I saw a video on falling turkey populations in southern states. Someone commented that the low prices for fur means less raccoons are being trapped. More raccoons means fewer nests make it to hatching. 80% of nesting sites fail. I have been trying to clear my property of hogs and coons. Trapped 3 coons and 4 hogs this week. Your thoughts?

Probably a combination of predators with the hogs as the top one IMO.

One problem is all the corn that gets fed to deer in the south now. Millions of pounds of food now available to all the animals in the woods. Creates larger predator populations and very few people putting forth any effort to control them. I believe that GA and Alabama are starting turkey season a week later next year to allow the more mature toms longer to mate before the hunters can get them.

Fewer stupid turkeys is a good thing.

Got drawn for a local WMA quota turkey hunt recently and while walking just one firebreak I picked up a quart bag of just cat scat. Four of the scat piles were still steaming.
I found tracks on top of tracks for coon, bobcats, and coyotes. Private land owners for the most part do hire trappers or trap for themselves with cage traps mainly targeting nest predators.

Fewer turkeys for sure in SW Oklahoma were I am now. Turkeys have been steadily going down for the last 15 years or so.

I'd like to think that I'm helping when I can take out a nest predator but it's probably barely making a dent. There are so many coons and hogs on my place in Florida, I don't see how any nest survives but ironically the numbers there have quadrupled in the past few years. I'd love to see the turkey numbers we had 10 years ago come back again. Maybe a natural cycle?

No doubt coons, skunks hogs have an impact on all kinds of nesting critters including turkey.

For the huge hog problem that so many states want cleaned up they make it hard. We have to run down to Oklahoma and thought we might try a hog hunt while down there. Wife looked into it and said we need a couple hundred dollar license. Not gonna happen. Live happily with your hogs at that price.

Agree. The big freeze didn't help.

I'm trying to do my part on the hogs and predators....

I have also read reports that wet springs lead to increased nest predation. The wet hens smell more, making it easier for the predators to find the nest. We've had a few wet springs here in WI, combine that with decreased trapping and our population is definitely down.

Need more coyotes, many studies by wildlife biologist have concluded that coyotes keep the population of mid-level predators down, like coons, possums and skunks.
Coyotes may prey on game birds but its at a far less level of damage than the mid level predators do with their actively seeking out nests of birds.

https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Like-Pheasants-Thank-a-Coyote.aspx

Above article on Pheasants forever, "Like Pheasants, thank a Coyote".

NWTF says habitat and habitat quality matter more than predators, want more Turkeys? Increase your habitat and its quality. Its not predators that are the problem.

This is pretty much the same for all game animals, Habitat and habitat quality have the biggest effect on populations.

The turkey population in PA is going down fast and the Fisher and Bobcat population are on the rise. Then throw in the uncontrolled avian predator population too.

But it's the habitat!!!!

Turkey population has been on a slow decline for more than 12 years here.

There were not many trappers here prior to or now. Predator popluations are about same as always.

Baiting deer has been occurring for 30 plus years. Been legal to hunt deer over bait for about 10 years.

Some of the highest turkey populations in Florida also have high wild hog populations....same here.

Next season, Georgia is reducing limit of gobblers and shortening season.....which will not help increase turkey numbers. We have never allowed hens to be taken and we do not have a fall season....yet the hens are disappearing too.

The declining turkey population is not due to any one factor. It is a combination of many factors, especially successive years of poor hatchings and including diseases such as fowl pox, that whittle away at a reduced population, making it slower to increase numbers.

Show us one study that shows predators are the #1 factor for limiting game populations. I have never seen one, Habitat is always #1 cause.


Fewer rabbits around here, can't be the elimination of fence lines to crop land, its gotta be the hawks

I hear the habit loss arguments, but I can honestly say that there has been very little change in the land scape here in SW OK in the last 20-30 yrs. I wish I could know the real reason for loss of turkey because I’d do all I could to reverse it

Farming practice changes? I wonder with the bigger, faster equipment, are more poults getting chopped up in alfalfa/hay/wheat/bean fields when they harvest.

Either way, when I get out of prison in just over 3 years I project the population to significantly be reduced across the entire country in several states thereafter as long as my health holds up and I can get after them! Even Mexico actually if all goes well and I can still travel

Lol!

You must be a bowhunter.

The hogs have got to be doing a number on them regardless of the habitat. Better habitat for turkeys means more hogs as well doesn't it?

Can't speak for everywhere, but there have been zero changes in farming around here in the last 10 years. Same for habitat changes, none. It's worth noting that many of the areas experiencing turkey population decreases are in areas that have experienced little to no farming or habitat changes for decades. The study noted in the OP is being done on public hunting ground in GA. Large tracts of timber, the land and habitat haven't changed for many many years.
Nothing around my place has changed for as long as I remember, and the turkey numbers are drastically different than they were 10 years ago. I won't pretend to know the exact cause, but habitat loss and farming are certainly not part of it.