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Turkey Predators?

S

SHEDHEAD

Guest
The topic about surprise attacks and all the owl encounters has got me thinking about all the dead/eaten turkeys I have seen lately while shed antler hunting. I have been hiking in the same area once or twice a week for the past month, and I have noticed kill sites where turkeys have been eaten every time! The most I saw in one day was five! I'm curious to know what would be having such an impact on turkeys this winter since it has been rather mild. I don't see many coyotes or coyote tracks in this area and there is never any remains left other than a pile of scattered feathers and an occasional bone or two. One experienced turkey hunter told me that owls are the greatest predator of the wild turkey, even adults, because of their silent flight and their ability to take turkeys out of their roost at night. Has anyone else heard this and if this is true, why don't we read more or hear more about the impact owls can have on turkey populations? My guess is that he is probably correct in assuming owls are the cause of the turkeys I'm finding dead, since I can't figure out what other predators in my area would be large enough to take on adult turkeys. There are no eagles or bobcats here, and like I mentioned earlier, only a few coyotes. We haven't had much snow in this area either, so there is no way for me to see tracks at these kill sites. Any guesses what's killing these turkeys?
 
Maybe a mountain lion.
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I'd be looking over your shoulder this spring when you're walking in or out in the dark! Hehehe! Seriously though maybe some disease knocked a few out? Great horned owls do take tukeys but I'll bet that if they did take those the coyotes cleaned 'em up afterwards.
 
Don't rule out the Bald Eagle they are becoming more abundant. I would bet that there are a few in your area. I would think that a turkey would be an easy target and I know that they are about twice as big as a Red Tailed Hawk.
 
I'd think coyotes most likely, next dogs, fox, then bobcat. Coyotes are extremely common, have even seen them within Des Moines metro--don't seem to howl in urban area like they do in the country, however. Could be wild dogs, or the friendly farm neighbor dog that becomes a killing machine at night. Fox reportedly aren't found where there are coyotes because the coyotes kill them, but if in fact there aren't coyotes in your area maybe fox could be a possibility. The apparent fact that the bones are gone leads me to believe its not a bird of prey, because I question whether they could swallow turkey-sized bones--if they could, they could digest them as they do mice and small bird (later disgorging a pellet of fur/feathers, etc). I think they could easily kill a turkey and do at least on occasion, if for no other reason than that I've had hawks respond to turkey calls, but not totally clean a kill down to the feathers. Bobcat are becoming more and more common at least in southern Iowa, reportedly are very serious turkey predators and are secretive enough that they very possibly wouldn't be evident.

Not a wildlife biologist, just my opinion that is not a bird of prey based on bones being eaten.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if an owl took a turkey, I've seen a red tailed hawk do it and I would think that a large owl would be more deadly than a hawk. I'm with muddy though, I don't know that one owl could finish off a full turkey dinner. The coyotes probably ate the rest.
 
Yeah that's pretty pathetic for someone to poach turkeys. I mean they could just buy one at dauls or hy-vee. besides wouldn't they kill it for the bird or the feathers instead of just the meat.
 
After finding more killed turkeys in a different area, I'm beginning to agree with a couple posts that mentioned the fact that a bird of prey may have killed them and coyotes/fox/coons are cleaning them up. I'm just finding too many in hard-to-get places to suspect poachers and the flocks of turkeys I have been seeing seem to be doing very well as far as health is concerned. Thanks for all the responses.
 
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