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Message
re: Turkey Popul. Decline Explained
Posted on 3/22/23 at 7:43 am to ewilliams000
Posted on 3/22/23 at 7:43 am to ewilliams000
I was always told fire ants were responsible for quail going away.
Don't kill Dee's nest on the ground as well? Unfortunately there's not enough pasture land around me to gauge if their population is down as well. Seems if quail got smoked by the ants than all ground nesting birds would be.
Don't kill Dee's nest on the ground as well? Unfortunately there's not enough pasture land around me to gauge if their population is down as well. Seems if quail got smoked by the ants than all ground nesting birds would be.
2
Posted on 3/22/23 at 8:01 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Easy enough for the average Lease club. The wife has some of them granules that she puts a scoop of on the ant pile. Kills them all.
Work day- every member gets a bucket and a scoop.
Work day- every member gets a bucket and a scoop.
Posted on 3/22/23 at 8:51 am to ewilliams000
quote:
Quails are being designated by fire ants and probably turkeys are facing the same fate
The fire ants and quail conversation should die. It should have died 30 years ago
Posted on 3/22/23 at 10:14 am to ewilliams000
quote:
Quails are being designated by fire ants and probably turkeys are facing the same fate.
Ground nesting/grassland birds are declining across the country. Fire ants aren't getting all of them.
The one common theme for meadowlarks, quail, turkeys, grassland sparrows, and all other grassland/herbaceous community-dependent species in decline is habitat quality and/or quantity.
Yes, you can link other exacerbating factors like predators, ants, weather extremes, or anything else you can come up with, but in the end, it all goes back to habitat.
You can go Infinity Gauntlet on fire ants all you want--that's only part of the problem. It doesn't change the fact that 99% of the quail habitat in SWLA is gone, converted to cropland or "improved" pastures. And the same holds true across the southeast.
ETA: didn't mean that 99% was gone across the SE, but that habitat loss/degradation is an issue across the region.
This post was edited on 3/22/23 at 11:57 am
Posted on 3/22/23 at 7:33 pm to EF Hutton
Great article, and it is right.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 9:47 am to TrueTiger07
quote:You see about 30 under our corn feeders in Kansas. I wonder if corn on the ground for em has made their life easier.
One of properties I’ve caught/killed close to 40 coons in last 2 years. I’ve seen a drastic increase in population, and have 9 toms and 10 jakes on a piece that was hit or miss a few years ago. It’s only 133 acres.
My theory: frick A RACCOON.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:02 am to EF Hutton
I’ve been working with turkeys for tomorrow organization as they net test and monitor wild turkeys an order to understand predation and population control. We’ve been getting pictures on camera of their activities and it’s been amazing. We’ve partnered with multiple universities who are participating in the study, including Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and a few others. This image was from one of the cameras, capturing the netting procedure. Then they check each bird for injury, take a blood sample and then some cases outfit with a transmitter on the leg. The study has been going on across multiple universities has a grant from turkeys for tomorrow.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:43 am to Cowboyfan89
Gnats and legalized feeding are not conspiracies sir, they are fact. The time period, that too is also fact. Habitat, same, that is fact.
I don't believe in conspiracies, message board heroes, or school boy biologists.
I have spent my whole life on the same large property with historically fantastic turkey numbers. I am simply giving you an opinion of what my eyes have seen. If you can't take a man's opinion then i'm sorry for you.
I don't believe in conspiracies, message board heroes, or school boy biologists.
I have spent my whole life on the same large property with historically fantastic turkey numbers. I am simply giving you an opinion of what my eyes have seen. If you can't take a man's opinion then i'm sorry for you.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 12:11 pm to Sparetime
quote:
I am simply giving you an opinion of what my eyes have seen.
Where in your previous post did you list anything that your eyes have actually seen?
I don't recall any account of turkeys dying from gnats. I dont recall any observations directly relating to how feeders have impacted turkey populations.
You literally just gave an opinion, nothing else.
Posted on 3/26/23 at 8:23 pm to Cowboyfan89
Had a place in Ethel loaded with turkeys. Bull gnats moved through few years ago and killed a bunch of local chickens, haven't seen turkeys there since
Anecdotal but there could be something to it
They 100% killed the chicke s
Anecdotal but there could be something to it
They 100% killed the chicke s
Posted on 3/26/23 at 9:12 pm to jimjackandjose
Don't get me wrong, I think anything is possible.
My point is simply that, even if these things are impacting turkeys, its highly unlikely that it's the cause across the entire southeast region.
The one commonality tends to be habitat degradation, due to any number of causes.
My point is simply that, even if these things are impacting turkeys, its highly unlikely that it's the cause across the entire southeast region.
The one commonality tends to be habitat degradation, due to any number of causes.
Posted on 3/26/23 at 9:28 pm to Cowboyfan89
quote:
Ground nesting/grassland birds are declining across the country. Fire ants aren't getting all of them.
Yep, and a big part of the reason is the proliferation and seeding of Fescue 31. The fescue is too tall for quail to get to the seed pods and the fescue chokes out the much shorter native grasses.
Posted on 3/26/23 at 9:59 pm to EF Hutton
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.
Judging by what happened with the eagle population, he may be onto something.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 6:45 am to Tusksup
In what state does your friend think pesticides are being broadcast sprayed?
Posted on 3/27/23 at 7:17 am to Jaspermac
There isn’t one single thing that has contributed to the decline. (Other than flooding in the river parishes) It’s multiple things. Fact is, eggs are being laid but many don’t make it to hatching and the ones that do hatch most don’t make it to adulthood
There are little things that can be done to increase poult survival One is not doing anything In many areas, the best habitat is along the roadside or your fall food plots These areas a are weedy (forbs and grasses) and grown up but makes really good poult brooding habitat due to the insects. Oftentimes we go bushhog the roads for absolutely no reason but that’s it’s nice day and I want to go ride the bushhog and drink some beer. It’s the worst thing you can do for the little birds. All the habitat they rely on is now gone
Leave the bushhog at the house unless you have a real reason to use it
Goes for fawn habitat as well. Hit a fawn with a bushhog or run over a turkey nest and it will change your views
There are little things that can be done to increase poult survival One is not doing anything In many areas, the best habitat is along the roadside or your fall food plots These areas a are weedy (forbs and grasses) and grown up but makes really good poult brooding habitat due to the insects. Oftentimes we go bushhog the roads for absolutely no reason but that’s it’s nice day and I want to go ride the bushhog and drink some beer. It’s the worst thing you can do for the little birds. All the habitat they rely on is now gone
Leave the bushhog at the house unless you have a real reason to use it
Goes for fawn habitat as well. Hit a fawn with a bushhog or run over a turkey nest and it will change your views
This post was edited on 3/27/23 at 7:20 am
Posted on 3/27/23 at 8:38 am to Ron Cheramie
quote:
There isn’t one single thing that has contributed to the decline. (Other than flooding in the river parishes) It’s multiple things. Fact is, eggs are being laid but many don’t make it to hatching and the ones that do hatch most don’t make it to adulthood There are little things that can be done to increase poult survival One is not doing anything In many areas, the best habitat is along the roadside or your fall food plots These areas a are weedy (forbs and grasses) and grown up but makes really good poult brooding habitat due to the insects. Oftentimes we go bushhog the roads for absolutely no reason but that’s it’s nice day and I want to go ride the bushhog and drink some beer. It’s the worst thing you can do for the little birds. All the habitat they rely on is now gone Leave the bushhog at the house unless you have a real reason to use it Goes for fawn habitat as well. Hit a fawn with a bushhog or run over a turkey nest and it will change your views This post was edited on 3/27 at 7:20 am
Ought to make a Sticky out of this post.
Excellent.
Posted on 3/27/23 at 9:13 am to EF Hutton
Our place is loaded this year. Central Ms
Posted on 3/27/23 at 12:05 pm to Jaspermac
Arkansas
Posted on 3/28/23 at 6:55 am to EF Hutton
Aflatoxin from corn is also a factor. Prescribed burns in pines need to be done before hens are nesting. And yes nest predators need to be trapped 24/7/365 which is obviously the big one that not many people do.
Posted on 3/28/23 at 8:51 am to PlaySomeHonk
quote:
nest predators need to be trapped 24/7/365
Turkey survived in large numbers long before humans trapped commercially. There is more than that to this story.
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