Poult recruitment?

[woodsman04]

I suspect many areas do not have enough remaining adult male birds by early May to fertilize all the jennies that might attempt their first nesting?

IMO, this is the single biggest controllable factor contributing to our population decline. Predator loss is #1, but overharvesting males ranks up there.

I don't know how it is for the rest of you, but for me, the hardest part of killing a turkey is finding one. Once I find one, killing him has gotten easier and easier as the years have gone by and my level of patience sticking with that bird has increased. Almost to the point where there is very little challenge in killing at all, and the hunt is becoming anti-climactic; the whole challenge is finding one that wants to gobble. As a consequence, I've had to become even more careful about not overharvesting males, and ensuring there are adequate males left in the population to continue breeding especially after season ends.

heck, I had some trail cam pics here in South MS of toms breeding jennies Mid may... 2 weeks after season ended, and WELL after most people think our breeding season is over (our season opens Mar 7th for kids, Mar 15th for adults.. way too early, IMO). I left 3 mature toms on my hunting lease to ensure all hens have a chance at a fertile nest. In TN, we only took 1 out of 4 birds crossing our properties. I don't know how many of those were killed on neighbors 2nd half of the season, however.

The most important factor to kill turkeys is to have places with turkeys and time to hunt them.

Absolutely the hardest part of turkey hunting is finding a gobbler. Killing isn't easy to me though and I hope it never is.


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[woodsman04]

according to that graph, from a biological standpoint, season should not open in GA until April 21st. TN would be even later since we are further north....

I'd be happy with a compromise of April 14th for season opener in TN, esp in areas with marginal populations.

I've said many times on here April 10-12 would be a good start date.

I think it would be a good compromise to open season anywhere form April 10-14. I don't care if it opens Saturday or not, personally I'd like it to
Open on like a Tuesday or Wednesday to keep less people in the woods.


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[woodsman04]

Later dates work fine for me as well. Question: If the state doesn't change the start date would anyone start shooting later voluntarily?

I mean, I'd love to have trigger restraint. If had total control of a huge tract of good quality land I could absolutely do this and probably already would have. The problem is I don't. And I'm not selfish and doesn't bother me when other folks shoot birds, but by golly if the season is open and our neighbors are after them I'm going to for sure try to get a crack at them at the same time as the neighbors.

Most turkey hunters now days hunt to kill only and brag about it, so they could care less if I wanted to delay season.


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[Tiny]

Have a couple hens showing up 1 has 8-9 the other 6.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I sure hope that corn is free of aflatoxins otherwise you now have exactly zero poults.

 

[TheLBLman]

I sure hope that corn is free of aflatoxins otherwise you now have exactly zero poults.

Zero turkeys, not just zero poults.
One bad kernel will kill an adult turkey.

I used to buy "Certified Aflatoxin Free" corn from the Co-Op.
Quit feeding even that after finding it could be bad for developing aflatoxin
AFTER being poured out.

Much of the "Deer Corn" sold at Wal-mart (and other stores)
ALREADY contains the aflatoxin.

In some states, such as Texas, it is illegal to sell bagged corn that has not been certified aflatoxin free.

So when the aflatoxin is found, that corn simply gets shipped to states where it's legal to sell, like Tennessee.
IMO, aflatoxin corn has been a significant factor in regional quail & turkey population declines. Think about how relatively few corn feeders dotted the landscape over two decades ago, then compare to now.

 

[grandjunctionhunter]

love the pics with all the poults

 

[Acorn]

I seen these last week next to the house.


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[Andy S.]

^^^^^ Beautiful sight, thanks for sharing.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Had these on my small farm on July 4. I have seen more poults this year than in a very long time.

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[scn]

I sure hope that corn is free of aflatoxins otherwise you now have exactly zero poults.

Zero turkeys, not just zero poults.
One bad kernel will kill an adult turkey.

I used to buy "Certified Aflatoxin Free" corn from the Co-Op.
Quit feeding even that after finding it could be bad for developing aflatoxin
AFTER being poured out.

Much of the "Deer Corn" sold at Wal-mart (and other stores)
ALREADY contains the aflatoxin.

In some states, such as Texas, it is illegal to sell bagged corn that has not been certified aflatoxin free.

So when the aflatoxin is found, that corn simply gets shipped to states where it's legal to sell, like Tennessee.
IMO, aflatoxin corn has been a significant factor in regional quail & turkey population declines. Think about how relatively few corn feeders dotted the landscape over two decades ago, then compare to now.

I'd guess that the feeding/baiting of turkeys is a major factor in the decline we are seeing. As you said, the major increase in the number of folks playing that russian roulette game with their birds is pretty astounding when you look at the sales figures for the feeders and packaged corn. The feeding/baiting allows folks with little or no true turkey hunting skills to kill a bunch of birds during the season. Add to it the ones that go off and die with that single grain of aflatoxin corn and it isn't surprising to see the drops in the population that we are experiencing.

 

[Hymie3]

July 22 and I have a hen with 4 poults and they are less than two weeks old. Just glad to see the little ones... First ones I've seen around the house this years hatch.

 

[Boll Weevil]

As you said, the major increase in the number of folks playing that russian roulette game with their birds is pretty astounding when you look at the sales figures for the feeders and packaged corn.

Agree...just boggles my mind. Some of the same folks reporting no turkeys are dumping corn at the same time blaming everything from coyotes and chicken manure, to habitat loss or some sort of turkey rapture.

 

[megalomaniac]

Another problem with feeding turkeys is that by unnaturally congregating them in a small area, they become easier to pick off by bobcats and coyotes who have learned to hunt the feeders.

I don't really know if poults hit the corn feeders. Their primary diet is mostly protein (insects). They don't switch to a primarily seed/ nut diet until they are half grown. I do know the poults I've raised eat wild game bird starter (30% protein, while normal chick starter is only 18-22%) like it's going out of style. But if poults are hitting corn feeders, I would also fear that would affect their normal growth due to a diet much lower in protein during the critical development time for muscle, body mass, and feathers.

 

[poorhunter]

As you said, the major increase in the number of folks playing that russian roulette game with their birds is pretty astounding when you look at the sales figures for the feeders and packaged corn.

Agree...just boggles my mind. Some of the same folks reporting no turkeys are dumping corn at the same time blaming everything from coyotes and chicken manure, to habitat loss or some sort of turkey rapture.

100% agree with this. This seems to be the only explanation for the rapid and massive decline in my area.

 

[woodsman04]

I've mentioned before that I thought feeders may be having a negative impact on turkeys. Whether your targeting feed to turkeys or deer makes no difference. They eat rotten and moldy corn, and are in a food plot for a bobcat same as a deer hunter sitting in a shooting house on a cold afternoon waiting on a deer.

I just wish some how some way they could get rid of selling corn and feeders and try to outlaw them.


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[tree_ghost]

I have seen a pile of poults around my house in Rutherford county in the last 2 weeks


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[TheLBLman]

Another problem with feeding turkeys is that by unnaturally congregating them in a small area, they become easier to pick off by bobcats and coyotes who have learned to hunt the feeders.

I don't really know if poults hit the corn feeders. Their primary diet is mostly protein (insects). They don't switch to a primarily seed/ nut diet until they are half grown. I do know the poults I've raised eat wild game bird starter (30% protein, while normal chick starter is only 18-22%) like it's going out of style. But if poults are hitting corn feeders, I would also fear that would affect their normal growth due to a diet much lower in protein during the critical development time for muscle, body mass, and feathers.

I don't think poults go for the corn as much as their momma, but they do learn to eat it simply by watching their momma.

The bigger problem (for poults) may typically NOT be their eating the corn, but simply their following their momma to the feeding station where they're more vulnerable to predation. Also, if they're spending more time around a feeder, it can comprise their diet of insects, since they could be eating up most of what's there in a small area, rather than feeding for bugs over a large area (more as nature intended).

And like the man from Mississippi stated, if the poults are eating more corn and getting less protein because of that, the corn feeding absolutely is negatively effecting their muscle development, making them more vulnerable to everything.

 

[TheLBLman]

I have seen a pile of poults around my house in Rutherford county in the last 2 weeks

Unfortunately,
Good nesting success does not equate to good poult recruitment.
This statement seems much more true today than a few decades ago?

Can't tell you how many times I've seen a hen with 8 or 10 chicks a few days old,
only to see her a couple weeks later with 3 chicks.
Then later, see 3 adult hens with 3 chicks between them.

Young poults, even after they can fly, even after several weeks of age,
can still be easy prey for Cooper's hawks, redtails, coyotes, and bobcats.
And too often, even house cats and dogs.

 

[muddyboots]

I hate all that. Lol