Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Turkey #’s & one observation….

Sligh1

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
Sounds like it’s down almost across the US. IMO or my GUESS…. the biggest reason is fur prices with little to no trapping. Population explosion. We took HUNDREDS of coons off this farm this last year. HUNDREDS. This is what I see all over. Followed by pheasant chicks. If u have cover - which yes, many areas do that are way down in population…. Destroy the coons, possum, etc & they will come. Countless trail cam pics of this. :).
0F4FF534-CBA3-4CF2-9363-123CA58D8A3A.jpeg
 
I think you are spot on Skip. Too many predators! Bird flu wiped a bunch in my area of Minnesota years ago and now they are coming back slowly .

Iowa (Loess Hills) still has a lot of turkeys. Maybe not like the hey days, but good populations.
 
Just got back from a vacation in the U.P. and I was shocked by the number of turkeys in NE WI and in Northern MI. I told my wife I've seen more turkeys up here than in IA and I can't see much further than the ditch in most cases due to all the wooded areas. I talked with one DNR guy and he felt the population in Southern IA was in good shape but I haven't had the same observations. Certianly I don't have a problem seeing racoons after dark on the roads.
 
whitetail_obsession said:
Just got back from a vacation in the U.P. and I was shocked by the number of turkeys in NE WI and in Northern MI. I told my wife I've seen more turkeys up here than in IA and I can't see much further than the ditch in most cases due to all the wooded areas. I talked with one DNR guy and he felt the population in Southern IA was in good shape but I haven't had the same observations. Certianly I don't have a problem seeing racoons after dark on the roads.
Click to expand...
i have heard of large turkey populations in Northern: MN, WI & MI... doesn't make sense to me other than.... so much vast area of timber it probably increases nesting areas and possibilities??? Kinda shows that hard winters and less food certainly isn't the issue. Interesting observation!!!!
 
Conspiracy theorist…. Maybe! But even given the crazy predator populations there is something more going on here. Neonictinoids or disease IDK but here is my thoughts… Our turkey population (I’m in southern Iowa) is in shambles and I will say that the CO mentioned above is blind if he in my area. The significant slide started 10 years ago or so before the predator boom and worthless fur. This is my issue….broods used to average 4 to 8 poults per hen. Now the typical size is a couple poults IF any…. But if predators alone were to blame wouldn’t the broods that do survive be more than two poults? Just my thoughts.
 
Muskrat24 said:
Conspiracy theorist…. Maybe! But even given the crazy predator populations there is something more going on here. Neonictinoids or disease IDK but here is my thoughts… Our turkey population (I’m in southern Iowa) is in shambles and I will say that the CO mentioned above is blind if he in my area. The significant slide started 10 years ago or so before the predator boom and worthless fur. This is my issue….broods used to average 4 to 8 poults per hen. Now the typical size is a couple poults IF any…. But if predators alone were to blame wouldn’t the broods that do survive be more than two poults? Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
I have said it here many times, but I too am probably some sort of turkey conspiracy theorist with you. :) When our turk pop started crashing, about 10'ish years ago too, we commonly found dead, adult turkeys. No raccoon killed as many adults as what we used to find in that day. Yes, once down, an over-population of nest raiders can certainly be a limiter on their recovery...but it didn't kill adult birds in any number.

Total FWIW, I have seen successful broods at my farm this summer now a couple of times, so there is some hope! I also found where an adult bird met its' demise while mowing. I really don't know what got him...I suspect a bobcat, but who knows.
 
Muskrat24 said:
Conspiracy theorist…. Maybe! But even given the crazy predator populations there is something more going on here. Neonictinoids or disease IDK but here is my thoughts… Our turkey population (I’m in southern Iowa) is in shambles and I will say that the CO mentioned above is blind if he in my area. The significant slide started 10 years ago or so before the predator boom and worthless fur. This is my issue….broods used to average 4 to 8 poults per hen. Now the typical size is a couple poults IF any…. But if predators alone were to blame wouldn’t the broods that do survive be more than two poults? Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Good thinking!!! But- let me play devils advocate…. The insecticides like u mentioned, imidacloprid is probably the one most would refer to…. Have been readily used for 20-30 years. Others which may be worse have been used back in the 60’s & 70’s. If insecticides are a major player- why were there gazillions of turkeys in early 2000’s? Those insecticides are widely used around my farm- which is loaded with turkeys.
Not saying you’re not on to something- just throwing this out there. No doubt there’s multiple things going on. Another one….. bird flu or bird diseases. That’s my gut feeling on other things. Guys spreading chicken & Turkey manure- I’ve heard from multiple sources that spreads disease to wild turkeys and it does make sense.

It’s crazy to see the rise & fall (maybe repeat a few times) of different animals. The pheasant used to be a huge draw to iowa. Dang near vanished and thankfully coming back some. Folks can’t recall that back 70-80 years ago there wasn’t even deer in lowa or very few. Pheasants, BUFFALO, deer, turkeys, quail, whatever - takes a few blunders or changes and they are gone or have significant set backs.
 
Sligh1 said:
Good thinking!!! But- let me play devils advocate…. The insecticides like u mentioned, imidacloprid is probably the one most would refer to…. Have been readily used for 20-30 years. Others which may be worse have been used back in the 60’s & 70’s. If insecticides are a major player- why were there gazillions of turkeys in early 2000’s? Those insecticides are widely used around my farm- which is loaded with turkeys.
Not saying you’re not on to something- just throwing this out there. No doubt there’s multiple things going on. Another one….. bird flu or bird diseases. That’s my gut feeling on other things. Guys spreading chicken & Turkey manure- I’ve heard from multiple sources that spreads disease to wild turkeys and it does make sense.

It’s crazy to see the rise & fall (maybe repeat a few times) of different animals. The pheasant used to be a huge draw to iowa. Dang near vanished and thankfully coming back some. Folks can’t recall that back 70-80 years ago there wasn’t even deer in lowa or very few. Pheasants, BUFFALO, deer, turkeys, quail, whatever - takes a few blunders or changes and they are gone or have significant set backs.
Click to expand...
Yeah I farm as well and am not sold on the insecticides being the sole culprit but Drurys had Dr Deer on a podcast and that was one of the things they discussed. I am leaning towards a reproductive disease as I mentioned the brood size just isn’t what it needs to be to rebound the population. Too many hens with either no poults or SMALL broods. And I know hens nest in the middle of grass patches (hay fields and CRP) where coons and possums rarely hunt/scavenge. The MO turkey biologist told me a couple years ago that the decline was due to predators have figured out turkeys in the natural cycle of a species reintroduction in an area….. sounds like something read from a textbook……
 
Planting plots today in vastly different locations- I bet I saw 4 groups like this. Just piles of young turkeys. Not great fliers but they did fly away when I got close. I may have to go from coon eradication to Turkey eradication! ;) EAB18995-2D34-47E2-A149-47B77FC393FB.jpeg
 
Sligh1 said:
Planting plots today in vastly different locations- I bet I saw 4 groups like this. Just piles of young turkeys. Not great fliers but they did fly away when I got close. I may have to go from coon eradication to Turkey eradication! ;) View attachment 122962
Click to expand...
I just happen to know a guy that can help with that!! Oddly enough I just saw a group of seven poults and one hen. Poults were not much bigger than a quail. Surely a later than normal hatch?
 
Muskrat24 said:
I just happen to know a guy that can help with that!! Oddly enough I just saw a group of seven poults and one hen. Poults were not much bigger than a quail. Surely a later than normal hatch?
Click to expand...
Ya. Has to be. Bet a hen renested until it took. The birds I’ve been seeing - flocks of poults…. They all about the size of full grown pheasants. All can fly. Guessing it was the first hatch. I’m a Turkey amateur for sure. But like having turkeys, pheasant and quail even if I don’t hunt them. & my hatred of coons & coyotes seems to be paying off ;)
 
  • Deleted by Ishi
Show…
turkeysfortomorrow.org

Iowa DNR Research Update (Year 2) - Turkeys for Tomorrow

Turkeys For Tomorrow’s focus on the conservation of the wild turkey is not limited to one region, we are working to save the wild turkey in all regions of North America. Our … Iowa DNR Research Update (Year 2) Read More »
turkeysfortomorrow.org turkeysfortomorrow.org

New info regarding southern Iowa turkeys. Will be an interesting study to follow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
CurtisWalker said:
turkeysfortomorrow.org

Iowa DNR Research Update (Year 2) - Turkeys for Tomorrow

Turkeys For Tomorrow’s focus on the conservation of the wild turkey is not limited to one region, we are working to save the wild turkey in all regions of North America. Our … Iowa DNR Research Update (Year 2) Read More »
turkeysfortomorrow.org turkeysfortomorrow.org

New info regarding southern Iowa turkeys. Will be an interesting study to follow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. Horrible results from the surveys. So crazy how much poult/next loss was shown to be predation,, which is what I had thought all along. Would be nice to know what it was. Coon, skunks, possums, etc. No one traps anymore and the DNR told me to leave it alone out of season as things will work themselves out. I had 1 hen with 6 poults in the spring. Think about 1-2 of them maybe made it. I really only see 2 hens show up on cams now.
 
Our turkeys numbers have crashed badly. In addition to an explosion in coon numbers, our area has had a similar explosion in bobcats. I see them regularly on my trail cams and I have several photos showing moms with babies. Coyote numbers also seem to be at an all time high. I’m actually surprised there are any turkeys around.
 
Bobcats, coons, possum, coyotes.. I’m sure they all kill turkeys & get the eggs. We also have Fisher in Minnesota and they are stealth killers of turkeys.
 
Guys,
I’m down in Georgia and our turkey population is pathetic compared to what it used to be.

A friend of mine has a buddy who is on the Georgia NWTF board and he said the chicken farmers finally admitted that it was some kind of worm in the chicken poop that was killing the turkeys. I do know in the areas where chicken litter isn’t spread that we still have loads of turkeys.

Another possible culprit…. Black Head disease.

Call me a conspiracy theorist as well.
 
Bringing up this old thread...FWIW, last week I drove, in the daylight, from my home near Iowa City to Cuba, MO, (south central) and then a few days later, drove back home, also in the daylight. This trip took me through acres and acres and acres of what can be fairly considered as top notch turkey habitat and guess how many turkeys I saw on this trip...zilch, zero, nada, none, bumpkus, etc.

I feel pretty confident that the same trip at the same time of the year taken say, 12+ years ago, would have revealed many dozens, perhaps a couple/few hundred birds sighted. Now...none. Then on Saturday, I drove to and from my farm in SE Iowa and saw one. I can't emphasize enough how widespread the paucity of turks has become. I sure hope the various studies in progress find something(s) significant that can be fixed...I miss these birds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom