Trappertim
Member
Ok guys, this is the second dead adult turkey this winter in southern Iowa. Are we going to write it off on another bad winter again, or lack there of? Bobcats?
Bad winter?
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ShedHunter1
Active Member
I found 3 up here in Northern Iowa I just figured it was a coyote or a predator kill.
LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
We find a handful of dead turkeys each year shed hunting... bobkitties are plentiful around here too. I'd call it a cat kill.
THA4
A Few Steps Ahead Of You
same here. This winter has been excellent and should have positive impacts on the pheasant and turkeys. Both species don't mind the cold at all, its heavy HEAVY ice that makes for a bad winter on all wildlife. THis mild winter has been a good thing!
:way:
Daver
PMA Member
FYI, TDSwitch and I are neighbors, our farms are separated only by a gravel road, so we have similar observations and experiences. In fact, that dope has been known to shoot some of "our" deer, if you can believe it. 
Truly, he is a great neighbor and we get along very well.
We have also found some adult turkey carcasses again this year, to go with the ones from previous years. I am convinced that the great majority of the adult carcasses we find are from bobcat kills. Unfortunately, we have found carcasses at all different times of the year, but usually in the winter we seem to find more. Maybe just because that is when we are covering more of the ground shed hunting, etc.
We also have had very poor springs over the past 5 years or so, very wet and cool, so nesting success is way down too. I would conservatively estimate that our turkey population is 1/4 of what it was 5 years ago.
Truly, he is a great neighbor and we get along very well.We have also found some adult turkey carcasses again this year, to go with the ones from previous years. I am convinced that the great majority of the adult carcasses we find are from bobcat kills. Unfortunately, we have found carcasses at all different times of the year, but usually in the winter we seem to find more. Maybe just because that is when we are covering more of the ground shed hunting, etc.
We also have had very poor springs over the past 5 years or so, very wet and cool, so nesting success is way down too. I would conservatively estimate that our turkey population is 1/4 of what it was 5 years ago.
hotshott2289
Active Member
It could always be older birds that just die too. Your always going to loose a certain # every year due to old age. But it could be that you have a bobcat problem too, I've heard they are much worse on the turkeys than 'yotes are. Dunno if its true or not though
Doeregulator
New Member
This is going to sound really dumb but just a thought but could it possibly be mountain kitties? Seems like the more mountain kittie sightings and find there are the more carcasses people are finding across the state. Idk just a thought.
scottonbuck
Well-Known Member
Bobcats will climb up and whack em right off the roost at night, I have found probably 10 dead turkeys on one farm and they are all around the roost areas. If I had to vote I would say Bob Kitty as I have seen them while bowhunting these areas.