Turkey Decline in SM Tn

[Beard Buster]

Question for those that hunt in southern middle TN
with the decline in turkey harvest and sightings
are none of you finding dead birds
feathers don't go away
One winter I once found over 15 different piles of feathers
from where predators caught and killed birds

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Question for those that hunt in southern middle TN
with the decline in turkey harvest and sightings
are none of you finding dead birds
feathers don't go away
One winter I once found over 15 different piles of feathers
from where predators caught and killed birds

I haven't but I know people that have

 

[catman529]

Feathers aren't that easy to find unless they're on the edge of a low cut field, or you just happen to walk on top of one. And even disease killed birds would leave a pile of feathers after being eaten by varmints.

Predators definitely have an impact, but there's more to it in the southern counties where huge flocks disappeared in only a year or two. Where I live there's a healthy predator population, and I've found several feather piles in the field edges and seen and heard a lot of coyotes, coons, possums, skunks, you name it. Yet we still have a thriving turkey population. When most of your flock disappears in 2 years, and there are healthy populations just a short ways to the north, you have something other than predators or hunting pressure.


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[brewer88]

Up here in the northern middle I saw a pile of feathers a couple weeks ago....proceeded to take 5 steps and shoot what I suspect was the coyote responsible as he made his way to where we were calling from....ive seen yotes every weekend on ft Campbell for the last 3 weeks, usually headed to our calls it seems.

 

[TheLBLman]

One winter I once found over 15 different piles of feathers
from where predators caught and killed birds

There's a possibility the bigger problem was aflatoxin corn, which sickened and/or killed the birds, then the predators found those birds an easy meal.

We'll probably never know, and it may be little more than happenstance, but the increased use of "feeders" and feeding "deer corn" appears to have coincided nicely with the decrease in poult production & turkey populations in many areas which once had great turkey populations.

A totally different issue, but during the spring season, I suspect many of the presumably "missed" birds that run or fly after being shot at, may end up being quickly "targeted" by coyotes, even if their injuries might not have been mortal. (Think about it; it's hard to totally miss an entire bird with a shotgun; just easy not to have a quick kill.) Once a coyote catches that minute scent of blood, he's going to specifically target that animal (or bird), seeming to know that one is injured and weakened.

Just because a coyote eats a bird, doesn't mean he necessarily killed that bird (or deer).

 

[Woodsman10]

They just aren't hatching/raising good

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[LanceS4803]

I hunt turkeys in Lincoln County (north of Fayetteville).
Turkeys started declining two years ago, dramatically. I've taken a couple of coyotes and opossums a year, but that hasn't changed anything.

 

[Mule deer]

I posted this in the "How has your season been so far?" thread, before I saw this. I'll leave this here as well....


I'm glad this has been brought up because it's been the toughest season I've seen in 10 years. Maybe we have a problem.

Statewide, harvest numbers have not really decreased this year, but sightings of adult birds are down. I found a dead gobbler on Nov 24 and didn't think much of it. It had a dark head that had been pecked at by other birds, the feet were yellowish and breast was drawn and had no meat on it. We ended up finding another bird several weeks later in the same condition. During the deer season we were seeing large flocks of birds. Sometime between last Dec and present, they're gone. I understand what happens with big winter flocks, vrs. birds disperssing in the spring. Normally, we hold a lot of birds on our property. 2 years ago we killed 26 birds on our property and last year 16, this year we've killed 4. There has been a steady decline in bird numbers over the last years, but the way people choose to hunt birds (tents, fanning etc) has resulted in static numbers. We hunt 4000 acres and go to great lengths to trap and shoot predators, so they are not the problem.

I spend a lot of time on the road for work and I'm always looking for strutters. I didnt see many birds at all this spring. I attributed it to an early breeding season and assumed the second half of the turkey season was going to be better. That hasn't been the case. I talked with some folks around middle TN, all the way down to GA and most have not seen the numbers of birds we are accustomed to seeing. After much discussion, it seems there is an outbreak of Blackhead disease. From what I have learned recently is that birds with Blackhead will show a black or blue-ish head, rotting of the feet, the bird will appear to be sluggish and later become anorexic, leading to significant weightloss.

As I memtioned, we don't have very many foxes, coyotes, etc, so we have found some of these dead birds, rather than them being eaten by predators. I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this condition in their birds as well. Take a look at the pictures below, it's here in Middle TN and I'm sure our statewide harvest numbers next year will show it.

 

[Woodsman10]

I don't know what's wrong with that turkey.
Blackhead does not effect the head of the turkey. It is in the liver.
It could be some type of diversion disease getting them, but i think that they haven't been raising good for several years for whatever or several reasons

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[Andy S.]

Blackhead does not effect the head of the turkey. It is in the liver.

Correct. You can read this bulletin to better understand it. http://www.mdwfp.com/media/7860/blackheaddisease.pdf

 

[Mule deer]

I don't know what's wrong with that turkey.
Blackhead does not effect the head of the turkey. It is in the liver.
It could be some type of diversion disease getting them, but i think that they haven't been raising good for several years for whatever or several reasons

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sorry you're both incorrect....it does cause leisions on the liver, but it absolutely effects the head of the turkey. Why else is it called Blackhead Disease? the blue-ish or black head is the last sign of Blackhead disease, gfter they are emaciated, after they are lethargic....etc.

A characteristic symptom of the infection is the development of cyanotic (bluish) discoloration on the head, giving rise to the common name of the disease, "blackhead".[4]

 

[Woodsman10]

I've never heard of it causing blackheads, and I have an extensive poultry background

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[Woodsman10]

Not saying I don't believe you though.

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[FARMTOFIELD]

but i think that they haven't been raising good for several years for whatever or several reasons

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Which could very well be caused by disease, or a weed killer, or a pesticide.

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Normally, we hold a lot of birds on our property. 2 years ago we killed 26 birds on our property and last year 16, this year we've killed 4. There has been a steady decline in bird numbers over the last years, but the way people choose to hunt birds (tents, fanning etc) has resulted in static numbers. We hunt 4000 acres and go to great lengths to trap and shoot predators, so they are not the problem.

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You just told us why you don't have any turkeys.

You expect to kill 42 turkeys off of 4000 acres in 2 years and still have a great population? ??

That's just plain stupid, and to come here and complain about it is just plain damned ignorance.

 

[SKFOOTER]

op:

 

[poorhunter]

One turkey per 150 acres doesn't seem too bad. I am making some assumptions that it is good habitat. I have 5 farms that I hunt, smallest is 90 acres and largest is 200. Each one of these have had between 3 and 8 gobblers most of the time this spring. I limit myself to one or at most two on each depending on whether anyone else gets permission to hunt them as well. Good habitat can (I think) support 1 bird killed per 150 acres...4000acres/26kills.

 

[Mule deer]

Normally, we hold a lot of birds on our property. 2 years ago we killed 26 birds on our property and last year 16, this year we've killed 4. There has been a steady decline in bird numbers over the last years, but the way people choose to hunt birds (tents, fanning etc) has resulted in static numbers. We hunt 4000 acres and go to great lengths to trap and shoot predators, so they are not the problem.

m/albums/ad111/HuntKY/IMG_6924.jpg[/img][/url]

You just told us why you don't have any turkeys.

You expect to kill 42 turkeys off of 4000 acres in 2 years and still have a great population? ??

That's just plain stupid, and to come here and complain about it is just plain damned ignorance.

No, not what I said azzhat. 26 was anomaly, typical year we kill 14-15 birds. Your statement above was pretty stupid seeing how you've never stepped foot on the property....

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Normally, we hold a lot of birds on our property. 2 years ago we killed 26 birds on our property and last year 16, this year we've killed 4. There has been a steady decline in bird numbers over the last years, but the way people choose to hunt birds (tents, fanning etc) has resulted in static numbers. We hunt 4000 acres and go to great lengths to trap and shoot predators, so they are not the problem.

m/albums/ad111/HuntKY/IMG_6924.jpg[/img][/url]

You just told us why you don't have any turkeys.

You expect to kill 42 turkeys off of 4000 acres in 2 years and still have a great population? ??

That's just plain stupid, and to come here and complain about it is just plain damned ignorance.

No, not what I said azzhat. 26 was anomaly, typical year we kill 14-15 birds. Your statement above was pretty stupid seeing how you've never stepped foot on the property....

And you still wonder why you don't have any turkeys? Smdh.

 

[GreyGoose]

This could get interesting ray: op: