Why Are Wild Turkey Populations Diminishing?

[G-Man]

Birds here were looking very ragged, hard moved from trees in weeks , snow depth and extreme cold. Thankfully we had a big thaw that opened some fields , and another thaw next 2 days should let them be able to get to food..  hardest winter here in years.

[coonhunter]

Yup, I have seen more turkeys in the last few days than I have seen in a month or more.

[Gobbler Chaser]

On 2/20/2022 at 2:16 PM, blackbeltbill said:

Hopefully you will hear more Gobblers come early April when they start to open up.

I'm hoping the warm weather will shake things up. I will have my ears open even with the lack of any other turkey evidence.

[WNYTRPR]

Study was conducted in Kentucky 

Edited February 22, 2022 by WNYTRPR

[WNYTRPR]

South Dakota knows what their doing .They’re not ran by a bunch of nuts like NY.They recognize trapping as a great conservation tool.And their governor is the best in the country .

Edited February 22, 2022 by WNYTRPR

[wolc123]

Note that the raccoon is the number one nest predator in nearly all of the studies.  They may be legally taken year round in NY, if they are “damaging”.  
 

They are also the easiest furbearer there is to trap.  All you got to do is plant s few rows of sweetcorn in a garden, and you will get “damage”, as soon as it starts making ears. 
 

Then get yourself some box traps and bait them with peanut butter coated marshmallows, and you will get coons.  Dog-proofs with s little cat food poured in the bottom work well also, as do foothold traps placed under shallow water with the pan wrapped in tin-foil. 
 

After you catch them, kill them and bury them (until regular trapping season opens).  After that, you can just throw them out for the buzzards, since the hides are worthless. 

[blackbeltbill]

Wolc was right- it is the Coons according  to Land Between The Lakes Research Study.