Turkeys, Opossums and Ticks: Why We Trap Nest Predators (679)
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- In this video, we take a look at what changed from a relatively few years ago when turkey hunters saw lots of turkeys, populations were increasing and it seemed like they were everywhere! Then, see how trapping benefits turkeys and how opossums really DO NOT control tick populations.
We enjoy hunting or just seeing and hearing wild turkeys or getting trail camera images and video of them. That’s why so many of us work to improve turkey habitat throughout the year.
Studies in multiple states have shown that only 10 to 40 percent of wild turkey nests successfully hatch. Then, only about 25 percent of poults will survive to four weeks of age.
#turkeyhunting #TeamOutdoors
0:00 start
1:09 Survival Rates
2:00 ChangingTurkey Populations
3:45 Trapping Changes
5:00 Opossums Vs. Ticks
8:09 What Opossums Eat
10:18 What Controls Ticks
11:08 Expanded Trapping Seasons
14:98 Need for Balance - Sport
Informed people lead an argument, uninformed people resort to emotions and anger. I cannot wrap my head around the fact you get hate mail. How could one argue with the fruit of your labor at the proving grounds. Not to mention your system has been implemented quite successfully by other "deer-growers" so there is no question on it's efficacy. Keep up the great work, I LOVE watching your weekly updates, and I would bet I am not the only one who is thankful for all your shared wisdom.
Vesko - Thanks for sharing your encouraging words!
I’ve always thought possums didn’t eat as many ticks as what people thought! Started trapping last year just to help the turkeys myself, and I’ve really enjoyed it too! Keep it up!
Thanks Matt! I really enjoy trapping also!
Wow, Grant......the tick situation got you fired up. I'm not sure I've seen you that fired up before. It's great to see you so passionate about more than just killing wild game. But also the science behind it. And calling out those that don't know the truth. Thanks for keeping it real!!
Thanks Mr. Phillips!
Thanks Grant for putting the record straight on Opossums! You clearly presented the topic. It was suspicious that they ate ticks. thanks for being a scientist and seeking the truth! I am proud to learn from growingdeer and thanks for all you taught me.
Thanks Tim!
Thanks Grant. My son and I have definitely seen a startling decrease in the amount of turkeys where we hunt in PA. We started trapping predators three years ago on all of the farms we hunt, and only for one reason - to help our turkey and deer populations. Keep up the good work and we will continue to spread the word in our own hunting communities. There's no money in the effort, but its a great way to stay in the outdoors, and if you haven't done it - checking a trap line everyday comes pretty close to the excitement of a gobble at sunrise in the spring woods!
Steven - I'm proud of you and your son and yes checking traps is like waiting to see what's under the Christmas Tree!
Great stuff as always Dr. Woods. Yeah the thought of Opossums eating 2,000 ticks a year is ridiculous. I'd say if anything Turkeys are more likely to consume more ticks a year than Opossums. Good luck with your trapping this season. Not sure why ($) the Missouri Conservation has not dropped the bag limit for Turkeys yet with the decline in their population but I personally have just been taking one adult Gobbler per year for the last few years because of the decline.
Mike - Thanks!
Love your videos Grant! I have learned a lot over the years and I know where your heart is and the science to back it! Keep doing what you do! God bless ya!
I appreciate that! Thanks and enjoy Creation!
Yes! We have got to control those predators and people need to understand that. It's out of balance here in TN something awful and people are so misinformed when it comes to trapping. Thank you for this episode Dr. Woods!
Thanks!
Excellent episode Grant. Hilarious that some people think some possums will have a meaningful impact on tick populations. Have they ever looked at a deer or hog killed in early season?
Alex - Thanks for the kind words!
Thank you Dr. woods, you’re channel is amazing! I have learned a large amount of my knowledge about hunting/ wildlife from you! Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks Rick and enjoy Creation!
Great information as always!! Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Kirk!
Great video and awesome job putting it into perspective!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks!
I think everything you said makes very good sense. I saw that opossum article this week, showed up on FB feed. We don't get the turkeys in NYS like we used to, really need to be smarter on habitat and predators. This was a great video, well done.
Thanks Craig!
Grant keep doing what your doing...you are a very smart man when it comes to management on wildlife...very awesome video
Thanks!
Thanks, Grant. I just passed along that same myth that opossums eat ticks... now I'll have to correct myself! Glad you set the record straight.
Thanks James!
Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge! ! Keep up the great work.
Thanks for helping spread the word about the MDC proposal to extend the trapping season in MO. I gave my input in favor of the changes on their website in the comment section under the regulation proposal. I sure would love to be able to trap in April.
Austin - Thanks!!!
I started trapping this season and I love just as much as hunting and heck, I find wildlife signs and trails I thought never existed, nothing but good things to say about trapping. So far I got 3 raccoons and 1 oppossum. Next season I'm going start trapping coyotes. Keep up the good work!👍
Nice work! I enjoy trapping also!
Great video! I have a very high raccoon population on my small property. This deer season that just passed, I would check my cameras more often and would have often as many as 8 or 9 racoons in front of a camera. I was running 4 cameras on 44 acres (of which 8 acres is a pond) and had nights with 4 to 8 racoons on each camera at the same time. I know these are not all calling my little place home, but it's definitely part of the feeding area for them. I trap, but not enough. Will improve my trapping, I would love to see more turkeys utilize the property and we started making some small Wood Duck habitat. Really need to reduce the predators.
Again, great info and look forward to the next video!
Thanks!
Thank you Grant! Love watching your videos!
Thanks and enjoy Creation!
Just started our predator trapping efforts here in Ga. I’m excited about turkey season, had some hens roost above me this morn while i was hunting a wood duck hole. Enjoying God’s creation every day! Thanks for this info and video. And, my Central Florida property was covered with ticks, i kept some Opossum around due to the report you are citing. Still got LOTS of ticks. I think maybe they eat them if they are available, but unless they do a grid pattern across my land I’m thinking they will miss a few hundred thousand.
Good luck on your trapping in Georgia! I know it is helping our property but as Dr. Woods said I wish I could trap in April-June for nest predators.
@@davidhardin7437 Yeah I agree. We’ll keep at it until end of February but later in the spring would be ideal. Went wood duck hunting this morn, had a fat raccoon climb a tree 20 yards away just as the woodies were starting to come in. 30 min later and he’d be toast! Good luck out there.
Good luck trapping!
Excellent information as always! Going to get busy getting ready for this falls trapping season now.
Good plan!
Loved! this episode.
Thanks Justin!
Thanks for sharing your videos and keep them coming please.
Thanks Charley!
great scientific content! I would enjoy seeing more videos like this.
Thanks Nick!
Thanks Grant for putting the facts out there!
Welcome!
Grant u make wonderful points and very true! Don’t worry bout these folks that think they kno it all! U are one who definitely makes a big impact on us fellow hunters!
Thanks Justin!
Thank you for clearing this issue up. I asked this question a couple years ago. I am not shocked that New York State screwed up this Research! I love watching your videos, I definitely trust your Biological input!
Thanks Darren!
Great info Grant. I had a neighbor a few years ago tell me not to shoot possums as they eat ticks. I had no reason to doubt his info until now. Your reasoning makes better sense to me especially when I would rather have an abundant Turkey crop every year. And as I always do on my channel, answer a full according to his folly… thanks for sharing the info.
Welcome!
Great video Dr. Woods, stay after the state to extend the season and I’m sure you will pick up support along the way.
I will!
I agree 110%!! I’ve been saying the same thing here in SE Minnesota for years. Too many raccoons and opossums and not enough turkey. My grandpa use to have 40-60 wild turkey on his property almost daily. Now you’re lucky to see 10% of that.
Thanks Chad!
Great stuff! Thanks for bringing this to light. Would love to see someone do a research project on the effectiveness of removing nest predators. Maybe you should head that up. 😉
Conrad - I suspect someone will work on that subject soon!
Well done
Great vid
Thanks!
Thanks for this video it is your best in my opinion setting the record straight on the opposum
Thanks John!
Your videos are great
Glad you like them!
Love the videos.
Thanks Matt!
Thanks for all that eye opening good common sense knowledge
Thanks Preacher!
I seen my fair share or raccoons and opossum last deer season and not 1 turkey. You make a great point. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Looks like we need to help balance thing's out.
Yes we do!
informative
thanks
Thanks!
Some great commentary Grant. My turkey population has actually grown quite a bit because I'm converting ag to habitat but I want to knock down racoon and opossum populations as well.
Kurt - Nice work!
Great information and a perfect delivery. This channel is awesome! I hate ticks!
Thanks Jeff!
Missouri was once considered the place to go to hunt turkeys. Then the hunters came and the turkeys dispersed to Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana. How did they leave? In igloos and ziplocks.
Years ago I started hunting in Texas for turkeys. When I first started the locals would look at me in camo and ask what I was hunting , even had one fellow try and buy my breakfast for my service to the country. He looked dumbfounded when I explained I was visiting his state to hunt turkeys. Fast forward to 3 years ago. I stopped in the hotel where I normally stayed and the hotel manager asked me was I with the group of 20 turkey hunters. Politely told her I wasn’t. I got a bad feeling the predator problem is going to be real bad in Texas soon.
Luke - there are gads of research projects showing that predation is a huge issue in turkey recruitment. Hunter's can't harvest them if eggs don't hatch.
Great presentation on the facts. Let's help those ground nesting birds!
Yes sir!
This was nice I always heard that opossum theory but wondered if it was true. I'm glad I heard the facts about this.
Thanks!
Good content I am a pesticide applicator and never truly believed opossums ate them good info
Thanks Dotty!
As a side note, at 1:29, you've got a bearded hen on camera. I was lucky enough to bag one a few years ago down here in Texas (8 1/2" beard). I really enjoy watching your journey at the Proving Grounds develop.
Congratulations and thanks!
On our place in west central AL we do not have a shortage of either opossums or ticks. So this all makes sense to me. If I’m not watching Growing Deer I am watching videos learning how to trap. Love Growing Deer!
Thanks Brad!
Dr. Woods Thank you thank you thank you. I have never seen where lots of Opossums equaled low tick numbers. I wish Georgia would let us trap Racoons and Opossum durning April and may or even into June. I am trapping as much as I can January through February for Coyotes Coons Opossums Fox and Bobcat’s. I started this a few years ago because my Turkey’s have almost disappeared. I did not hunt Turkey last year because I only had one mature bird on the property. Unfortunately a neighbor of mine took that one bird. Best I can tell I have six hens that use my property. If you go back five years I had over 25 hens and seven mature and gobblers. Thank you for your great work and please continue to fight for common sense regulations and proper habitat solutions.
God Bless
David - Thanks for the kind words!
With your hundred percent Grant
Thanks John!
Dr.Grant is spot on. If you don't believe any of this just put out a timer deer feeder with some supplemental feed in it with a trail camera on it. You will find out soon enough why turkeys are declining. I've seen as many as 5 or 6 raccoons on my bird feeder in march and April,year after year. If your property has alot of edge and fragmented cover, turkeys as well as other ground nesting birds are in peril. State DNR's I hope take a good look at this.
Thanks Doug!
Thank you. Ky dept of fish and wildlife are going to do this extension also.
Excellent - Thanks for sharing!
One thing I notice on public land when looking for Turkey to hunt is the lack of good ground nesting cover. I wonder if boosting ground nesting cover may also have positive impact on turkey population
Good cover would help on many public lands!
Grant good episode! ? What about CWD? What kills the prion? Does controlled burns, fire. I haven't seen any substantial science on CWD, or really how to get rid of it. All I hear is it doesn't decompose if that is a good description. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Lorin - heat from a prescribed fire likely isn't hot enough to destroy the prions that cause CWD. In addition, they can be in the soil and given heat rises, they'd be protected. Organic acids from quality soils have been shown to disable the prions that cause CWD! This is another reason to use the Release Process to improve soils!
Interesting as always. I suppose these predators get partridge and pheasant eggs as well.
Absolutely - and ground nesting song birds!
🎯 sir, a balance of predators and prey = healthy wildlife.
Just talking about that the other day. When I was a kid my uncles and grandpa trapped and ran coons, trapped possums, and even shot hawks! Now here in Georgia, we have tons of coons and possums. PLUS coyotes, wild hogs, fire ants, and armadillos now. Yet the DNR keeps limits, hunting season, and trapping season the same. And, we have less turkeys, few meadowlarks, and no quail. Ground nesting birds don’t stand a chance.
Any turkey hunter that would send you hate mail over killing freaking predators need to get educated.
Tommy - I agree! Shooting chicken hawks was the norm and considered a service to the neighborhood.
So, here in North West Ohio, the closest turkeys to my property is about 10 miles away. I have about 5 acres of CRP, surrounded by Ag, and hardwoods. Would it be a good idea to try raising some turkeys to get them started around me? Is there a specific thing I need to do to help ensure they thrive?
I never promote releasing domestic turkeys, quail, etc. They rarely survive and can spread disease to wild critters.
Hate mail?!?! You da man dawg. Im going to make my small 7 acre place a turkey Heaven, coyotes possums and coons better watch out
Thanks Mike! Prey species learn where it's safe quickly!
Awesome video. My grandpa told me chickens eat up the ticks, and all other bugs. Get rid of opossums, and get more chickens they lay eggs and taste better when fried, lol.
Steven - Your grandfather was a wise man!
Maybe another part of the solution can be to take a look at any state and federal subsidies that are wasteful. Put them into conservation efforts. Tax write offs for trapping equipment and fuel. Get industry re started and education going for the fur trade. It's going to have to be a multi front battle to help solve these issues.
Justin - No doubt the GOV can waste some money!
Great information Grant! Seems as though most people just regurgitate some picture and caption they read on social media, shared it, and now claim it as gospel.
Doesn’t seem like most people seek to find out what information is relevant or not then that causes gross misrepresentation of actual facts.
I agree!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Andy!
I 100% agree that there are too many predators to include winged predators and the NYS DEC needs to consider controlling those as well so that we have turkeys and grouse for future generations!
Too many of the winged predators are Federally protected.
@@brettbaker5599 yup and hopefully the Department of Fish and Wildlife are looking into it
Guy - I'd be happy if states allowed trapping furbearers during the nesting season. I don't believe the Feds will allow reducing hawk populations.
Everything needs to be balanced in nature.
Yes sir!
Use to be able to cut grouse tracks everyday here now are winter season is closed and there is almost no grouse are turkeys are dropping every year but grouse are dam near endangered
I agree!
10 years ago I would regularly see flocks of 40to50 turkeys in my food plots. Now I am lucky if I see eight or 10. But what I do see a lot of on my game cams and in person while I’m hunting is coyotes and raccoons. In fact I get multiple camera pictures with multiple coyotes in each picture and I get some pictures that have up to 10 or 12 raccoons.
There's no doubt that's there are more raccoons now than there were 10 years ago in most areas.
I'm sure fire helps, but what has caused the explosion in tick populations in the last 20 years? There wasn't widespread fire 20 years ago and there weren't nearly as many ticks. Could it be DDT has worked its way out of the environment? Honest question, I admire your work.
More deer, more raccoons, etc., so more host for ticks and more leaves on the ground/tick habitat. I doubt it has anything to do with DDT.
👍
Thanks Rodney!
I know what is a fact and that is that the wild turkey consumes ticks. Now how many I don’t know but I can imagine it’s far more than a opossum would. People stop and start arguing when an animal is killed but they don’t stop to think what damage that animal does to game species. If a opossum raids one turkey nest and eats or destroys all the eggs. People don’t understand how many ticks those turkeys would have eaten a year if they survived to adult age. If you want less ticks on your property you need more turkeys and more fire and in order to do that you need less opossums and nest raiders. Someone has to keep the balance and maintain healthy habitat for healthy wildlife!
Yes!
Great video. I love turkey and I am preparing to burn in the next week. I agree with you 100%.
Thanks John and I hope your burn goes well!
Feral cat control should be talked about more in the US. I've watched feral cats kill turkey poults, you can garuntee those pests didn't kill another native animal
There are several studies showing the damage feral cats do! However, folks won't tolerate killing feral cats.
I'd like to begin myself. I know nothing so a tutorial on how and what to trap would be greatly appreciated. God's Blessings.
BTW, my land is in north east MO.
John - There are several episodes on our trapping techniques. In addition, we'll be hosting a Field Event March 25th and 26th showing our techniques. For more information, checkout: Field Day Page Link
This predator predicament applies to the whole suite of ground nesting wildlife. Personally, I think these meso-predators should not even be regulated. Give the land manager the time he needs to work these predators!
Scott - In many areas there certainly needs to be a balance between predators and prey restored. "Balance" means that predator populations aren't so high that prey populations are declining year after year due to predators.
Finally, someone else that thinks that possums eating ticks is a bunch of bunk!!
Chris - the research by the group in IL made it clear that opossums aren't tick eating machines.
I have never seen deer with that many ticks on them... What a horrible living condition. My grandpa started trapping coons many years ago and i have continued on my property, but someone told me posoms eat ticks so i let them out of my traps... No more!! Also trying to hunt the coyotes but no luck yet.
I'm glad you are working go reduce the number of predators!
Ought to look at what my state of Arkansas is doing with nuisance animals and trapping, its year round
Rusty - Yes! They have started a great program!
What’s the best way to dispose of raccoons after you trap them?
We remove the pelt and then allow the carcasses to be slow release fertilizer. Nothing natural in nature is wasted - critters consume and/or the nutrients will be used by plants.
Turkeys eat ticks. We need more turkeys !
Yes and yes!
Both those studies focus on the possum's impact on mature ticks; I'd never heard they favored mature ticks verses other forage. The possum's impact on ticks is that they are supposedly the only animal that actively seeks out the nests of up to 10,000 tick eggs each and will consume all the eggs. A tick nest is small, so one possum could eat hundreds of nests in an hour, easy, if it finds the right area.
And if spring tick nests are laid before turkey eggs are available, and I suspect they are, it wouldn't even be a competitive preference situation. They would wipe out all the tick nests they can find, then move to turkey nests later as they become available. Tha would suggest the best of both would be achieved by targeting possums only immediately before turkeys begin nesting: late spring only.
Cite your sources for this info please. Where's the evidence that Opossum's target "tick nest eggs"?
@@cst270 If I had sources I would not have said "supposedly"; this is old-farmer, word of mouth, knowledge.
RyDaddy - Clearing opossums aren't reducing tick populations. The IL study used microscopes to look for tick parts.
@@GrowingDeerTV There a lot of parts of an insect egg that would make it through the stomach? I'd think not...
No hate here. I'm all for expanded predator seasons to improve the turkey hatch. We also keep guineas on our farm specifically and solely to help with tick control.
Toby - Guineas do a great job of eating ticks!
I say turkey eat way more ticks than opossum. I know having chickens and domeatic turkeys they keep 3 acres tick free and ive seen it time after time raccoon and opossum eating my birds eggs right out of the nest.
Thanks for sharing!
Good Job.
They hate Him before they hated us.
Thanks for watching!
Possums eat more song bird egg than ticks. Ticks live on the body of the possums just like they live on other wildlife.
Why wouldn't they just make trapping of these predators year round? What is the reasoning not to? coyote season here in KY is year round, so if these two specifically (raccoon/possum) are such detrimental to turkeys and other ground nesting birds, why wouldn't they also be year round?
Daniel - It's tough for state agencies as they have to please all citizens - even the antis, etc. I'd be happy if the trapping season went through the nesting season.
You ask what has changed in the last number of years, how about super tight chokes, TSS shot, resulting in hunters able to kill turkeys out to 60 yards or even more. Or worse, wound the turkeys that wander off to die. It really amazes me the number of comments I see to CZcams videos where hunters are bragging about regularly shooting turkeys out to 60 yards or more. In the past, turkeys that wouldn’t come in closer than 60 yards may make it to the next season and be just a little smarter and harder to kill and add to the number of available gobblers to kill. You can blame it a lot on possums but I’m not buying it. How many people used to trap possum when raccoon skins were $40 as you claim? Not too many I would guess. And yes I am a turkey hunter for well over 30 years. Just my two cents worth.
Matt - good thoughts but tight chokes and new shot materials don't matter if eggs are predated on. There's gads of research showing the impact raccoons a opossums have on turkey populations.
Turkeys eat ticks. Less nest stealers, more turkeys, less ticks. Win win.
No doubt there's too many nest predators!
Pretty soon around us and western Pennsylvania will be no turkeys like there's no pheasants
Dwaine - Hopefully all of us can work together to help turkey populations!
1. Thank you for injecting common sense into the data equation. ( if we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that correlation is not necessarily causation)
2. Although I’m sure it’s unpopular…I think year round feeding of corn to deer is contributing to turkey decline. I think it concentrates predators and turkeys…and nest raiders just follow mama back to the nest.
3. And most importantly, thanks for sharing Christ on your episodes!
Thanks for your encouraging words and I agree that predators quickly learn to hunt prey at bait sites! The number of raccoons at bait sites is amazing! I also appreciate your encouraging words!
do not turkeys compete with deer for similar food sources?
John - There's some overlap, but turkeys eat a lot of insects (high in protein and calcium), small snakes, etc. I never worry about turkeys competing with deer for food.
Hate mail! Where what idot would do that. My camp in 2005 turkey season ( the only person that turkey hunted) i would hear 30+ gobblers. Thats with the old timers the trapped. Now all of those guys are gone. I hear 3-4 birds gobbling yearly. Gigantic swing. Im saving up for about 30 traps (here in Mississippi). I hopefully will make a difference like the old tymers.
Good plan!
Raccoon trapping season needs to go all year round
Trapper - at least through the nesting season!
Also too many protected aerial predatory hawks
William - There are a lot of species of predators with very high populations!
"Shoot a crow, save a duck".
Yes sir!
I noticed here not as many turkeys as there used to be to many predators coon ,coyote’s problem
Yes sir!
If opossums do eat ticks. Then opossums should have very little ticks on them. But opossums have plenty of ticks on them. I wonder how the idea of opossums eat ticks spread around, but it is no where near any kind of truth.
What's also changed? The use of neonics.
Yes!
Let the hate mail come, Dr. Grant. Easy litmus test to find the least informed on the issue.
Thanks Ghillie!
I'm sure Turkeys will eat way more ticks than possums.
Micah -= They certainly groom frequently!
Turkeys eat a lot of ticks don’t they?
Matt - Turkeys do eat ticks!