Predators.. and Turkey nests

[LET EM GROW]

My neighbor recently found a turkey nest with what looked like a little less than a dozen eggs, all busted up and broken. I hate seeing that when the turkey population could stand to be higher.. This nest wasnt more than 50 yards from one of my spring cameras between 2 heavy clearcuts.. as thick as the area is becoming now from the heavy timber harvest last May, it would seem like perfect nesting habitat with an abundance of young cover. But it also seems it would be a great spot for predators to ambush some small prey. Well, the trail cam has proved that.. I have a ton of predator pics here this spring, daytime and night. Also a lone hen that frequents this spot nearly everyday, late afternoon and mid morning. Hope she picks a different spot to re nest those eggs.

Heres a few pics from this card pull..  

[The_Real_TCIII]

A Tom will also do that. Mother Nature is a beyotch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[wooly]

Sweet shots man!

I get more excited seeing the predators over the turkey.

[grampy]

Looks like a great place to do some predator hunting this winter!

[Steuben Jerry]

That's a good looking cat!

[GreeneHunter]

A Tree stand nearby would be a good idea !

[LET EM GROW]

This spot has always been a good predator hunting spot. I do believe there is a coyote den not to far away. For anyone that may remember all the coyote pups i had on cam a couple years ago. Those pics were taken right here. I believe it is on the neighbors somewhere. Would love to find it.

Greene, There is a stand at the bottom of this where i have a staging area food plot. I will be putting one up on the top this year, to see down the hill and across this cut. 

That cat, walked in front of the cam 8 minutes before i pulled the card. And before i pulled the card, i had just spent 45 minutes at the bottom of that hill spraying a food plot with my quad.  He must have been watching me the whole time, or strolling through as I poked around with the wheeler.  

He was there 2 nights in a row at the same time roughly. Had quite a few cat pics here this spring and i seen a bobcat right here twice last year during gun season.. 

[ny hunter]

Is it just me or is that a big yote..,,

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Either take care of the vermin or the vermin will take care of you. We used to get plenty of pic's like that on just shy of 1000 acres. Now its kinda a shocker when we see any vermin at all. Coon;s are the next to be decimated as it seem's they have tripled their numbers in the area.

[landtracdeerhunter]

15 hours ago, Bill Schmidt said:

Speaking of raising the Turkey population. DEC is removing some Staten Island turkeys and bring them to the Catskills. 

Are they staying or just visiting? LOL.

[LET EM GROW]

On 5/18/2018 at 10:56 PM, Four Season Whitetail's said:

Either take care of the vermin or the vermin will take care of you. We used to get plenty of pic's like that on just shy of 1000 acres. Now its kinda a shocker when we see any vermin at all. Coon;s are the next to be decimated as it seem's they have tripled their numbers in the area.

Coyotes at our place get hunted hard. We keep them in check for the most part. but some not so good hunters make them harder to hunt in winter. But they are smart shits. I want to get in to trapping coon this year. and hopefully trapping coyotes. Had a giant coyote just sit down and watch me walk across an open field the other day. Guess hes lucky the shotgun was over my shoulder lol. Big brave basterd. Just got back into hunting them last winter. Between a few of us there, we took 9 coyotes. and many more reds and greys.

But Along with the cats, we are seeing more fishers around too.. Both protected here 

[LET EM GROW]

[land 1]

I had a hen nesting near  my camp and something got her nest she had about dozen eggs by mid may im hoping she had time for another nest, not sure what got it only found one egg that had a quarter size hole in its was about 50yrds from the nest no sign of anything else, 

[Doc]

Everything love a good meal of eggs ..... skunks, cats, coons, possums, foxes, just about every critter that lives in the woods. It's amazing that any of the eggs survive.

[DirtTime]

You have quite the variety of predators there Let Em Grow. All of which love turkey eggs ( or any other egg they can get too ), and don't mind the poults as a snack either.

 

To stop predation, you take out the predator.  I know many don't like to read or hear that, but it's true in most cases.

[LET EM GROW]

10 hours ago, Rob... said:

You have quite the variety of predators there Let Em Grow. All of which love turkey eggs ( or any other egg they can get too ), and don't mind the poults as a snack either.

 

To stop predation, you take out the predator.  I know many don't like to read or hear that, but it's true in most cases.

This corner used to be good for predators. Ever since the clear cut this ridge. It is smoking hot with predator action. The same bobcat is back every day or two. Get pictures of fisher here throughout the year. And daily there are coyotes, reds and grey fox. As well as too many coon that I care for. Just got back into predator hunting last winter. Would like to get my trapper license this summer. especially for the coon. and eventually get the coyotes too. 

[LET EM GROW]

Lot of bear tracks around too. Neighbors seen a few the last couple weeks as well. 

[helmut in the bush]

Great spot for a camera, awesome pics

[LET EM GROW]

Thanks, Its crazy all the wildlife here at this setup. Might have stand setup here for fall. Lot of action here and a very nice view as well. 

[Robhuntandfish]

this winter I am gonna try calling in yotes with a turkey call and a decoy just like i do turkey hunting .   When i take a predator call and go it seems i never see them, but when i go turkey hunting in the spring I call in yotes often, so gonna try it as a setup for them.  

[LET EM GROW]

This is the same exact spot I got hundreds and hundreds of yote pup pics a few summers back..

Literally within a few feet of where this camera is, just before the heavy timber harvest.

There were 9 pups in that litter. 

[land 1]

Normally when you have a high yote populations coons and at least red foxes are few and far between...

[Doc]

It really is not practical to eliminate all predators for the benefit of one species. Imagine all the species you would have to declare war on in order to eliminate or even put a dent in all the critters that like to dine on eggs and/or poults. There is nothing wrong with recreational predator hunting, or trapping for a bit of cash, but to set out on a mission to clear every enemy of turkey production probably will not turn out satisfactorily.

[G-Man]

We put a big dent in coon,possum,fox and tote every year it makes a big difference..

[DirtTime]

6 hours ago, Doc said:

It really is not practical to eliminate all predators for the benefit of one species. Imagine all the species you would have to declare war on in order to eliminate or even put a dent in all the critters that like to dine on eggs and/or poults. There is nothing wrong with recreational predator hunting, or trapping for a bit of cash, but to set out on a mission to clear every enemy of turkey production probably will not turn out satisfactorily.

Not sure if that's factually true. I do get the point, a balance in nature. But, it's not always harmony of nature over what's best for the land.

When I was young, we would go to campgrounds both private and state run, and raccoons were a severe menace. Which, if I remember right, why almost all NYS parks declared the "Carry-In-Carry-Out" mantra and law. They tried the live trap thing, and it didn't work out so well. So other measures were taken. 

I am just saying, there are times when things just have to be done to preserve other creatures on a specific land parcel. You may not have that problem, but others do.

Stop with the pigeon holing people on what goes on in their yard VS what goes in yours.