults. 2 weeks ago 2 Hens with 15 poults, in one food plot the other had 1 hen with 5 poults and another hen with 2 poults. Then Saturday saw a hen with 12 poults. I think we had a good hatch around my farm.
 
2 hens and some poults seen today in IL in my fruit orchard. The poults flew into the timber while the hens walked. Pretty cool.
 
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