Doing what's best

[DirtyGun]

It has been a tough year in one of the areas I frequent. After guiding a friend to his first tom ever, then guiding my father-in-law to his first bird of the season, one of the areas that used to be a 'honey hole' has gone dry. I have seen one bird in the area (eight adjacent properties) since April 30th and we used to be able to see them from the road at peak times all the time.

Dad and I have been talking with the landowners this week and it is pretty much a consensus that there are far fewer birds in the area than there have been in previous seasons. All of the nests that we came across a couple weeks ago have been destroyed by predators.

We're both conservationists first and hunters second, so, in this area, we have decided to completely shut it down for turkey hunting. We'll scout next season, but most likely won't touch it until 2012. We are the only two people who have permission to hunt the area. The landowners are all in agreement.

I have not seen one jake in the area this season. That has to be an indication that the previous year's hatch was not good.

I have other properties to hunt, which adds another 20 minutes to my 'hunting commute', but, I'd rather preserve and conserve. That being said...the area is completely open to coyote and coon hunting.

[munch]

i think the problem is bigger than everyone thinks i have seen about half maybe even less birds than other years and 2 sundays ago my wife and i drove the back roads from 6 am till 830 and did not see a bird .other years it would be nothing to count 50 t0 100 .ryan i still have not seen a bird as i pass evans house on the way to work even going down the road to the north some mornings for a look

[Pydpiper]

I think the habits have changed, not the quantity.
I am seeing a tremendous amount of activity, but in very different areas than the past few years, and I think it may have something to do with that winter that just passed.
I spend a lot of time with animals, and this year I am seeing some dramatic changes in behaviour, litter numbers (increase) and locations.
If you suspect an excess of predators than it may be time to focus on those for a while, balance is key.

[DirtyGun]

Dad drives from Exeter to Walton every day for work and then spends most of his day on farms in the area at this time of year, doing sales. He says he's definitely seeing far fewer birds than in previous years in that area. Out in Oxford, I had activity on one day out of three I have spent there this season. But, I have pretty much given up on that area for turkeys. It basically gave me the opportunity to swap the card out of my camera.

We do have one area up in Walton where we have scouted a number of birds. But, as for the area around my in-law's place, numbers are WAY down.

Here in Kitchener, there are lots of them around. But, very few opportunities for permission. Heck, I counted almost 15 of them in someone's side yard pretty much at Trussler and Ottawa. But, that's in city limits. They have it good there.

[TPM]

I think I have agree with Pyd. I've heard reports that some normally good properties are sparse this year and others continue to thrive. Not sure if local predation is a problem or if the birds have just moved on. One of the properties we hunt has a farm down the road where there has been an abundance of birds in the past and that still seems to be the case this year. Large flocks are still spotted in the fields. In fact the farm we hunt on has had more gobbling and bird sightings this year than any other year. I also drive past a property on my way to work which is well known for holding lots of turkey's and this year is no different. I see 20+ birds out there some mornings.
Regardless of whether the problem is large scale or not, good for you Ryan for being responsible and micro-managing your properties. I hope it pays off and they bounce back for you in the next couple of years.

[Hazmat]

I hunt in Fergus and I can safely say that the number of Turkey sightings as well as game camera photo's are down to about half on both farms that I have access to.
I have only been out Turkey Hunting three times this year due to work with no luck and no sightings in places that produced birds for the last three years.
I have 11 photo's of coyotes taken on two game camera's I set up the second week of April this year and I think that I had at most six photo's total for last year?

[CDN Taxman]

Good idea DG, but get in there and blast away at the coons and yotes too. Surely the proliferation of yotes in this area is having a terrible impact on the turkeys.

Mike

[DirtyGun]

Good idea DG, but get in there and blast away at the coons and yotes too. Surely the proliferation of yotes in this area is having a terrible impact on the turkeys.

Mike

Oh there will be some coyote and coon hunting going on alright. A friend of mine recently picked up a .270 and we got it sighted in up at the Elmira club, so, he's good to go to blast a few yotes. If I had the funds currently, I'd pick up a new rifle, but, it's just not in the budget with home renos, etc. going on. Buckshot does a good job on them out to 45 yards, though.

[Boo]

Keep in mind that it takes 2 years of high poult mortality to effect a hunting year. I've had people feeling devastated because they don't see birds accusing everything from other hunters to off-road machines only to see them at a later date. Turkeys move around a whole lot more than many think. Weather conditions will really effect sightings as well. Dry days (and this year was really dry) I had less sightings and any day it's rained I've seen lots. I think they are no different than geese, when it rains they stay in the fields longer because they don't have to go to back for water so turkeys don't have to go back and forth between water and fields so they are more prominent in the fields. The food they eat will have less moisture this year because it was almost a draught so they would have been busy getting water when eating (which is almost all day) and probably sticking to the woods where the food would contain more moisture.

[evaughan]

Talked to my friend who owns Lake huron rod and gun. They run a turkey contest every year and have blown their best year out of the water. 2 weeks ago they had weighed in over 200 turkeys. Coincidentally the area is thick with coyotes as well) Reports on the internet forums are indicating this is a regional issue. These reports of low turkey #'s are definitely consistent with certain regions (lot of poor reports from barrie area). I have never seen as many birds in Woolwich township as I have this year.

I think the early spring has not helped. Many toms are no longer gobbling and their doesn't seem to be any kind of "second peak" - they've lost interest

[Shotnbeer]

Funny you mention predators. The last several years I have noticed I have more foxes coming to my turkey calls than turkeys. I wack every one of them. I think the low fur prices and protectin of predators has an great impact on hunting species. I gave up rabbit hunting because there aren't any.

[roly]

I have seen fewer hens this season then other years
normally when they fly down in the morn. there's 6 or 7 hens
now it seems that two is a lot

With the early spring a lot of hens were already on nests when the season opened
which could be a reason for less sightings

We have also found several destroyed nests

With normal birds , when they lose their nest they will mate again
Is this the same for Turkeys?

[carvedtip]

Down here we always have some predation on turkeys and their nests in the spring. But they always seem to survive that. What really decimates the population are the flash floods in the spring that take out the nests with eggs. It can take a few years to recover when you lose a season with no little ones.

[dreamer]

I realized the same deal last year with our clutches.

I decided to go after the Coons and got 23 off the property in less then a month. Now i don't see them, and more birds are around.

You have to control the predators too!!!