No turkeys

[redneck2]

As usual I'm torqued up for turkey season. During late deer season, there was a flock of maybe 50-75 birds in our woods. This spring, no birds anywhere. I usually hunt on another farm close to my house. Every spring for sixteen years there have been lots of birds in fields all around here. Right now, virtually none. Anywhere.

Local guy has (had) a few domestic birds on his farm. All died towards the end of winter. Wondering if anybody's heard of any type of disease affecting them??

 

[Drail]

I am in southern Indiana (Lake Monroe area) and we still have plenty of wild turkeys down here.

 

[BullfrogKen]

I have a flock of close to a dozen running around up here. I haven't seen this many tukeys running around on the mountain since we moved in 12 years ago.

I always thought we had too many predators in our local habitat to allow them to survive. Lots of fox, and even a few coyotes within the past couple years.


Perhaps some predators moved in hard and has them dispersed and in hiding?

 

[redneck2]

We have always had a LOT of birds in my immediate area. On almost any day like this during past Spring times, you'd count dozens strutting, etc. most any day.

There is a hay field right down the road. I've seen multiple birds there every single year. Gone by there maybe a dozen times in the past few days. Zero.

We do have coyotes, but they've always been here. Dunno.

 

[Mobuck]

got bobcats? They can clean out a turkey population in a short time when they move into a new area. Seems the turkeys don't know how to avoid the cats.

 

[Fremmer]

Maybe your winter weather was tough on them.

 

[redneck2]

Winter was a lot worse last year and they survived. Have no idea about bobcats, 'cept I know that are some around. Didn't see any tracks during deer season in the snow.

dunno. Color me mystified.

 

[Patocazador]

I don't know how the weather has been in your area but turkeys "disappear" after the breeding passes the peak and the hens go to their nests. Our early season was cold and as soon as it warmed up the birds were done gobbling.
Turkeys form large groups in the Fall & Winter but they disperse in the Spring.

 

[redneck2]

Ours should be just starting right now. Season opened last Wed, This should be the peak of breeding season. Typically in a couple of weeks from now they'd be super hard to find. Weather has been cold and rainy, but warmed up in the past few days.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I shot one in early December...he was in a group of at least 40 birds. Went to that same spot yesterday and heard A bird gobbling...he would not come in....I moved his way...he kept gobbling...but got further and further away


It is a small bit of woods and FULL of turkeys...not sure where they were yesterday.


Unfortunately I lost out on my absolute favorite deer/turkey hunting area...it is becoming a state park for overprivileged horse owners.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Has your state's Game Commission - or whatever state agency manages wild game - reported anything about the turkey population?

 

[herkyguy]

My state, NC, has a decent population. I salivated over an old tom I started seeing in February. But come turkey season, i haven't seen anything lately. I had one gobbling early in the season, but he wouldn't come out of the brush along my creek. not sure what drives the breeding season, but i've had no luck myself.

 

[sleepyone]

We always have large turkey populations during deer season. I will regularly have trail cam pics of 20-30 hens and six or more gobblers at a time at my feeder. During spring season, we don't have those numbers. Went hunting this weekend and saw two hens and no gobblers. We heard a couple way off in the distance but could not call them in. It was extremely windy though.

A local parks and wildlife employee said people who have large turkey populations in the winter usually don't have large populations in the spring and vice versa. Has anyone heard this before?

 

[splattergun]

Utah's general turkey season started yesterday. I've been home with a bad cold all weekend.

 

[redneck2]

Talked with one of my customers today. He usually has a very large population on his farm. Gets his bird by maybe 7:30 opening day for the past ten years or so. He's seen zero. Says he's not even going out this year. Neither am I

 

[Upstater]

Tomorrow's the big day here in N.Y., I've seen 1/2 doz. out in the hay field the past week to 10 days. WE Shall see!

 

[PhotoBiker]

We go out next week. They are all over the place right now, they will start hiding on the 11th ;-)