MDC to trap and study turkeys...

[Dutch]

I heard that they are going to do this to see if they can find out why turkey numbers are down.  I’m thinking with lots of people out of work, that I already know where a lot of them have gone.  Country poor have always lived off the land when they needed to eat.

[tjm]

The reintroduction of coyotes took care of about half the turkeys and the eagles got to eat same as worms. 

[BilletHead]

40 minutes ago, Dutch said:

I heard that they are going to do this to see if they can find out why turkey numbers are down.  I’m thinking with lots of people out of work, that I already know where a lot of them have gone.  Country poor have always lived off the land when they needed to eat.

                 Dutch it has been going on for several years up my way. Predators because fur is worth nothing because it isn't in style anymore. From opossums up to the top of the predator scale get them. Plus the spring flooding loosing hatches. The 80s  into the early 90s it was great. 

 

       

24 minutes ago, tjm said:

The reintroduction of coyotes took care of about half the turkeys and the eagles got to eat same as worms. 

            Can you show me where the coyote was reintroduced or did someone tell you that?

[tjm]

34 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                 Dutch it has been going on for several years up my way. Predators because fur is worth nothing because it isn't in style anymore. From opossums up to the top of the predator scale get them. Plus the spring flooding loosing hatches. The 80s  into the early 90s it was great. 

 

       

            Can you show me where the coyote was reintroduced or did someone tell you that?

When I was growing up there weren't any and now there are, I don't think MDC bought them back like they did the cougars and rattlers  though. It was likely the stocking of turkeys that attracted the coyotes from OK & KS. And all the land clearing done in the "70s.  The raptors though  were nurtured by the poultry farmers disposing of dead chicks back when it wasn't all corporate farms. 

Cold rains at hatching time caused the loss of turkeys here three or four years running, I used to have about 25 on the farm part time and I haven't seen one in ~15 years now. But opossums and other egg eaters do hurt all ground nesters.

[MoCarp]

1 hour ago, Dutch said:

I heard that they are going to do this to see if they can find out why turkey numbers are down.  I’m thinking with lots of people out of work, that I already know where a lot of them have gone.  Country poor have always lived off the land when they needed to eat.

Or the droves of newly American.....know what they have done to the easy to get to fishing holes....roost tree slaughter me thinks and wild turkey fajitas

[fishinwrench]

I didn't see my first wild turkey until I was 14.  By the time I graduated high school they were EVERYWHERE.   So 3-4 years can produce a metric ton of thunder chickens.    Quail numbers declined noticably during the same time period, and all the old bird hunters up home blamed it all on turkeys .....claimed that turkeys would feast on quail eggs.   Coyotes and foxes were thick then too, thicker than they are now I bet.  And they couldn't keep the turkey numbers thinned out then, so...... 

 

A turkey study🙄 Of course.  Because they can't think of anything else to do, I reckon. 

[BilletHead]

18 minutes ago, tjm said:

When I was growing up there weren't any and now there are, I don't think MDC bought them back like they did the cougars and rattlers  though. It was likely the stocking of turkeys that attracted the coyotes from OK & KS. And all the land clearing done in the "70s.  The raptors though  were nurtured by the poultry farmers disposing of dead chicks back when it wasn't all corporate farms. 

Cold rains at hatching time caused the loss of turkeys here three or four years running, I used to have about 25 on the farm part time and I haven't seen one in ~15 years now. But opossums and other egg eaters do hurt all ground nesters.

                    I quoted you because you said reintroduced. They were never reintroduced. They were hunted out pretty hard and I am sure pushed back from their native range. Just like the whitetail deer, Bison, wolf, bear and other fauna. They were native to Western Missouri way back when. You are a smart guy. Do a little reading,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coyote_expansion_past_10,000_years.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coyote_expansion_by_decade.jpg

      

[ness]

Coyotes, foxes and turkeys interfere with my enjoyment of hunting quail and pheasant. I think they should be eradicated. I can't imagine why they were ever reintroduced. Where's a good biologist when you need him??

[nomolites]

Turkeys were reintroduced by trapping into areas where they were not present, And did quite well.  I tend to agree with BH as I spend many hours in a stand bowhunting and predators are more prevalent in my area now than they have ever been.  I am carrying a PMR30 while hunting this year to do my part to correct that.

Mike

[snagged in outlet 3]

4 minutes ago, nomolites said:

Turkeys were reintroduced by trapping into areas where they were not present, And did quite well.  I tend to agree with BH as I spend many hours in a stand bowhunting and predators are more prevalent in my area now than they have ever been.  I am carrying a PMR30 while hunting this year to do my part to correct that.

Mike

Why a PMR 30?   Just curious.