Managing for turkeys

[bulltx50]

Looks like you are getting some great advice. Eliminate predators, control grazing ensuring nesting areas for turkey. Make sure there is adequate water, clean water. Supplemental feeding that consist of small grains. This is easily done by mixing with your deer feeding stations. Have fun.

[low_tec]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=texas%20parks%20and%20wildlife%20turkey%20feeding%20station&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpwd.state.tx.us%2Fpublications%2Fpwdpubs%2Fmedia%2Fpwd_lf_w7000_0053.pdf&ei=LvtlUqCIBYiO2gWT1YHgAg&usg=AFQjCNEQkC5aak38R8HdVVkj258s7CoP_w&bvm=bv.55123115,d.b2I

We built the platform feeder on the last page. Works great once they figure out.

We used them in eldorado and the turkey used them big time.

I just got back on my old lease in burnet this year, birds have been gone for about 8 years. They are starting to come back, we will be setting up two of these in the next few weeks.

[JW]

Freezer section at Kroger. **** corn buzzards!!!



Always heard chufa as stated. im not a turkey guy but its nice to see folks managing other native game as well. Good luck and be proud of what you are doing. Even if some Ragin Redneck calls em corn buzzards.

[Thumper]

In order to have a healthy, growing population of birds you will need the following:

Roost site(s) - if you don't have good roost trees on your property, you've gotta hope your neighbors do (or you can put together artificial roosts if you're really serious about it)

Food - even if the birds aren't roosting on you, they will travel a long way to come to a good food source. In the summer and fall birds tend to eat a majority of forbs, seeds, grasses. In the spring, it's incredibly important to control your cattle grazing and allow grasses and food plots to grow, for two reasons: 1) you have to have cover for nesting hens and her poults. 2) a young poults diet consists of over 90% bugs, and if you don't have grasses and other vegetation, you won't have bugs (or cover). "Bug out zones" are crucial in the spring for reproductive success. Of course turkeys will eat any supplemental feed you put out for them, whether it's food plots or feed stations.

Water - If you don't have water year round, your birds won't stay year round

Predator control - kill every coon, skunk, coyote et al that you see. All are nest raiders and Yotes, foxes and bobcats will kill poults and vulnerable nesting hens

If you implement a good management plan and constant do things to improve your habitat, you will increase your chances of holding birds. Hope this info helps, good luck!

This^^^^ And a couple of other things.....


Fire ant control couple times a year, Amdro. Its the only thing keeping the attwater prairie chicken from going extinct. http://www.extension.org/pages/59882...it-application

Hold classes, mandatory enrolment, teach all hawks and owls that turkey poults are not really that good to eat. As a side product your quail population will also prosper.

[Bobcat]

Fling'em, that is interesting and was considering something related to that.

Dale, tried that for a while. They came to the feeders, but eventually the population or habitat use failed.

LowTec, are y'all doing something to bring the population back around other than feeding? What are you providing as feed?

We rotate pastures and fence off riprarian areas. Stopped feeding corn, drastically reduced feeders, which signifigantly impacted raccoon populations just by doing that. Millet and other grasses are abundant in specific areas that would be great for rearing poults not to mention general insect predation and seed foraging. Roosting areas are available. Forage plots are available. Water is accessible. Coyotes are a general issue, but they are prevalent in our area even where large groupings of turkey are seen. The turkey population seems to quit literally a few miles from us. They stay in timber with mixed open spaces and native grasses. Timber is limited, mainly green belts along riprarian areas. Good mast producing trees, persimmon, plums, winter wheat in addition to two rehabbing native pastures post drought.

Planning on a feeding platform next to water. Scratching the ground to promote wild plant growth behind electric fence creating a "grassy belt" next to brushy areas where they can feed. I do not want supplemental feed to be the reason for their presence, but willing to help them along a bit. Last thing I want to do is draw coons. Looking for a specific habitat improvement trick that someone has had luck with in drawing turkeys.

Yes, extensive cattle is bad, planning on using them as a tool is the seasonal plan in habitat areas where needed. Of course we don't want them crushing eggs and nests in areas set aside for wildlife. What is the cattle effect on turkeys, how? How does spraying effect habitat use of turkey? Human activity? Personal experience.

Any reduction in population seen after supplemental feeding started? Was that due to disease at feeders or predation at feeders? Thanks