5 Reasons American Wild Turkeys Are Declining

[Grouse]

Wild turkey populations hit a historic high nationwide in 1995, but have dwindled slowly since. Why?

https://www.nrafamily.org/content/5-reasons-american-wild-turkeys-are-declining/

[G-Man]

Nesting habitat  is gone is biggest  issue  the fallow fields by me are now in corn production as ethanol is raised the price of corn for feed.  

Hay is now cut very early in hopes of getting 3 cuttings for silage.. june is cutting month where it use to be july and nest would be hatched. Ealry cutting either destroys the nest or opens it up for easy predation.  Birds have a territory and wont nest to colse to each other. So 1 field may only hold 1 or 2 nest depending  on its size  ..eliminite hundreds of acres of hay field and reproductive success drops way off.

[Jeremy K]

It's hard to believe the population decline is due to the number taken by hunters.

[First-light]

It's a shame. Back when I bought my place in 8P in 2007 we would see many Turkeys. Not too many hunters shot them. Fields were planted in corn mostly. My guess predation cause the coyote population increased. Loved seeing these birds in the field. 

[wolc123]

I didn’t cut my hay fields until August of this year.  Maybe that’s why there seems to be a lot of turkeys around here now:

 

I don’t see how increased numbers of spring turkey hunters could be hurting the population much, since they are mostly killing toms only.  
 

I have yet to kill or even take a shot at a tom turkey.  I have only ever killed one turkey (a hen in the fall).  Even so,  I think they I personally have done a lot more good than harm for the local population.  I do that “good” by: 1) never cutting hay before July, 2) eliminating raccoons, 3) Planting clover, corn, and wheat, solely for the benefit of the wildlife.  
 

I will admit that there was a time when I did not like seeing wild turkeys around, because I always saw them in my field corn, and I wanted that for the deer.  I considered them nothing more than “feathered rats”.  This was compounded by the fact that I love the taste of venison, but never cared much at all for turkey (tastes like dry cardboard to me). 
 

I have since learned that turkeys will not touch field corn, unless it is first nocked down for them by raccoons.  Take out the coons, and the turkeys don’t touch the corn.  Now, I like the turkeys a lot more.  That young hen that I killed a few years ago, was actually somewhat tasty.  
 

I am looking forward to a hunt or two for them this fall (probably on weekday evenings), if I can squeeze them in at home (in the southern zone), around the northern zone early ML week and opening weekend of gun.  I am going to do my best to target a tom, hopefully that big one that I saw out in the gas line, earlier this week.  

Edited August 17, 2022 by wolc123

[Five Seasons]

5 hours ago, blackbeltbill said:

 Wolc- It took me 5 years to Kill my 1st Wild Turkey. Now - if you have the money to buy the most advanced Turkey Shotguns,Scopes,TSS Ammo,Blinds and Super Realistic  Gobbler Decoys- one can have success right away .

I disagree with you a little here. I think you would agree that the hardest part of turkey hunting is getting one in range, not the shot. Sure some of the newer setups can push a shot into the 50's, but most are still shooting birds 30 and under. Getting a bird to even 60 yards takes good woodsmanship, and calling. Heck some birds are scared off by tom decoys. I'm not trying to pick a fight, just that I don't think tech is making turkey hunting easy.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Belo

[Grouse]

That would seem to indicate the numbers of these animals is way up, consequently adding to the number of turkey being way down.

[mowin]

I guess my area is against the norm of decline. Decent amount of farming in the area, mostly corn and hay fields. Tons of predators, and lots of turkeys. Seeing good amount of poults, some close to mom's size, some partridge size.  Also seen several bachelor groups.   

[Five Seasons]

57 minutes ago, mowin said:

I guess my area is against the norm of decline. Decent amount of farming in the area, mostly corn and hay fields. Tons of predators, and lots of turkeys. Seeing good amount of poults, some close to mom's size, some partridge size.  Also seen several bachelor groups.   

Mine is similar, but my flock is bizarre. I'll see 20+ for a few days and then nothing for weeks and weeks. A good number of polts seem to have done well too. I've read somewhere that 6 months was the sweet spot, if they can make that long they're usually good for a few more years.

When I had turkey populations blow up at my old hunting grounds it was when the farmers would let a field go fallow. It was at an all time high when we had a fallow grape vineyard. It was prime nesting habitat. Now it's all almost always farmed and the numbers are down quite a bit. 

[mowin]

45 minutes ago, Belo said:

Mine is similar, but my flock is bizarre. I'll see 20+ for a few days and then nothing for weeks and weeks. A good number of polts seem to have done well too. I've read somewhere that 6 months was the sweet spot, if they can make that long they're usually good for a few more years.

When I had turkey populations blow up at my old hunting grounds it was when the farmers would let a field go fallow. It was at an all time high when we had a fallow grape vineyard. It was prime nesting habitat. Now it's all almost always farmed and the numbers are down quite a bit. 

In my immediate hunting area, there is very few overgrown fields. Most are cut for hay. Lots of brushy hedge rows, and a couple large swamps that have brushy edges.  Couple of the fields were cow paddock's back in the 80's. Those were almost impossible to walk through 10-15 yrs ago. Now the scrub brush is 20'+ tall and the thick canopy is over my head. See turkeys in there all fall eating the little berries that they produce. 

[mowin]

59 minutes ago, blackbeltbill said:

Right-- Orange County has a very Strong Turkey Population.  All over the place.

  22 miles to the South where,I hunt 5 Different  large Public areas-- very few Wild Turkeys in North New Jersey...

 But-- take your Bear Spray! Black Bears are everywhere  in North New Jersey.

I've always found it odd North NJ has a large bear population.  Lots of large mature forest in my area and a decent amount of corn fields sprinkled around.  In 30+ yrs hunting the same properties I've never seen a bear while hunting, and only last fall did I get a cell cam pic of one. 

[mowin]

1 hour ago, blackbeltbill said:

  My late Girlfriend  Patti had plenty of Black Bear problems while living in a Townhouse community  in Vernon,NJ. They break into the Dumpsters a few times a week and drag the Garbage up the Mountain.  She had one outside her door along with 2 Cubs. I have called in 2 Black Bears while Spring Turkey Hunting in New Jersey . A Young Male in Ringwood,NJ and a big Sow in West Milford,NJ. 

 

 

I called in a big bear probably 25 yrs ago in the Catskills while turkey hunting.  This was 10 yards from me popping it's jaw.  I was filming some friends from Maine, and had nothing but a camera.  Stupid broken pipe in the basement ruined all my tapes.