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Good Turkey Numbers

Curmudgeon

By Curmudgeon,
in General Hunting

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Curmudgeon Newbie

Curmudgeon

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I've been seeing more and larger flocks of turkeys this fall and winter. Reports from agencies are that turkey numbers are down long-term but it seems reproduction last summer was very good in my area. There are more than I have seen in 3 or 4 years. Since a large number of these birds are young, and lack energy reserves, they are vulnerable. However, there is still a lot of standing corn in my area, with some limited harvesting still going on in early January.

 

Are others seeing good numbers of turkey?

 

There is a trend for invasive species to increase in population geometrically for a period of time before peaking, dropping and eventually leveling off. Since turkey were absent from New York for a century, I wonder if they are following the same pattern. They are in effect a new species since the 70s.

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stoneam2006 Newbie

stoneam2006

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They are down considerably in these parts....We did NOT have a favorable nesting season here along the SWNY/Penn border this spring.

I don't know much about nesting....but I have noticed that the birds I have seen this year have seen have not seemed to be yearlings....i have been seeing a flock of maybe 10-15 daily checking traps and they all look to be bigger birds.
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jjb4900 Newbie

jjb4900

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I don't know much about nesting....but I have noticed that the birds I have seen this year have seen have not seemed to be yearlings....i have been seeing a flock of maybe 10-15 daily checking traps and they all look to be bigger birds.

I may be wrong, but I believe turkeys grow pretty quickly and appear to be as big as the adult hens within about 6-8 months.

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Lawdwaz Grand Master

Lawdwaz

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I have not seen much all year long. Then about two weeks ago a went past a field about 10 miles from home and there had to be 80-100 turkeys. I have never seen a group so big!

 

At the end of deer season I saw a flock that had to be close to 100 if not over.........Livingston County.

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growalot Newbie

growalot

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It seemed like every other hunt this season had me sitting in the middle of a roosted flock...#'s were looking good...I found the remains of two different Toms this past deer season ...not a happy camper about that....

 

I think if more ppl were trapping raccoon, possum and skunks  the # of turkey would increase significantly...I am also planting for them grain sorghum the clovers and sunflower but this year a perennial native grass area ...maybe just a good hay field type seed...the fence I have installed already has grapes planted along a section of it and more this year...then I will plant some good fruiting bushes along it as well...a couple of mulberries in lower plot area...that is a constant food source from early summer through fall....Are great for all animals eating them including us...I eat a lot of mulberries all summer while working easy to grab a handful on the go...and they have lots of protien ,potasium and magnesium with K,E,C and iron ....

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/025649_berries_mulberries_food.html

Edited by growalot
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mike rossi Newbie

mike rossi

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There is a trend for invasive species to increase in population geometrically for a period of time before peaking, dropping and eventually leveling off. Since turkey were absent from New York for a century, I wonder if they are following the same pattern. They are in effect a new species since the 70s.

 

You know this, but for others, populations restored by trap and transfer follow the same trend...  That is what the DEC and other agencies are referring to when they say the "turkey population  probably has contracted."  

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Merlot Collaborator

Merlot

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It seemed like every other hunt this season had me sitting in the middle of a roosted flock...#'s were looking good...I found the remains of two different Toms this past deer season ...not a happy camper about that....

 

I think if more ppl were trapping raccoon, possum and skunks  the # of turkey would increase significantly...I am also planting for them grain sorghum the clovers and sunflower but this year a perennial native grass area ...maybe just a good hay field type seed...the fence I have installed already has grapes planted along a section of it and more this year...then I will plant some good fruiting bushes along it as well...a couple of mulberries in lower plot area...that is a constant food source from early summer through fall....Are great for all animals eating them including us...I eat a lot of mulberries all summer while working easy to grab a handful on the go...and they have lots of protien ,potasium and magnesium with K,E,C and iron ....

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/025649_berries_mulberries_food.html

That's it...you're hired...you start on our plot April 1st. Your knowledge is outstanding!! I'll send a driver to pick you up....

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reeltime Explorer

reeltime

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turkey populations across the state vary from poor to excellent.  our area here has taken a large hit over the last 3 yrs.

 

we lost close to 60% of our birds 3 winters ago both adults and juveniles. heavy snow cover with a quick warm up and then a sudden drop in temps made it almost impossible for them to dig through the crust to feed. with an extended cold spell coupled with the snow cover we had birds roosting until they died. I had birds roosting in the yard so they could hit the bird feeders..

 

thankfully around here we don't have many fall turkey hunters when hens can also be taken but it certainly wouldn't hurt for them to close our fall season for a year or 2 to see if that helps the population rebound.

 

 

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scolopaxmatt Newbie

scolopaxmatt

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Personally, I don't hunt them, but this season I saw more than I have in recent years.  Hell, I almost ran a flock over on my way to a covert in Whitehall.  We had to sit and let them pass, like ducks in a park.  Unbelievable.

 

Like I said, I don't know a whole lot about turkey but I would say we're not hurting in region 5.  I would attribute that mostly to lack of hunting pressure.  It seems to be all about the deer around here.

 

 

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