Where are all the turkeys?

[bowaholic]

Turkey season is coming up sooner than a lot of people may think but I have one question...where are all the birds?!

 

I hunt in Oneida county and northern Madison county and have noticed a SEVERE drop in the turkey population over the last four or five years.  Fisher population I know is rising and they are spreading, so I think that this is a main reason for it. My father has had people tell him that there is an eye parasite that they have been getting which kills them, (starvation, predators etc.)  During deer bow season I had a hen with three polts that couldn't have been bigger than a crow walk under my stand.  I used to see bird everywhere!

 

I'm just curious if it is just my areas that the population has dropped or if it is a state wide issue.       

[thphm]

There at the edge of the fields where the farmers are going to spread manure,That's what I have seen latley.A free meal.

[nyantler]

I am in Madison county as well and have noticed a drop off in turkey sightings...

[Merlot]

The guys I hunt with have noticed a significant drop in turkey sightings over the last 4 years since the erection of the wind turbines in an area of Wyoming county where we hunt. We are wondering if the motion of the blades has scared off our flocks. Also, the area where the turkeys would normally roost were wiped out with the clearing of some adjacent property for one of the pinwheels..

[ants]

I have been seeing a lot of them around here. Not on windy cold days, like today, but they are there. Don't expect to see them , out in fields, during crappy weather.

[Pygmy]

Nothing cuts back turkey numbers quicker than a cold, wet nesting season, and there have been several of those in the last few years.

 

Nesting success was  especially bad last spring.  Broods were small and late. A couple of decent nesting seasons would help reverse the trend.

[G-Man]

the turkey populations by me have dropped, but the old ag abandoned field have been put back into production all around me due to the corn(biofuel craze) loss of nesting / bugging cover has been tremendous that coupled with wet springs and poor hatches are the biggest factors by me. i keep after predator pretty well as do my neighbors.

[ATbuckhunter]

Ive been seeing more and more the last few years. Could be that we have quite a few overgrown fields low predator numbers and better habitat though. 

[Zag]

They probably flew south with this sh&tty weather were living in.

[Meat Manager]

This was a text so the snow screws up the low resolution, but since the snow melted a bit I'm seeing more action:

(Clocks fast by like 25 minutes)

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Edited March 5, 2014 by Meat Manager

[thphm]

Been seeing them walking around before noon almost every day looking for a meal.

[Fantail]

There at the edge of the fields where the farmers are going to spread manure,That's what I have seen latley.A free meal.

 

Yupp, and I try not to think about that.

[LI OUTDOORSMAN]

Saw more turkeys than ever on our lease in 7S this past fall.The farmer planted the large fields with oats in the spring and we did some food plots which seemed to concentrate the birds.They also really hit the hemlocks hard early fall,never seen such deep scratchings for whatever type of seed drops from them they love them.I was actually able to sneak up on a flock during bow season they were so concentrated on digging under those trees they didnt even care to notice!

[Meat Manager]

Just got another turkey text...Won't mind poppin 1 or 2 of these fellows at my 7J lease in May...again clock is fast a half hour.

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[G-Man]

A few in the front yard...

[Trial153]

We been seeing a fair amount this winter in our neck of the woods....the ice covered hill sides are putting a hurting on them.

A thaw can come soon enough

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ive been seeing tons of them while Im driving around the area lately

[stubby68]

Merlot where in wyoming county I hunt from bliss to portageville .Travel from Arcade to portageville every weekend.I see no decline in turkey.As for the wind mills I hunt within yards of them in bliss and they do not bother the turkey.Have shoot quite a few long birds under windmills.Not argueing just telling you what I have experienced.Now deer that is different if you say where are the deer i agree.I use to see 40 to 50 deer in my trip from arcade to portage now if Isee 4 or 5 I am supprised