A bunch of us in Wabasha County is noticing a dramatic drop in turkey populations. Curious if anyone else is noticing. I reached out to the DNR and asked if they are seeing/hearing the same and getting no response. Starting to see more and more damage the Bird Flu is doing on the news. Thanks!
Dont know about your area but i know in sw metro i see a small fraction of what i did 10 years ago.
I do agree that turkey numbers are “down” from what they were 8-10 years ago in the area. I also think the historical norm or a balanced ecosystem probably calls for fewer birds than we had 8-10 years ago as well. Things seemed out of balance when you’d see 50 birds in a field at a crack almost any time of the year (which is what it was getting to in this area).
I don’t know much about the avian flu, but assume it can’t be a good thing. We are seeing substantially more foxes and coyotes locally. They can’t be good for a turkey population either. As fur prices have tanked and ammunition has become expensive, many of the people I know who used to hunt coyotes gave up. That coupled with relatively little snow this year in the area makes it more difficult to hunt them (or at least how we used to hunt them).
I do also agree that years back there were way to many birds. It just seems like you can drive hours and hours looking – and not even see one flock when at this time of the year you would see something. No nothing! I drove the river road this past weekend at sun up from ZF to Millville and did not hear one gobble – or seen one turkey. Just very, very odd.
Northeast Iowa is full of them. I wonder if they just worked their way south for the winter and haven’t returned?
The last couple years there have been a few rain events in January and February, and for birds that roost in trees with full exposure that can and did take a toll on them.
The largest single factor for turkey populations is the nesting season. I believe the stat is that 75% of chicks don’t survive the first year, and 50% don’t survive the 2nd. Whether it be predators or weather, you have to have respect for an animal that survives to adulthood.
I do also agree that years back there were way to many birds. It just seems like you can drive hours and hours looking – and not even see one flock when at this time of the year you would see something. No nothing! I drove the river road this past weekend at sun up from ZF to Millville and did not hear one gobble – or seen one turkey. Just very, very odd.
Jimmy – I live in the ZF area and haven’t seen much of a drop in the food plots planted for the deer! I actually don’t like them and routinely send the lab out to chase them off only to have them come right back in 15 minutes!
They leave the forest floor a mess and eat EVERYTHING. What they don’t eat after they’ve scratched all the leaves away, causes run off with nothing to hold the soil.
I’ve seen a bunch of 8 big toms, 17 jakes and a group of 30 or so hens/last year chicks most of the winter.
Come to think of it…I’ve only seen a few the past couple weeks so maybe a disease did get some. But I’ve been all over looking for sheds and haven’t seen any dead ones lying around.
On the nice mornings I still hear a pile of em gobbling and the hens were clucking up a storm this morning.
Going back 4-5 years, there were some “back to reality” winters in southern MN. After over 10 years of super-mild winters, much of southern MN had more snow than some paces in northern MN in 2019. I can remember heading down to trade shows in Iowa and there was bare ground showing in the Twin Cities, but there were huge drifts and deep snow by Owatonna and south. I would suggest that harder winters and less than ideal nesting season conditions probably have a lot to do with the numbers overall.
Also, I would say the memories of hunters are not a terribly accurate way to assess wildlife populations overall. If you ask 100 hunters, are the numbers of Game Species X up or down compared to 10 years ago, they will almost all say they are down. Weather or not this is actually true is highly variable.
Southern Winona county here. I have seen very few if any birds. The last couple of years I havent had any at my house or seen any in the fields around. The farmer next door spreads manure and that used to always draw them out but not lately.
Thanks,
RVRDUX
According to Historical records Turkeys were only in extreme southern MN and all had disappeared by the 1880’s. So maybe like alot of introduced species there is a boom then a bust.
Mwal
Hey Haleysgold – we must be darn near neighbors. I live just outside Oak Center. I am up to 100 hrs. shedding and it never gets old – but getting old is catching up to me!!
I know where I hunt the coyotes are taking quite a toll.
In early march when I antler hunt I find feather piles.
When we coyote hunt we have seen coyotes try to attack turkeys after we hve spooked them.
And as others have posted there are a multitude of factors that are bad for turkeys.
I did my Turkey hunting my first years in SE Minnesora. At that time that was the only part of the state with a decent population. Now there are more here in Central Minnesota than there use to be in SE Minnesota. I sure hope if there is a drop in population its just a normal fluctuation in the population and not something related to a Bird Flu.
The turkey population where I hunt in Wabasha county has drop off the cliff. I spend a lot of time in the fall bow and gun hunting and in the last 2 years I have hardly heard let alone seen a turkey. Prior to 2 years ago I would see 30 turkey almost every morning coming down from the bluffs to a grassy area around a pond. There has been a very dramatic change in population in my area or change where they want to be.
I saw a pretty nice flock east of ZF ten days ago Jimmy.
6-8 toms struttin” East of Co. 2 on 60
Hey Jimmy –
Really close.
I’m pretty I know you…or at least the rest of Frontenac folks!
I’ll PM you
Sounds good Haleysgold!
Central Fillmore: had 30 walk by me when shed hunting Saturday morning. Seldom see any from bow thru CWD season but they always show back up by late March. No idea where they go! But they’re back! IMO gotta kill the coons. Yotes alway repopulate quickly…hoping coons aren’t the same.
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Drove from Belle Plaine to Blakely to Arlington and back to Belle Plaine thruogh Henderson yesterday evening saw 2 sandhill cranes and not 1 turkey. Years back easily 100 or better on that trip.
I havent been seeing many turkeys recently in Central MN either. Typically I would see them every morning along the drive to drop the kid off at school and I havent seen a single one in weeks.
I havent been seeing many turkeys recently in Central MN either. Typically I would see them every morning along the drive to drop the kid off at school and I havent seen a single one in weeks.
X2 – Put on a Ton Of miles this last weekend. Saw very few birds. Not sure if it was the hard winter or the Bird Flu but it seems like something took a toll on them since last spring.
I did my Turkey hunting my first years in SE Minnesora. At that time that was the only part of the state with a decent population. Now there are more here in Central Minnesota than there use to be in SE Minnesota. I sure hope if there is a drop in population its just a normal fluctuation in the population and not something related to a Bird Flu.
Flu, sickness, disease IS normal
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>jimmysiewert wrote:</div>
I do also agree that years back there were way to many birds. It just seems like you can drive hours and hours looking – and not even see one flock when at this time of the year you would see something. No nothing! I drove the river road this past weekend at sun up from ZF to Millville and did not hear one gobble – or seen one turkey. Just very, very odd.Jimmy – I live in the ZF area and haven’t seen much of a drop in the food plots planted for the deer! I actually don’t like them and routinely send the lab out to chase them off only to have them come right back in 15 minutes!
They leave the forest floor a mess and eat EVERYTHING. What they don’t eat after they’ve scratched all the leaves away, causes run off with nothing to hold the soil.
I’ve seen a bunch of 8 big toms, 17 jakes and a group of 30 or so hens/last year chicks most of the winter.
Come to think of it…I’ve only seen a few the past couple weeks so maybe a disease did get some. But I’ve been all over looking for sheds and haven’t seen any dead ones lying around.
On the nice mornings I still hear a pile of em gobbling and the hens were clucking up a storm this morning.
Get some youngsters with tags to fill out there this spring!
Drove from Belle Plaine to Blakely to Arlington and back to Belle Plaine thruogh Henderson yesterday evening saw 2 sandhill cranes and not 1 turkey. Years back easily 100 or better on that trip.
There was a huge flock of about 30 just off 169 by Shakopee yesterday.
I haven’t been down to SE MN for a couple years, but we’d pretty regularly see some in the fall deer hunting around Kellogg.
I havent been seeing many turkeys recently in Central MN either. Typically I would see them every morning along the drive to drop the kid off at school and I havent seen a single one in weeks.
I have seen a good amount. The properties I just received permission to hunt on during season B have about 40 in the area. Problem is that’s it’s the same flock I’ve been hunting the last 3 years with very little success.
I saw about 70 out in a field last Thursday near Lake Elmo along hwy 36. I think they’re still all bunched up in big winter groups.
I see a bald eagle ever couple of days now. Pheasants did better this last year. Weird how things change.
I can say I’ve still seen great numbers in the 503 area. In fact last fall in the deer stand I counted a flock of around 12 bearded birds. Not a single hen. Maybe that’s a bad thing or maybe the males group up in Nov but still seemed remarkable. Can also say I’ve seen a lot more in the Hopkins/Minnetonka area but what’s new…
Usually comes down to nature and man. Bad nesting weather, sometimes big flocks can spread disease. But man usually has a hand in it good or bad. Habitat is usually at the top of the list. Since we tried to save the world with ethanol a few years ago, and drove corn to $8.50 a bushel. Most bigger farmers have a bulldozer and excavator. With harvest done by October, lots of time to clear land. In a 10 mile drive from my house last week. I counted 5 properties clearing creek bottoms and small woodlots. Places south of here you can see 3 miles without a tree. Last year I watched 40 acres of prime roosting turned into corn. I drive the east half of I80 through Iowa a lot. After the demise of CRP. Pheasants went from seeing hundreds first hour of daylight, to one here and there. Turkeys have gone from easily seeing 3 dozen a few years ago, to not one in the last few trips.
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Usually comes down to nature and man. Bad nesting weather, sometimes big flocks can spread disease. But man usually has a hand in it good or bad. Habitat is usually at the top of the list. Since we tried to save the world with ethanol a few years ago, and drove corn to $8.50 a bushel. Most bigger farmers have a bulldozer and excavator. With harvest done by October, lots of time to clear land. In a 10 mile drive from my house last week. I counted 5 properties clearing creek bottoms and small woodlots. Places south of here you can see 3 miles without a tree. Last year I watched 40 acres of prime roosting turned into corn. I drive the east half of I80 through Iowa a lot. After the demise of CRP. Pheasants went from seeing hundreds first hour of daylight, to one here and there. Turkeys have gone from easily seeing 3 dozen a few years ago, to not one in the last few trips.
Very well said.
With corn trading at $7.61 now again many of the remaining fencerows, windbreaks, and buffer strips will be gone.
We’re actually looking to do the opposite. We’ve got a field on the 40 we just bought and are building on that is classified as HEL. As a result, the neighbor who previously owned the land left a hay strip on the back ~40 yards heading towards the slope. The hay is decently productive, but still doesn’t hold the soil like we’d like butting up to the corn. To counter this, we are letting the hayfield go to essentially set-aside grassland and expanding it into the footprint of what was corn another 40 yards knowing we will lose a couple of tilled acres we rent out. It’s the right thing to do and should offer better habitat while holding soil. I’m sure people will think this is dumb given the corn prices, but money doesn’t drive every decision we make.
Pretty sad isn’t it.
Habitat being destroyed at an alarming rate.
My last Dr. appt they asked if I was depressed. I said yes, every time I take a drive and see all the areas I hunted and roamed on growing up, now bulldozed and every shred of habitat gone. Now that’s depressing.
I feel for the younger generation that will never see or experience what I did…to say nothing of what my Dad grew up in.
It’ll get worse before it’s gets better as the old saying goes but I’m pretty sure the “getting better” part doesn’t apply in this case.
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