Why Hunters Are Seeing Fewer Wild Turkeys And What to Do About It! (633)
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2021
- Hunters around the nation report seeing and harvesting fewer turkeys over the last few years. Grant explains what has possibly caused the wild turkey populations to decline along with actions to take to reverse the trend.
The GrowingDeerTV team have been avid turkey hunter for many years. We’ve experienced years with lots of turkeys and other season with not as many. However, we’ve never experienced a decline in turkey populations on such a large scale as it occurring now. It’s not just our observations that concern me. Several state agencies have noticed a decline in turkey populations and are wisely changing the seasons and bag limits. South Carolina, Alabama and other states are making changes to turkey season dates, bag limits, and even when decoys can be used.
Hunters need to take these changes to turkey populations seriously! There’s not a lot of time to waste so please become involved now. A good place to start is to become a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation and visit with the state wildlife agency where you hunt.
#turkeyhunting #teamoutdoors
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Our episodes show what we are doing in the field, our hunting and management activities, week to week. A new episode is released each Monday, 52 weeks a year with no repeats. We occasionally share special mid-week episodes on Thursday or Friday if we’ve had an action packed week of hunts or habitat management projects. All our episodes are available for viewing anytime at GrowingDeer.tv. GrowingDeer.tv episodes will include action packed hunts, proven hunting strategies, food plot and trail camera techniques, practical advice for common problems and the gear it takes to get it all done. - Sport
The decline of fur prices has had an impact on turkey egg survival.
Eric - I agree! It's up to concerned conservationist to work to balance the number of predators to a level that prey species can thrive!
It’s mainly due to over harvest although they want admit it.
@@lukedog7028 Lol, no it's not.
@@Digger927 how do you know ? Does harvest have 0 effect on animal population?
@@Digger927 many years ago I had a 500 acre farm where I would only see 2 bucks per week of hunting on average. I planted soybeans, corn , winter wheat and practiced timber management. Finally fed up with the neighbors shooting deer that wandered off my farm I built a high fence. Within 2 years I was seeing 12 bucks per day on average. I didn’t control any predators other than the neighbors.
If I had money enough to build a fence high enough a turkey couldn’t fly over it I suspect I would have increased the turkey population in a similar way. People laugh and put down what they don’t understand. The problem is simple the turkey population is declining in many areas due to over harvest. The same thing happened before and the wild turkey was almost hunted to the point of extinction. Why did the government decide to limit the amount of shells a migratory waterfowl gun could hold?
Great video Grant I have followed some of your management techniques for turkeys for the past couple of years! I never seen a polt on my property till I started following your advice! I have seen the turkey population grow on my property so wanted to give u a personal thank u for doin what u do!!!
Josh - Congratulations and keep sharing your work!!!
Grant, I'm not sure how many times I have messaged you over the last 11 years of viewing but I would do anything to have you as a guest on my property in Northwest Arkansas. Even a quick drive around the mountain for some input would be worth years of my own trial and error. Thank you for continuing to be such an amazing role model for all of us!
Thanks for your kind words! We frequently assist landowners with habitat and hunting improvement plans. There's a fee for our services/time. If you'd like to learn more email us at info@GrowingDeer.com and share your property's location, acreage, and current habitat types (percent in timber, pasture, ag, etc.). We look forward to assisting you!
I greatly and deeply enjoy these videos! Keep up the great work! I believe that anything we can do to give back is well worth the effort!
Matt - Yes!
One of the best episodes I’ve watched over the years. I think everyone should watch this to learn the importance proper land management. Trapping is a powerful conservation tool promoting biodiversity on lands.
It’s all about over harvest. This guy is like nwtf. They aren’t going to come out and say over harvest is the problem and no organization is going to fund your research if you are going to prove over harvest is the real problem.
Thanks Matt!
Luke - do you have any research or evidence to back your argument? You've posted a bunch about this episode but haven't shared any data. Thanks!
@@GrowingDeerTV No, he doesn't because he's as wrong as wrong can be.
@@GrowingDeerTV I tell you what I will do I will put 5000 towards a study that uses banding and gps collaring of a large number of gobblers in my state of Alabama. The purpose of the study should be to determine what is the largest predator of mature gobblers. Will you match my donation?
In my area, some of our problem is bald eagles. We have had a huge rise in bald eagles lately; and we've noticed less Turkey population with the more bald eagles. My dad had a story where he works for UPS . He was out and there were five or six turkeys alongside a barn. He asked the guy why are they all hugging the wall. He said look up in that tree. There was a bald eagle up in the tree. Turkeys would not move until the eagle was gone. A lot of the reason that we are having such low numbers where I live is cuz of eagles.
AKW - Eagles are certainly a skilled predator and there are a lot more of them now then there were 10 years ago.
I called in 2 raccoon last year and 3 this year with a Turkey call when Turkey hunting. They are coming to the call in surch of eggs in my opinion..
Jared - They are voracious predators!
I really enjoy all your videos , I think this one is best, concise and easy to understand. Thanks
Thanks Jason!
Alot of people forget farmers killed every owl and hawk they seen back in the day and we had small game everyplace now for some reason owls and hawks are put on a pedestal instead of shoved face down a groundhog hole like they use be
Frank - No doubt there are gads of avian predators these days!
Hunting a deer bedding area from the ground last fall and had three horned owls and two barred owls come through. At one point I had a staring contest with them from 10 yards. Several years prior - in the spring mind you - I bumped several hens off their nest in that very same location.
A nesting pair of red-shouldered hawks drove out the hens by my house.
so many hawks in SE texas there are zero quail and pheasants. coyotes are everywhere even though people sjoot every one they see.
I love your videos, they are always informational and entertaining
Thanks Cheg!
Thank you Grant for speaking up about this alarming trend. I sometimes feel that the everyday common hunter voice is dismissed when we see these things happening so when I see you step up and speak out that gives me great encouragement. I hope this prompts at least our state to urgent action. As hunters I hope we can ban together and help the turkeys out again. Much respect Grant 👍
You want to help turkeys ? Don’t shoot as many
Thanks Matt!
Luke - I appreciate your heart but clearly the decline in turkey populations won't stop until the predator and prey ratios are balanced and habitat quality is improved.
@@GrowingDeerTV by predator if you mean humans with a shotgun then I agree. All a turkey needs as far as habitat is some water , a shrub to nest in and tree to roost in. A old folks home will so in a pinch. We were growing and stocking wild turkeys years before nwtf every existed. It is very simple they are being over harvested. I can take you to extremely large south Texas ranches today that don’t harvest turkeys you will see literally hundreds. I also can take you to some Texas ranches that have recently started doing commercial turkey hunts. Years ago these ranches had hundreds of turkeys now have few turkeys and everyone is scratching there head wondering what happened. I have raised commercial animals and wildlife for 40+ years and I tell you it’s over harvest. Sure I want to make habitat better but that isn’t the problem in this case. That fur chart is like saying every time I eat supper the phone rings so eating supper is directly related to the phone ringing. I am very passionate about wildlife and wild turkeys but I have become very frustrated with the direction the research has taken and just the common sense that many of game biologists seem to have lost. I will leave you with this example : a cattle farmer can have the most fertile pastures in the world with the best shade and water but if he kills every bull in the pasture it doesn’t take long before he has no more cattle.
So glad someone reputable is addressing this issue. Thank you!
Thanks Zach!
I agree with your assessment and here's why. In 1997 I was assigned to Ft Riley Kansas. I thought I would get a chance to do a little quail and pheasant hunting and looking forward to it since I had not done any your 15 years at that point. Quail season came, we had good dogs, yet went for days with out seeing a single quail. These places should have been loaded with quail. They had plenty of cover, plenty of feed and forage, yet nothing. I spoke with the local game warden for Geary County. He said fire ants were the cause. I lived in Texas where fire ants thrive. There weren't ANY fire ants that I could find in the Flint Hills area of Kansas. The top soil wasn't deep enough to support them ( my thoughts). As fall came I found I had some time on my hands with almost 90 days of leave built up, so I took some leave and started trapping. First was just coon and coyote, but then one evening while calling coyotes, a couple bobcats came in at the same time. I got one and the other disappeared quickly. So, I started looking for bobcats. When the snow fell, they stick out like a sore thumb against the white back ground. Sometimes I found as many as 6 females running and hunting together. The winter of 1997, I took around 30 cats of a small area, 1998 I targeted cats with traps, I think I took 60 that season. Keep in mind, in Kansas, trapping season is short. You have to wait for the fur to prime up, which is after the first snow and then mid January they start pairing up and mating, the males will bite the females behind the neck and pull the fur out, so the furs aren't any good at that point. so really only 45 days of good trapping. Yet, I got close to 200 cats in a 3 year period from a small area. Bobcats do not retain fat, so they must eat at least every 3 days or face starvation. 200 cats x 1 meal a day = 73,000 cat meals x 3 years = 219,000 cats meals, that doesn't include raccoons, opossums, coyotes, hawks and hunting. So... until you control the predation, numbers are going to decline. Fur prices dropped when the US stopped selling to Iran back in 1980. Back then I was getting $45 for a x large coon. Open the fur markets back up and sell some fur. Then your turkey, quail and pheasant populations will thrive. Yes, I'm an old fart now 60
Brian - Thanks for your service and your observations!
Thank you Dr. Grant ! Our Turkey population needs all the help that we can give it ! Our Turkey population in Georgia has been in decline for the last 20 years. Complaints to our State Agencies has fell on deaf ears for to long. The reduction in harvest is a temporary fix for a bigger problem, predator control and better land management.
Thanks
Cutnrun - I agree! I lived in Georgia and enjoyed some great hunting during the late 80's.
Thanks Dr. Woods. Good info as always.
Thanks Mik!
Great episode! Definitely saw fewer Turkey this year in Nebraska
Nebraska - Dustoff - Turkey populations used to be great in Nebraska! Now, they are much smaller than just a few years ago.
More hunters though.
Like all your videos, keep them coming.they are very informative
More to come!
Thank you Dr Grant!
Thanks!
I needed this vid to clarify things
Thanks Jerry!
My guy, the worst thing that ever happened to pheasant and turkey numbers was the $8/bushel corn prices of 2008-2010. Farmers and land owners decimated all the set aside land in order to plant as many corn seeds as possible
So glad you did a video on this subject. We have a tiny channel and did one about a year ago. I’m hoping we can really raise awareness on this decline through what I’m calling QTM. Would love for a man of your gravitas to weigh in on the subject. I’m an old quail hunter and this story is getting very familiar…
We'll share more about turkeys soon!
Very glad to hear that! I’m really hoping we can educate land owners on the fundamentals of managing land for turkeys. QDM really helped grow bigger bucks…I’m hoping QTM can increase poult production and survival! Thank you!
I like the balanced approach of this video. There are multiple factors affecting this decline and you hit them well. You carry a lot of influence in the hunting community and hopefully this will get more biologists on board with the predator management aspect. It is skewed right now. How about a follow up video on the best way to create turkey habitat, specifics on what to plant etc.? Thank-you!
Thanks Conrad!
Those blankets are awesome. May need to consider that when we do our trapping this winter.
Pelts are a great renewable resource!!
Good information. It’s concise and shows the problem and the solution.
Here, Here! Glad to see others concerned about this issue. Why do we even regulate meso-predators? Aggressive managers should be allowed control options year-round!
Scott - Thanks and I agree!
Exactly
In Wisconsin a landowner can trap raccoons, opossum, and coyotes on their property year round and do not have to have a trapping license for those species. Our biggest problem predator is a fisher which will take a grown turkey right off the roost at night and requires a special tag and season to trap.
I mean if it's on your own land do what you want and don't tell anyone.
Great video and info, thank you.
Thanks!
Great information. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Again this year in Western NC I saw poults with hens opening week. We got tons of turkeys...but our season is a month and a half too late.
The season dates may part of why you see lots of turkeys! Toms tend to respond to calls better when the majority of hens are receptive.
Great video. Our turkey populations out in the far west seem to be stable or possibly growing for now, but I have no doubt we will see them drop too. They definitely benefit from logging and fire.
Good news! Yes, actions that created great nesting and brooding habitat are very beneficial to turkey populations!
Thank you, great educational video
Thanks Mike!
We have been down a few years but last year we saw Jakes and poults and this year was best in 5/6 years. Our birds have boomed this last two hatches. I’m in Ouachita foothills in west central Arkansas same habitat as the PG’s except it’s pine farm so we always have fresh browse and cover
Eric - Are there pines be cut every year to two to provide the fresh cover?
Fantastic video. Thank you.
Thanks Brent!
The turkey numbers is declining here as well in West Virginia. I am seeing more coyotes and bobcats on my trail cameras than I am seeing turkeys. I trap and try to do my part to keep the predators in check but it is hard to do when you have everyday obligations to tend to. Last year I caught 6 raccoons 10 opossums 2 coyotes and 3 bobcats with only running 12 traps. Thanks Grant for sharing this video I appreciate it.
Sounds like you are a skilled trapper! Keep it up!
Those blankets looked great! Was the coyote blanket really that warm? I have a couple of family members who get cold rather easily, and if those blankets are that warm then i need to learn how to make a blanket in such a way. Great video sir! The decline in the turkey population has been very saddening. They're my favorite animal to hunt and to just plain listen to, and anything that could shed light on how to help them rebound to a better population is always helpful and welcomed!
Yes - Too hot for us to sleep under unless it's very cold and the heat is off!
Mr. Woods this past Spring was the most challenging one I have ever had. I hunt only public land. Saying that I kill two turkeys almost every season here in Missouri. I didn't tag one bird this year. Between the old, wary, henned up toms and the bad luck with other hunters. My season was very frustrating. I was on them super early every morning. Probably had a lot more encounters than most. But the toms in my area seemed very cautious. Could've shot a Jake a couple of different times. Chose not to. I only try to harvest mature birds.
On the plus side... I killed a coyote while turkey hunting. Hopefully that helps the fawns and poults a little. I am hoping our conservation department does more prescribed burns. I'm considering trapping again. Haven't done that since I was 15. I am not wanting to sit idly by and watch this precious resource disappear. Thanks for the very in depth look at this problem.
Doug - Thanks for sharing your observations and I hope you do start trapping!
Grant, I agree with your assessment on predators and there's a lot to be said for the predator food plot theory for sure. I'd also like to bring up another point that I hear no one talking about that it's prevalence overlaps the decline we're seeing in the birds. That thing is turkey and chicken litter from big commercial operations being spread on crop fields as fertilizer. I raised game birds for nearly a decade through the early 2000's and few things are more rife with disease than tame turkeys and chickens and they are all very very contagious to other birds. In commercial operations they are given enough antibiotics to survive the contagions for the short time they're in confinement but that stuff being spread on crop fields, I think is the major cause to the rapid declines we're seeing now. 10 years ago no one here spread that crap on their fields, now everyone is and it overlaps perfectly with the decline we're seeing here.
I'm also pretty sure that none of that litter is composted enough to "clean up" the contagions in it...which would be the solution to fixing the issue. I know I have a neighbor that has had it spread 2 years in a row and it's full of feathers and everything else and talk about stink...man that stuff will puke a maggot. I can smell that stuff 4 miles away at home in a south wind. If it was composted properly then there would be no feathers or offensive odors. You might look into it and see if you think it's a contributing factor and try to get something done about it. As far as an environmental hazard concern....I think it's even worse than commercial fertilizer.
Brent - Litter can be an issue but in many areas poultry litter has been spread for years with no issues. There's almost no litter being spread in Kansas or Iowa, Nebraska, etc., and turkey populations are declining even in the absence of litter.
@@GrowingDeerTV I'm in Kansas and there's a lot of it being spread on the eastern side of the state here around me and has been for a couple.of years. I dont know about the rest of the country as I hardly ever travel. Thanks for the reply though, I hope you're all well.
The deep snow here in central NY put a big hurting on the thurkeys around here.
Bill - Deep snows and frozen ground is tough on turkeys!
Move to northern Utah, 7 years ago on my brother in laws land he had never seen a turkey; in 50 years. Right now, every night he has 150-250 turkeys in his fields every; night, he has been given predation permits for off season turkey hunting. I only saw a few turkeys and now even where I live I can find turkeys anytime I want to.
For the first time, a female turkey with a clutch of chicks was in my yard. Some had to have hatched today, but a few were larger so were at least a few days old. They must have hatched out at the back of my property.
Rob - It's great to hear about places that have a good population of turkeys.
I have been hunting turkeys for 42 years now, back in the late 80s through the 90s there were turkey everywhere in NY. I also trap and I have slacked on Trapping racoons and I feel that was a mistake. We also have Fisher in large numbers here, I am going to start ADC Trapping on the property I hunt. I caught a lot of foxes last season and there are still a lot of them around. Really enjoyed your video 👍🦃🦃🦃🦃. I shot a Beautiful Tom opening day but only had one Jake come in in the next 3 weeks. Didn't hear any Gobbling either. Sad.
Daniel - Congratulations and that does sound very sad!
Great to see the concerns with population trends being discussed. I somewhat have to disagree with the habitat concerns being a cause of this very new downturn in population. Look at the peak harvest data-somewhere between 2000-2008ish. I have not seen a huge change in habitat management in this time frame-actually, I would say it has improved in this time period. I think the graph showing the correlation to fur prices hits the nail on the head. In my opinion, the focus needs to be on predation ( both fur bearer and human (over hunting). Add to this same time period, the advent of CZcams and the popularity of hunting programs. Used to be, you had to watch these shows when the network showed them-and by in large, turkey hunting programs were pretty slim pickings.
Now, anyone can watch at any time-and year round (I’m just as guilty as anyone else). Shot shell technology, decoy realism and the popularity of turkey hunting how-to videos have made turkey hunters more efficient predators. I’m on board for habitat conservation and improvement, but just can’t buy in to it’s major role in turkey population decline in the last 15 or so years.
Would someone listen to this fellow , he understands what is really going on. The influencers don’t allow or support any research on over harvest being the issue. It would all come to light if they would radio collar gobblers. Nobody is going to allow that research to happen though. They want to plant listening devices in trees so they can say turkeys just don’t gobble as much. They are right they don’t gobble as much because they are in a freezer.
Brad - Thanks for sharing! On federal lands, President Clinton all but stopped logging and therefore the creation of nesting and brooding habitat. Many row crop practices have become much more intense. The insecticides used on most corn and soybean seeds are much more toxic these days (read about Neonic seed treatments), bee populations are way down, etc., etc. There's ample evidence of declining habitat quality. Here in Missouri, the annual turkey harvest is less than half of what it was decades ago. It wouldn't take an excessive hunter harvest that long to show - it would have been a sudden drop. Habitat quality decline is tied to the increase predator effectiveness - the habitat is much more fragmented now than it was years ago - which makes it easy for predators to find prey - especially turkey nest. I like your passion, but hope you consider these obvious observations.
Luke - You've commented a lot and I like your passion. I hope you take time to read my response to this thread.
@@GrowingDeerTV I have read your every comment and most likely have read 10 times more on the subject than you have with at least as many years of in the field observation as yours and likely more. You seem to be a good Christian man and I respect that but you are for some reason willfully ignoring the most obvious answer which is over harvest. I wonder if there is some kind of bias in your mind that makes you want to not blame over hunting as the problem or if it is maybe some fear of losing your nwtf buddies if you state what the problem is. I just haven’t figured that part out yet.
@@GrowingDeerTV I’m glad we can have these conversations in the name of turkey conservation! I agree with all that you have said, I am a bee keeper and am well aware of the toxicity to bees and other insects and would have to say that that is the most recent negative impact you offer. I completely agree that habitat is more fragmented-but that has been in place, for the most part, for many decades. Most of my comments refer to the areas I am most familiar with-IL, KS, NE, and WI. These areas saw turkey populations peak in the early to mid 2000’s. Habitat fragmentation-for the most part-occurred in the 40-50’s-about the time some reintroduction efforts began. These turkey populations came ti be in the fragmented habitat we see today. Hunter efficiency has exploded with the advent of realistic decoys (I have witnessed first hand the efficiency improvements), the advent of shot shell technology (the 40 yd gild standard has increased over 50% with the advent of TSS, super tight chokes and even Longbeard XR). Illinois DNR has documented a steady decline in population counts yet posted a record breaking harvest in 2006. I agree, habitat loss is a problem, but it has not changed in the same time frame and in correlation to the population boom of the early 2000’s and subsequent rapid decline of the 2000-teens. What has changed in that exact same time period is furbearer prices/harvest decline and hunter efficiency. In addition, I believe social media and you tube allows aspiring hunters to find a “mentor” and learn the art of turkey hunting (or any other outdoor sport) at any time. It used to be, you had to actually know someone and have personal contact to be mentored-look how many followers any of the thousands of hunting personalties have on youtube/social media. I believe it is good for hunter recruitment, but leads to more turkeys being harvested and with much more efficient means (these new hunters are “learning” to shoot 60-70 yds with TSS shot over ultra realistic DSD or Avian X decoys and been taught to be effective callers. So again, great conversation, great points on both sides of the fence, I just have a different view on the causative effects resulting in the recent and alarming population declines. Best wishes for a safe up coming deer season and let’s keep our fingers crossed for those poults that are out there surviving every day as we speak!!
Those blankets looked really nice. Do you have a local person do those or ship all the pelts? I’ve noticed turkey populations down in my area the last several years. Working to improve the field cover and wanting to complete a lot of edge feathering this year.
Careful Brian! Edge feathering is one way to make predator food plots! These narrow bands of cover are idea for predators to hunt. I shipped garment tanned hides to Foxx USA!
Great video
Thanks!
This was an excellent well put together video. Thank you! The numbers in my county in Texas have dropped significantly. I'd be willing to bet Feral hogs are also preying on them as well along with Racoons and other normal predators. Predator control along with fragmentation of habitat makes sense.
Feral hogs can be wicked nest predators! Hogs are very destructive and should be controlled where possible.
@@GrowingDeerTV doing what I can for sure. But need to step up my game.
You made some excellent point in your video about the decrease in turkey populations. Here in TN our limit went from 4 to only 3 birds per season, in my opinion they should have lowered it to two; To add on for your reasons of decreasing populations I would say that poachers take a BIG toll on populations because they kill over their limit, and I would also like to add a solution to the predation issue, put a bounty on coyotes, which will help encourage more people to hunt them.
Thanks Tanner! Several states have tried bounties and they rarely work. Trapping is much more efficient than hunting. Hopefully hunters and habitat managers will accept the responsibility of improving habitat while working to reduce the number of predators to a point where game populations are stable.
Good idea. I got one long beard and a jake. I wouldn't have shot the jake but he gobbled like a mature bird and was 50 yards so I didn't have time to see his beard good. Since I've spent 2 nights in the woods and covered over 20 miles and not heard one turkey gobble in east tn. Traveled to middle tn and hunted a 300 acre farm and 1200 acre lease. Didn't hear a single turkey or see one for 3 days. One of the guys told me they watched twra trap 200 birds and take them to the governor turkey hunt. I did some research and if this comes out true ill be highly pissed off at these rich pricks and twra getting so money hungry and selling these tickets for 1000 to come hunt.
If that’s true about the whole governors hunt, it will cause an uproar in the hunting community in TN
@@tannerking4130 yeah I heard from a really good source about them trapping 200 in county next to it. Like you said if I can prove it I want to make it public.
I already heard they lost a lawsuit in court that they can’t come on your property without a warrant/probable cause
I saw no jakes this spring where it’s not uncommon to see 10-15 of them. But I did bag my biggest tom to date this year on the NY last day
Congratulations! No jakes is not a good sign for your area.
Thank you. I did brake ground for food plots a month ago I haven’t seen any turkey’s until I had fresh dirt now I have a hen on eggs right along the field I’m so excited and I’m definitely planting chufa this spring
Thank you for an excellent in depth video on this topic. As a small landowner I am torn about the acreage needed to create bedding areas that are not predator traps. I don’t have 10 or even 5 acres to make cover so that game feel safe. Food plots are the same way. Long strips of food then turn into a predator hideout along the edges. I can defiantly start trapping but What’s a small landowner to do about making cover for deer and Turkey without the creation of predator hideouts? 🤷🏻♂️
WC - Great thoughts! When I assist small landowners I evaluate what resources are available in the neighborhood and what the landowner can realistically provide to help wildlife. You are wise to be realistic and focus on what you can do. I will share that many folks with smaller acreage can remove an amazing about of predators and game species seem to sense the areas with fewer predators and use those "safe zones". I encourage you to remove predators and use this strategy! You don't have to have the best, food, cover, etc., but have a better resource than available in the neighborhood to help and see more critters!
@@GrowingDeerTV Thanks! I will begin to do some trapping next year due to the lower Turkey population in my area.
I'm located in Kansas, and a few years ago a flood wiped out a nest of 14 eggs I found in a nest. The nest was in not in real low ground, the flood was that high. I have seen as many as 3 bobcats at a time within 1/2 mile of where I hunt Turkeys. Fields are planted and sprayed with chemicals. It's a wonder any Turkeys survive at all. I even went north this spring, and only found one group. Not that many turkeys in Kansas like there was a few years back. Back then I saw flocks over 100 roaming around. Officials say it's a bird flu that got most of them. But who knows, who really knows? The decline is state wide too.
I agree with you observations and thoughts!
Here in Wisconsin Turkey are frikking everywhere! Kettle Moraine area is choke full of them, I kid you not!
Michael - It's great that there are some areas with lots of turkeys!
After watching turkey numbers fall dramatically in my area I could no longer hunt them with a clear conscience. I thought it was due to the incoming coyote which definitely had an impact. To my surprise after watching over a hen and her poults that nested very near to my house a flock of crows took every single poult. I now consider myself predator hunter. If anyone has any smart ass comments just try to plant a field of sweet corn and you will be amazed at the raccon population!
Jason - I value your decision to protect turkeys! Crows are very efficient predators and there are tons of them!
I haven't hunted Turkey in 3 years now for the same reason.
Finally someone is talking about the real problem with Turkey population.
Its the predators...
We need to open up the laws on trapping and predator hunting. Why is there any close season on predators?
Thanks Jared!
I bought over 50 acres about 7 years ago. No birds. Cleared it up, laid seed, and now we are covered up.
Gonna be pushing doing prescribed fire on my grandpa's property and I'm gonna try trapping this year. Gonna watch a few of your videos on trapping and habitat management
Sounds like you have a good plan! Many states offer prescribed fire training.
@@GrowingDeerTV I know for sure Wisconsin does which is where I'm from
We are overrun with possums , skunks , and coons. Possums are the worst nest raider and have the largest litters of the three. The last year that I fur trapped was in January of 2014 and the first week of February 2014 , a total of 5 weeks. That was right before the fur market collapsed. In that 5 week period , I caught over 600 coon, over 2,000 non target possums, 55 Bobcats , and numerous non target coyotes , fox , and a few cherry picked beaver for farmers. It is next to impossible for a Turkey, quail, songbird , mammal to hide a nest from a predator. I've watched possums hunt their way through briar patches at night searching for nests like a snake. Add to it skunks , coons , and snakes and it is hard for nests to survive. Also , if a Bobcat finds a roost , it will take a Turkey off the roost every night until it kills them all or the Turkeys move to a new roost.
Thanks Terry! What state did you trap?
@@GrowingDeerTV West Tennessee
@@GrowingDeerTV we also have major floods most every spring here which destroys all of the nests.
We hurting in ga only shooting jakes me and my hunting crew leaving the older mature toms to breed our bag limit was cut from 3 to 2 and our season was cut basically in half although im new to turkey hunting i know some good turkey hunters and we are all struggling bad in the state of ga
Another item that’s hurting them is technology. The quality of calls, decoys, and training videos takes a lot of skill out of it so the success rates are improving, but most places are still using old school game regulations. Their is a huge gap and need to update game regulations at the same rate of technology to make it far for the game animals.
Lots of truth to this statement.
Austin - no doubt decoys, shells, etc., have improved. However, the data is clear that predator populations are way up in most states. Turkey numbers have declined significantly even where bag limit have remained steady or declined.
Turkey hunting ammo sales have also skyrocketed.
Growing deer. Totally agreed on predictors. Prices dropped a lot and no one goes for them anymore. I used to go coon hi to g with dogs but the dog food costed more then what we could get for the hides. Just bring up another reason why turkeys are going down.
You got that right same way with fishing too much technology
Great scientific talk
Thanks Suresh!
You see so many in Idaho . Very few people hunt them . I see usually 40-70 adults each day .
I have a shotgun and will travel!
Grant, I've seen a lot of Ur videos for many years. I agree to a degree with U about predator problems,, BUT I lived in Mississippi most of my life, and moved to Kansas 7 yrs, ago. I now live in Iowa. I've hunted in all the states U mentioned, and I disagree about the predators being the total issue. Eastern Kansas hasn't changed in habitat, and it does have a lot of predators, but there are more Coyotes and raccoons where I live in Iowa than Kansas. There is far more Turkeys here than Kansas now. Kansas and Missouri have fantastic habitat, with LESS predators, but Turkey populations have dropped over 75 percent there. I just left Missouri where habitat improvements were made for turkeys years ago. Heard 6 Turkeys in 12 days. Perfect nesting areas and heard only 3 Coyotes in 12 days and nights. Saw 0 raccoons. Something else is going on Grant. I assure you of that.
Jacky - Certainly predators aren't the only factor - as I stated in the episode. Declining habitat and neonic treated seeds among others are factors. Raccoon are the most common nest predator - so seeing coyotes isn't a good indicator. Thanks for sharing!
@@GrowingDeerTV Grant, I'm telling U that I'm aware that raccoons are actually the number 1 predator for nest, from a Mississippi state study yrs ago. There are more raccoons where I live in Iowa than Mississippi and Missouri combined. Coyotes also, and yes, this is the Hawkeye State, with millions of hawks. Raccoons and coyotes are everywhere on roads dead from cars. Didn't see 1 in Missouri in 12 days, nor Mississippi in 3 weeks. The problem is definitely more deep. I have Coyotes wake me up EVERY NIGHT and I live in town. Raccoons are just unbelievable, but lots of turkeys here. Something else is definitely going on in Turkey declines. Guaranteed.
I hunt in central Illinois I have noticed a lot of property owners have been plowing up hedge rows to squeeze in a few more rows of corn or beans I don’t even see the pheasants anymore I am seeing a lot of habitat loss just saying .
Robert - I agree! Habitat loss is a huge issue!
Big timber companies in Alabama don't allow trapping. They spray and kill clear cuts. When they cut trees most times you can't walk for the mess they leave. That mess is great for predators
Greg - It's odd that trapping isn't allowed on recreational leases. Sad!
We harvested more than we produced in a nutshell! Trapping, habitat management, monitoring flock size, and adjusting harvest accordingly on a person's farm or lease.
The number of wild turkeys in Indiana are climbing. I've seen 30 of them walking down my street. After rarely seeing them for yrs they are suddenly everywhere. I'm not in country. I live in beach side community.
Frank - turkey populations in many communities are stable!
There seems a relationship between Timberwolf and Turkey population increase here. The Coyote Population is way down here. Perhaps Wolf's knocked Coyote Turkey predation down?
Excellent Presentation! TY.
Interesting! Thanks Michael!
Out west, our turkey numbers are fantastic. The problem, is that their biological clock was off this year and April gobblers were acting like February Gobblers. by the late season, they were finally henned up; and after the season closed, they finally started acting like late March turkeys.
Wow! Sounds like a tough season. Recently some turkeys in western states have tested positive for a wicked disease. I hope this exposure is limited.
We have alot of turkeys here on the farm every year. Sometimes they actually get to be annoying when trying to plant crops. We have actually had a problem with turkeys eating or corn seed after being planted. Peanuts are just as bad
If your seed is treated with neonics (orange or green dye) that's very harmful for turkeys and other species. Be careful handling that toxin.
Yeah but what are you going to do about it. They also like to eat peanut seed which has poison on it we used to have a bad wild hog problem here at home. They expecially love peanut fields but it never slowed them down
Was wondering who you got to do your fur blankets we trap every year and would love to have a coyote comforter
Tony - Foxx Furs USA - check them out!
I believe because of social media and all the hunting shows hunting numbers have also increased
Hud - Actually the number of hunters had declined until COVID then more folks got out and enjoy hunting!
I only saw hens and what was left of a Tom after a fox ate it. It was a rough season.
Jason - it was a tough season in many areas.
@@GrowingDeerTV it is a strange coincidence that I saw this video when I did. I'm taking my Trappers Education this Saturday. Have to drive like 3 hours to get there, and I can't find a mentor. However at the end of the day I feel like it will be a good skill to learn.
Great video and I agree with all you your comments and suggestions. I live in East Tennessee and hunt both public and private land. The public land habitat has changed significantly but not so on private land I hunt. The turkey population and especially mature toms has decreased by at least 50 percent if not more. The two pieces of private land ( one 200 acres and the other app. 250 acres) close to me always had 3-5 mature toms on them. This year both had 2 mature toms each. Harvest one and another took its place within 2 to 3 days. Not so now. There are more predators and its hard to go hunt and not encounter a coyote. Ialso saw a study that said in the SE that 80 percent of the nest didn't produce a single bird. I don't know the answer but I know the turkeys are on a drastic decline.
Predators are certainly one of the issues in many areas!
Maybe last year. I have seen groups of turkey on every job site every week. Seen more turkey in the last few months than my entire life.
Some states have also re-introduced the rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes eat turkey eggs & the chicks
Kim - Snakes can be an issue - but gray rat snakes, etc., likely eat way more eggs than Rattlesnakes.
I see tons of eagles and less turkeys I've also seen 30 poults with hens by fall there's 5 on my farm alone
On my property in Wisconsin I am constantly improving habitat for deer and turkeys with select cuts and clear cuts. Around here predation is the number one factor for turkey declines. As you stated the decline in fur sales has caused the predator population to explode. A landowner in Wisconsin is allowed to remove raccoons, opossum, coyotes, etc year round without a license on their property. Unfortunately fishers , bobcats and wolves are excluded from this law.
Steve - Thanks for sharing. Even with quality habitat, if there's a high predator population, turkeys are in trouble.
And they want to charge us out of state hunters out the nose to kill them.
Is there any research on the use of turkey boxes for hens to nest in?
Blake - I haven't heard about turkey nesting boxes.
You just echoed what I been saying here for the last number of years when the subject of declining turkey populations get brought up. It's the same here in the northeast. Hills that used to be full of gobbling birds are now silent. Cover hasn't changed much, but the crash of the fur market coincides with will the decline of birds. I've been a trapper all my life. Growing up, coons, skunks, and possums were known as egg eaters. I can't believe the amount of people that wanna protect possums. Especially hunters, birds eat more of those stupid ticks than possums, in the spring eggs are a main source of food for those 3 predators.
Walter - Thanks for sharing!
Good habitat and controlling predetors are extremely important.
Curring the NWTF push to grow the turkey population state game agencies worked closely on habitat improvement/development.
Once populations were established it seems some cooperation seemed to wane. Everyone seemed to rest on their laurels and ride the wave of success.
Local hunters here heard less Tom's early this year, however; seem to harvesting some nice gobbler later in the season.
I agree - and NWTF is very hesitant to push balancing predators and prey populations. They were spoiled by trappers doing this work when fur prices were high.
@@GrowingDeerTV : I'm a predetor caller ... !
I do not know what state or city you live in but here in Missouri we got more turkeys then we have starlings that's right hell they're running even in town.
John - I live near Branson, MO. The population of turkeys in Missouri, as well as in most states, is way down. It has been declining for about two decades. Even the Missouri Department of Conservation is very concerned and they are having a statewide meeting on the web next week to discuss the declining turkey population. In urban areas, turkeys are doing better due to fewer predators and no crops treated with Neonics - a very dangerous insecticide. We'll share more about this soon.
Great Video - Thanks for sounding the alarm. I hope people just don't watch this video and actually participate in the conservation methods discussed in this video.
Thanks Thomas!
I see turkey all over York County PA.
Thanks great! Many in PA are concerned about low turkey populations where they hunt.
Man I was just speaking about this , we had about 150 wild turkeys spilt in groups in my area all seasons we see an and one day POOF! GONE!! Not a sign of them anywhere!! Haven't seen them for 3 months now and in my travels havent seen but 4 in those 3 months in areas of towns where normally other flocks of about 40 or 50 are regularly? Somethings not right.
Matthew - Thanks for sharing your observations and you are correct!
@@GrowingDeerTV ive heard of strange bird sickness going on in wondering if this has anything to do with it?? I'll say it as I'm A Godly man but we're seeing some strange things and seems our animals are falling off fast! Heck I could barely get my garden seeds to vegg right this spring even... Somethings not right.
only gobbled opening day got 1 had another gobbling last ones i heard rest of season
Mike - ouch!
. One good fur coat will last a lifetime compared to buying any other type of coat. That was the reason I bought my fur coat to begin with. I love it and now I want a good fur blanket!
Rose - I agree! I love fur garments!
I’m going to start trapping so by next year I should be ready for next turkey season
Great!!
The main reason in my state of Kansas for the big decline is simple: Outfitters
You start bringing in 25-30 NR hunters per outfitter and it doesn't take but a few years to destroy the population.
Chris - Over harvest can be an issue, but is rarely a factor when there's quality habitat!
@@GrowingDeerTV really I had 50+ gobblers and 100+ hens daily on my alfalfa for many years. Outfitters moved in next to me now it 100's of hens and maybe 4-5 gobblers.
@@GrowingDeerTV you can have the best cattle pasture in the world but if you kill every bull you will be without cows before long. The line simply improving the habitat fixes all the problems is not working. It is very likely that the demand hunters have to harvest turkeys simple outweighs the amount of habitat improvement that can be practically achieved. I have completely stopped hunting turkeys in my area because as a responsible hunter I do not want to continue to be part of the inevitable collapse. I have noticed this in many areas of the USA. Years ago I would travel to hunt turkeys and when I would stop to get breakfast in my camouflage they would ask what I was hunting. Not long ago I checked into a motel in same area and the hostess asked was I with the group of 20 turkey hunters. Times have definitely changed.
My daughter and I both limited out for the season within the first seven days and all of the toms were taken at less than 15 feet. The shot cups didn't even get a chance to open... not a single pellet anywhere in any of the carcasses, the whole unexpanded shot cup smacked them Square in the head. There are tons of birds here in central California. Everything is on private land so you better own some!
Joe - Congratulation! The Savannah habitat in central California is great turkey nesting and brood habitat. I'd like to hunt there sometime.
Central New York bird numbers have horribly low! 10 years ago I would see flocks of 70-90 birds. Over the last 10 years the numbers I have seen have dramatically declined. In the last 3 years I have not even heard a single morning or evening yelp in the fall. The 120 acres I hunt has everything a turkey needs! I have 4 fields, mature oaks, beech, and hickory. The land has not changed, something else has happened! I don’t hunt turkey on the land anymore. It’s very disturbing?
!
Timothy - We all need to work together to help turkey populations!
I agree not seeing polts with hens again this year .ky.
Paul - Without recruitment turkey populations decline quickly.
Got drawn for chuck swan also our of 130 hunters 2 killed in 3 days. Thats insane to me.
Matt - Wow - that's bad. Was the weather good?
All the wild turkeys are moving into suburbia. Here in eastern Massachusetts, the suburban cities and town have found the increasing number of wild turkeys to be an annoyance with their aggressive behavior when they encounter humans and automobiles.
Turkey populations in many suburban areas are doing well. There are fewer predators and no Neonics - a nasty insecticide used in production row crops. 90%+ of all corn seed is treated with neonics.
Wisconsin had it's Lowest spring turkey harvest numbers in over 20 years. I Didn't see one Tom or Jake all season. I was even in the woods for youth hunt, 2nd season, and 5th season. Did have 2 wolves come in to our decoys though and saw coyotes as well. I'll have to start predator hunting instead I guess.
Tom - Lots of states are experiencing predators issues.
Open coon season year round with a limited number that can be harvested per night. There is a great resource in Missouri of dog hunters who hunt year round for pleasure and could be a big help while training dogs. Thanks for the video on this subject it’s spot on in my opinion but there are so few traders and low fur prices that it’s going to take a combined effort from dog hunters and trappers alike to get a handle on the problem.
Junior - No doubt raccoons are a big issue with declining turkey populations.
In the north east I see turkeys everywhere..
You are blessed! I suspect you are in a suburban, urban area. Turkeys are doing better where there are fewer predators and limited Neonics.
We just all have to work a little harder to appreciate what we have
Heck - let's all work together to help the turkey population recover!
@@GrowingDeerTV that's what I am saying!!!!! I Stopped trapping a few years ago, I'm going to start back up to help remove some predators. Those hens need chick's to survive!
I always work outside in east Tennessee and I don't go anywhere without seeing a group of these guys. The population is exploding in my area. I don't know what the hell people are talking about being a decline. They are everywhere. I have seen more in the last couple months than my entire life. Maybe in other states but not eastern TN. More turkey than you can shake a stick at. My cousin got spooked by one flapping his wings today. And one scare the piss out of me last week near Sevierville. I even saw them in dollywood. Large groups.
First - clean up your language. Turkey populations are declining in most areas - including most of Tennessee. I'm glad you have seen some turkeys in your area!
Not where I live in SW Oregon, woke up to a hen and chick sitting on the fence a few feet from my bedroom window this weekend, hens and chicks regularly walk through my yard, at one point this spring I had two toms with their hens in close view and a third one behind some trees but close. Populations here are as big or bigger than ever before and I know in SW Washington they are actually expanding their range into areas with no turkey population.
Great! I have a WInchester and will travel!
@@GrowingDeerTV Fall season coming up! Look into SW Oregon
Hello
Howdy!
Tell you a secret! They're all in northern Utah! There's thousands by my house. They've become a nuisance. There's no shortage of wild turkeys here
Wyatt - Wow! That's a good secret!
@@GrowingDeerTV I need this guys address🦃🦃
Unfortunately, in TN, the constant effort to get the Turkey numbers up have lead the epic demise of the wild quail population. I love hunting turkeys but love upland hunting as well and wish i didn’t have to travel so far west to get into good numbers of wild quail. I believe the state of TN has stopped releasing turkeys and we are starting to see how the natural population will be sustained. Hopefully it will allow a better balance of all wildlife including a comeback of the bobwhite quail in TN.
Nick - quail have more specific habitat needs than turkeys. There's very little quality quail habitat and that's why they've declined. I enjoy hunting quail also but all the fescue pasture, closed canopy hardwoods, and intense ag significantly reduced quail habitat.
How much does it cost to get a blanket like that made?
Check out FoxxFurs.com
i keep seeing more and more turkeys
Great! What state are you in? Most states have experienced significant declines in turkey populations.
@@GrowingDeerTV ny and pa
I don't see any decline here in Southern Iowa I have my own Channel on Deer and Turkey habitat and hunting, I have tons of turkeys not unusual for my game cam to catch 30 in one pic , I have planted Chufa they love that but every Tom that I have shot has been full of clover chickory and Alpha they really like those fields, seems I have enough rabbits to feed most of the prey, I seem to see allot of crows around my turkey nesting areas during that season, I know eastern Iowa has been complaining more about shortages ? Create the Habitat and they will come !! I would guess allot of eastern iowa gets there nests flooded out, that's the down side of buffer strips by rivers and creeks same for pheasants
Actually turkey numbers in Iowa are way down. Checkout our show in insecticides and turkeys next week and we'll share more!
@@GrowingDeerTV OK my Nephew is a federal Game wardens do I get an ear full about some if that stuff, one of his state game wardens buddies couldn't get anything over east by the Mississippi, but maybe because I do my own habitat on my farm I am loaded with them,