Year One of Alabama Turkey Study

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
thanks - that's an article on the study I mentioned earlier


some interesting results so far - look forward to further research results
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Something strange is going on, hopefully they’ll be able to figure out what are the common threads. I have been seeing several groups of young birds at the farm so that’s good, still a lot less turkeys overall.
 

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
In have the most poults on camera I've had in 10 years. There was a hell of a hatch around here this year. I have a opinion on these studies most are accurate to natural mortality. But when human interact and trap turkey attach tracking devices. Etc. It interferes with the natural habits and scares some into unfamiliar habitat after release as.some.may fly and run miles afterwards. Varmints and predators kill several hens with tracking devises.maybe they can feel the electromagnetic field coming from.such devises.weather and cold rains impact nesting and survival more than anything.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
What is your take on this year's hatch in your area? You predicted our demise for last spring based on your 2020 hatch sightings.
Hopefully the good dry spell helped this year?
Honestly I was out trout fishing quite but riding lots back rds this summer and was little disappointed in poults I saw. On plus side I saw decent amount adult hens over 50 most them were in small groups 2-5 at time. I seen enough to make me look forward to 2024 but from my limited observations I don't see any kinda banner year coming. One county did stand out seen twice as many adult birds and poults as the other 5 counties. Of course I coulda missed lot we shall see what fall sightings hold
 

Ol Copper

Twelve Pointer
What is your take on this year's hatch in your area? You predicted our demise for last spring based on your 2020 hatch sightings.
Hopefully the good dry spell helped this year?
We hunt the same places and areas, so i'll comment.
I aint been out much but I can honestly say that everybody Ive talked to said the hatch was better than good. Ive seen some.
Like 3-5 poults raised to flying age good.
 
I wonder if they are testing how herbicides effect them? Its odd to me that folks complain about moldy corn and then spray poison on the ground to kill weeds for a foodplot!
 
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darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I love seeing science at work and I am not a turkey hunter but I think if these researchers started at looking at nothing more than raccoon, possum and skunk numbers in their research areas, I think they will be absolutely astonished at the sheer number of nest predators. Are their other issues at play?? Sure, but I mean it with all my being, they have no clue how many actual nest predators are out there. I’m not even talking about bobcats or coyotes, I’m solely talking about the three previously mentioned.
I worked in research for years, it’s very necessary and I support it fully, but in a lot areas, I think it really is as simple as too many predators.
I think if they did a skunk, raccoon and opossum census before any study started, they’d be like “holy crap, turkeys have no chance”…………
 
I love seeing science at work and I am not a turkey hunter but I think if these researchers started at looking at nothing more than raccoon, possum and skunk numbers in their research areas, I think they will be absolutely astonished at the sheer number of nest predators. Are their other issues at play?? Sure, but I mean it with all my being, they have no clue how many actual nest predators are out there. I’m not even talking about bobcats or coyotes, I’m solely talking about the three previously mentioned.
I worked in research for years, it’s very necessary and I support it fully, but in a lot areas, I think it really is as simple as too many predators.
I think if they did a skunk, raccoon and opossum census before any study started, they’d be like “holy crap, turkeys have no chance”…………
Agree 100% Preditors and habitat loss are the biggest cause IMO!
 

Downeast

Twelve Pointer
WRC did a study years ago on predators and bobwhite quail. They had several farms (some trapped and some as a control and not trapped) and they removed literally hundreds of predators (opossums, raccoons, foxes, feral cats) and a year after trapping the farms had just as many predators as before. Removing them created a void that was quickly filled with animals dispersing from adjacent areas. To have an effective trapping program it would have to be at a landscape level and would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in perpetuity. Who has the time to trap 365 days a year over hundreds of miles of landscape? Habitat is the key and even that is a big challenge when you look at it on a landscape level. Quite a challenge for any ground nesting species of bird. I wonder if anyone has information on turkey survival on some of the larger tracts of private land that are intensively managed for birds, like Orton, for example.
 

ol bob

Six Pointer
After all the experts look over the data, they will decide that if they bring the season in 2 weeks later, cut the limit to 1 bird, everything will fix its self.
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
…nothing more than raccoon, possum and skunk numbers ..,
…I think it really is as simple as too many predators.
I think if they did a skunk, raccoon and opossum census before any study started, they’d be like “holy crap, turkeys have no chance”…………
I am leaning more and more towards this as the single biggest factor, the one thing we could do to most effectively help the turkeys- nest predator control.
 
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