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Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243184
04/14/21 10:34 AM
04/14/21 10:34 AM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,679
Sumner, Mo.
C
claycreech Offline
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claycreech  Offline
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,679
Sumner, Mo.
Declining turkey populations are occurring nearly everywhere. Missouri’s turkey numbers are a fraction of what it was 15 years ago. In the heyday turkey could be found in marginal habitat. Not anymore. Only the best has a few birds, and even then they aren’t in any numbers.
In our county we used to kill around 800 turkey during a spring season. Now we check less than 300. Conservation Department acts like they could care less. We still have a fall shotgun season during which you can potentially and legally kill 2 hens. Fall archery deer hunters can potentially and legally kill 2 hens. Why they won’t stop all harvest of hens is beyond stupid. Cutting edge wildlife management. You don’t need a PHD, just common sense to protect hens when the population is so low. This certainly isn’t the only answer, but it’s a regulation change that makes sense and would give the appearance that the Conservation Department gives a crap about our turkey populations and not just about selling permits.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: claycreech] #7243209
04/14/21 11:11 AM
04/14/21 11:11 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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bblwi  Offline
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B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
Locally turkey numbers in our area are very good and rising. I think the fact that we have a lot of smaller woodlots surrounded by a very diversified agriculture of corn, alfalfa, beans, wheat and grass gives food sources seasonally. The one thing we don't have a lot of here is oak forests so there are not the acorns many areas have but they find food. Also chisel plowing leaves a reasonable amount of crop material on the surface for wildlife to feed on. With higher timber prices a lot of the smaller woodlots are being logged and that is opening up the canopy for succession growth. We have had milder winters as of late two with less snow and not much or any ice.

Bryce

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243233
04/14/21 11:45 AM
04/14/21 11:45 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
J
jbyrd63 Offline
trapper
jbyrd63  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
2 days of solid rain and 60 % of the turkey chicks die from hypothermia rainy may will wipe them out.









. Biologists also know cold, wet, spring weather affects poult survival and can cause short-term population swings.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: claycreech] #7243235
04/14/21 11:46 AM
04/14/21 11:46 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
J
jbyrd63 Offline
trapper
jbyrd63  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
Originally Posted by claycreech
Declining turkey populations are occurring nearly everywhere. Missouri’s turkey numbers are a fraction of what it was 15 years ago. In the heyday turkey could be found in marginal habitat. Not anymore. Only the best has a few birds, and even then they aren’t in any numbers.
In our county we used to kill around 800 turkey during a spring season. Now we check less than 300. Conservation Department acts like they could care less. We still have a fall shotgun season during which you can potentially and legally kill 2 hens. Fall archery deer hunters can potentially and legally kill 2 hens. Why they won’t stop all harvest of hens is beyond stupid. Cutting edge wildlife management. You don’t need a PHD, just common sense to protect hens when the population is so low. This certainly isn’t the only answer, but it’s a regulation change that makes sense and would give the appearance that the Conservation Department gives a crap about our turkey populations and not just about selling permits.


Not here in Ky got turkeys in almost every hay field.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Scooby] #7243237
04/14/21 11:48 AM
04/14/21 11:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
J
jbyrd63 Offline
trapper
jbyrd63  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,056
Ky
Originally Posted by Scooby
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.


Jakes can breed them if the tom doesn't whip his butt . So lack of toms not a miniscule reason for lower numbers.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: GROUSEWIT] #7243240
04/14/21 11:58 AM
04/14/21 11:58 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by GROUSEWIT
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!!!!


Maybe there is no correlation but the turkey population near me nosedived as the bobcat numbers increased. I did see six hens this morning near my cabin which was encouraging but there where thirty hens in there three or four years ago. Last year I saw a solitary hen, period.

Edit

Fisher numbers seem to be way up as well. Never really thought of them as much of a threat to the turkey population but I don't know.

Last edited by Posco; 04/14/21 12:00 PM.
Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243247
04/14/21 12:04 PM
04/14/21 12:04 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 269
West Virginia
W
WV Danimal Offline
trapper
WV Danimal  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 269
West Virginia
Didn't have this problem until some really bored guy somewhere introduced the ultimate predator: the almighty .410 with TSS 9 shot! Just ask those guys on the internet lol....


Trash your goals and plans for life. Just wing it and you'll never be let down!
Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243253
04/14/21 12:14 PM
04/14/21 12:14 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
W
Wanna Be Offline
trapper
Wanna Be  Offline
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W

Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
Private land turkeys seem fine, but we limit our take and trap for predators including hogs. A lot of public land is having issues it seems in North Georgia but that is due to habitat conditions. No burns, no sunlight getting to the forest floors providing cover and food. Our WMA’s are slowly being managed towards a quail type habitat which will improve turkeys as well. But...predators will need to be managed.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243255
04/14/21 12:17 PM
04/14/21 12:17 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
We have raccoon out the wazo. I suppose they could be putting a pretty good ding on them while the birds are nesting.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243306
04/14/21 01:25 PM
04/14/21 01:25 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,256
Iowa
~ADC~ Offline
The Count
~ADC~  Offline
The Count

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,256
Iowa
Very few places have more raccoons than Iowa and we have a crapload of turkeys. I saw 3 road-killed in an 8 mile stretch of hwy yesterday just out of town.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243327
04/14/21 01:45 PM
04/14/21 01:45 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 467
Southeast KY
K
K91773 Offline
trapper
K91773  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 467
Southeast KY
Our turkey population has also nose dived in the past few years, I was talking to a biologist about it and he said they believe it is a combination of things, nest predation, general predation, wet springs drowning out nests and killing poults, and disease. The early thought is that it is something like west nile but they are just starting to research it and don't have a lot of solid data yet. Also the habitat around here has experienced no significant change in the last 20 years so that probably is not a factor.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243332
04/14/21 01:52 PM
04/14/21 01:52 PM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,117
Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
Hodagtrapper Offline
Muskrat Master
Hodagtrapper  Offline
Muskrat Master

Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,117
Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
As others have mentioned, the turkey population decreasing is due to a multitude of factors. I do believe that larger/increasing predator populations make a big difference with nesting success.
Less trappers catching coon, skunk, fox, coyotes, bobcat and the highly sought after opossum can only cause the turkey population to decline IMO.

Chris


>>In God we trust<<
Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243434
04/14/21 04:59 PM
04/14/21 04:59 PM
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
D
Dirty D Offline
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Dirty D  Offline
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D

Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,922
east central WI
Just because a chunk of land is left "wild" doesn't mean its Good turkey habitat. As time goes on, say 20 years, Habitat quality will decrease if trees are allowed to over take the brush and open tall grassy areas and turn them into forest.

Heavy thinning of forests, burning of grassy areas and woodlands are all good for Turkey habitat.

Same with Deer, Not all chunks of "wild" and are equal in deer habitat. Again, thinning of the forest, bushy grassy areas are better than mature forest.

bblwi, lack of oaks is due to primarily 2 things in E central WI, high deer population and too dense of forest. White Oaks will not regenerate in a mature forest. They need sunlight unlike Sugar Maples and Beech.
Want more Oaks? thin the deer herd and clear cut chunks of forest. cutting only won't do it.
Many hard wood forest in our area have mature White Oaks but zero seedling/sapling Oaks. Once the mature Oaks are gone there are not any younger oaks for the next generation.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: ~ADC~] #7243455
04/14/21 05:25 PM
04/14/21 05:25 PM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 292
SE Iowa
S
seiowatrapper Offline
trapper
seiowatrapper  Offline
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S

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 292
SE Iowa
Originally Posted by ~ADC~
Very few places have more raccoons than Iowa and we have a crapload of turkeys. I saw 3 road-killed in an 8 mile stretch of hwy yesterday just out of town.


FWIW, at my farm in SE Iowa I estimate that we have 10%-15% of the turkey population now as opposed to 12+ years ago...and that estimate might be high. I hear exactly the same thing from people all over Davis and Van Buren Counties, where I know a lot of people.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: seiowatrapper] #7243469
04/14/21 05:42 PM
04/14/21 05:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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bblwi  Offline
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B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
I lived in western WI where I grew up and we had oaks all over and far, far more deer than are here in eastern WI. It is just a different sub ecosystem in the heavier soiled area in the east. Yes sunlight is needed with more open areas, but soils are much heavier here and wetter which does not favor most oak species. We had hardly any hard maples and no beech trees. Hard maples are a very shade tolerant tree and they also canopy and limit other growth. Turkey numbers over there are as good if not better. The oaks we had were red and black oaks mostly and swamp white oaks in the limited lower areas we had.

Bryce

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243494
04/14/21 06:15 PM
04/14/21 06:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,103
7mtns of CENTRAL PA
GROUSEWIT Offline
trapper
GROUSEWIT  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,103
7mtns of CENTRAL PA
In the 60's we had real big flocks of turkies in northern PA.
Then they started protecting hawks and owls. (Bye bye pole traps)
Next was introducing fishers.
Bobcats getting more plentiful enough to start a hunting an trapping season.
Coyotes getting more plentiful.
No fur mkt-big increase of nest raiders-skunks, coon, & possums.

But its the habitat-gotta quit beating this dead horse!!!


NRALIFER,PRPA LIFER,HUNTER,FURTAKER
Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243635
04/14/21 09:37 PM
04/14/21 09:37 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,862
Huntingdon Co. Pa.
F
forestman3 Offline
trapper
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F

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,862
Huntingdon Co. Pa.
Ever since the farmers quit plowing their fields and just started spraying them to kill the weeds it seems like things have been going down hill.Hardly any weeds in the rivers anymore.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: forestman3] #7243729
04/14/21 11:05 PM
04/14/21 11:05 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
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B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,293
East-Central Wisconsin
Others have mentioned this above, but habitat is critical. Just because a woodlot to the casual eye appears to be similar to what it was like 20-30 years ago does not mean it is the same. If little to nothing has been done with the woodlot then the changes would be quite negative to any and all species depending upon younger growth, annuals and other short lived species.

Bryce

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243749
04/14/21 11:31 PM
04/14/21 11:31 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,065
Missouri
M
mississippiposse Offline
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mississippiposse  Offline
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M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,065
Missouri
Clay. You know why. I do also. We need furbearer harvest again. Doren and I discussed this years ago. I’m glad he is still buying. Really do not how he can.. Hens are getting hammered at nesting long before fall. Here they are called farmers. I call them land rapers. I know it’s not as bad in your part of Missouri. Come over here it’s a joke. Never had a problem with a fall season. They never should have made it 2 birds. Miss Swan Lake. 10,000 bird harvest in 10 days. Never forget it. Then fall plowing to feed China. It is what is is but at 69 years old I will never agree. I have no right to. You are a good person and retire when you can. You made a difference.

Re: Less fur fewer turkey? [Re: Jiggamitch] #7243762
04/14/21 11:54 PM
04/14/21 11:54 PM
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 381
Southern Ohio
O
Ohiowoodchuck Offline
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Ohiowoodchuck  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 381
Southern Ohio
I had a nwtf biologists come to my place. My complaint was turkeys weren’t staying around in the spring. They would usually stay during the winter and roost in the pines. He suggested to me I need better habitat for them. We drew up a plan to clear 8 acres and plant in grasses. I just got finished this year and seeded the first of March. I can report already that I have seen several turkeys feeding in it. I’m getting pictures of strutting Tom’s and five to six hens feeding all hours of the day. I do my best to keep all the predators thinned.

Last edited by Ohiowoodchuck; 04/14/21 11:58 PM.

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