Turkey Popul. Decline Explained

Without reading the article, collaps of trapping and fur trade has got to be a huge factor.

Armadillos and hogs.

Disease, increased predators, and worsening habit quality is a tough circumstance to thrive in.

About 25 years ago, I saw almost 150 turkeys in one day from the tree stand during late muzzleloader season. Multiple flocks of 30-50 turkeys moved through a field that had just gotten covered in cow manure. Today on that farm, most flocks we see only have 10-15 birds in it. In that 25 years, less corn has been grown there and more coyotes have started showing up. Then factor in any diseases in the area. It’s all made a huge difference.

On my trail cams, I’ll see groups of hens with 20 or so chicks in May. By June and early July, those same groups on have 1 or 2 chicks left. Chicks need thick, tall grass to hide in, and we just don’t have enough around there. Makes them easier for predators to find.

Hogs
Coyotes
Preditors
Timber cutting

Plus, turkeys are an extremely fragile species....only 2 birds make it to maturity per nest hatch.

Not many people predator hunting and trapping anymore. We need more coon hunters out there. If somebody made a hat that said Make Coonhunting Great Again, I'd wear it.

Habitat is a fall back for every bookworm biologist, professor, etc. In respect to the wild turkey decline there are two issues that they dodge because, the first is their fault and the second they can't do anything about it. Legal baiting/feeding and buffalo gnats(flood waters).

1. Baiting/feeding The worst thing for the wild turkey is feeding. First, no telling how many have been killed from aflatoxin. Biologist can't prove that so they debunk it. Second, you concentrate all the prey into one area...... what do the predators do? They eat in one area. Go look at the study by MSU on Feeder vs. Non feeder predator pressure. The state of MS now has a trophy class of coons, possums, and skunks because of high fat/protein diets. The state is basically subsidizing the wild turkey's number one threat, they really throw a fit if you bring this one up....

2. Buffalo gnats. The state nerds really hate this one because it puts them at odds with their big cousins at the Corps of Engineers. We can all agree the decline started around 2014-2015. In SW MS the first bad gnat summer began in 2009. That's 5 zero hatches. Adams county MS lost 90% of its chicken population in the June of 2014-2016, per county agent. How many turkeys also died, i would say at least the same amount. The corps nerds all agree that the decade of high water caused a buffalo gnat boom and they are sorry for the inconvenience. People say man there are Jakes everywhere this Spring, next year is gonna be great. Next year comes and their are no 2 year olds, what gives? Your Jakes are dead as soon as May rolls around when they sufficate from Gnats. Seen this happen for a decade. Now, the last two springs have both improved, haven't had a gnat problem in almost 3 years...... the jakes are making it.

So we have two issues that identically match the timeline of the decline to turkey populations that nobody cam dis with a straight face...... but habitat is our main problem so lets go put our snake chaps on and have a day outside strolling through the project. Give me a break. Go put some corn feeders in the best habitat in the world, just means the egg snatchers can hide from their predators and have grits to go with their eggs in the morning.

Great article, and it is right.

I have a friend that swears up and down that the poison used to control pine boring beetles is destroying bird populations, including turkeys.
Judging by what happened with the eagle population, he may be onto something.