# Shortage of birds?



## slashbait

Any one else noticing low turkey numbers? Been scouting usual spots in Ashland and Harrison and having one heck of a time finding more than a few.Four trips out and not a single turkey sound. Very unusual for these two areas. Only positive deer everywhere.


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## General

I have seen just the opposite. Turkeys in fields I never saw them before


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## Mad-Eye Moody

Weather and time of year are a factor, but over all, turkey numbers are down from what they were several years ago. Cold wet springs are a problem.


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## Guest

I actually have seen a pretty good increase this year as well. 2 years ago we had a bunker hatch in Holmes county and last year was decent from what I have seen. 

I do think they are slow to get going this year so you may find a few more hiding then you realize.


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## fastwater

Birds in this area seem to be down a bit the last few years as well. Course, I've killed 5 coyote's here in the yard in the last 4yrs. so it doesn't surprise me. There's not a night that goes by that you can't step out on the deck and hear the yotes talking from ridge to ridge.

Last Spring during turkey season I headed out right at daylight. Looked up on the side of the hill and saw a yote just gettin it through the woods. Never heard a turkey gobble all morning.


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## seang22

I think with all the yotes the turkey have learned to be quiet


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## fastwater

I think you're right *seang22*.

I also think the yotes are very adept in hearing turkeys talk whether it be on the roost or afield. Seems like the turkey's talking is like ringing the dinner bell for the yotes. I've killed a few yotes over the years that were stalking the same birds I was talking to. Maybe they were even stalking my calls.
Always on the alert to dispatch one of those dirty 'chicken thieves'.


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## supercanoe

No shortage on our place. The most that I've seen at once was 39 a couple weeks ago. About 10 were nice gobblers. Lots of jakes also. Habitat improvement and predator control are key.


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## ironman172

haven't really been out, on my place they are either there or not....maybe be able to call them for a visit, but in the past the neighbors dogs seem to have run them off....I used to have large numbers in a flock (fall) till they scratched the hillside clean and moved on....may get out this year for a look see....might take a friends son for the youth hunt


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## fastwater

> Habitat improvement and predator control are key


Your right *supercanoe*.

The neighbor and I declared war on yotes here about 3-4 yrs ago as he has killed many in his yard as well. Not more then 7-8 yrs ago, it was not uncommon to have turkeys in the yard. We've counted flocks ranging from small to as many as 43 birds at one time. Again, in the yard. 

Those numbers started declining rapidly as well as 'sign' in the woods and now, it is very unusual to see any in the yard. But the yote population seems to be growing faster then we can keep under control.

IMO, the yotes have not only affected the turkey population but the deer and rabbit population also. There is a huge deer poaching problem in this area too. Combining the pressure of poaching, along with the pressure of the yotes on the deer, our deer herd in this area has not only suffered in quantity but quality as well.


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## fishercreekrick

sounds like you guys have the same problem we have.5 years ago we had 3 flocks with around 40-50 birds in each one now not a bird to be found. I now go to a friends over an hour drive away to find a bird


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## weasel

was down in Guernsey co. over the weekend. I heard them last evening and went out this morning and heard 7 different gobblers. one across the hollow was gobbling his head off . I thought I could have killed that bird just hope he is around the area opening day. there was a big frost down there so I didn't know if that would effect them gobbling. I walked out of the cabin around 6;30 am I think I should have been out around 6;00 as they were already gobbling good luck to all!


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## adelmo

Yotes have definitely hurt turkey and deer population in Richland county where I hunt. Hope to snare few out.


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## Backtroll

A lot of discussion about coyotes being the major cause of turkey population delines in some areas. Yes, they are a predator of the wild turkey, but higher on the list are racoons, skunks, and opossums. They destroy eggs, thus the whole clutch is lost.


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## eyehunter8063

Numbers around me are down for sure. And I got a hen that has her chick's in my yard every year and she will start with 5 or 6 and 2 years ago she ended up with one last year zero . Not sure what is killing them but that shoulda at least 10 more birds right there.


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## turkeyt

Never heard mention of the bad winter we had and lack of food unless the birds hung around the farmers corn crib. Turkeys move to the food like deer. Weak crop of acorns last year was hard on the game.


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## eyehunter8063

Idk where at your from but I am in portage county. And the acorn crop here was unbelievable. As a huge deer hunter it was to good and made hunting hard. There was just to much food and couldn't pattern any thing. Yes I am sure the winter took a toll. How ever the it'd population has been fallen "in my area" every year for at least the last 3 years


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## jiggin'fool

I hunted summit and portage county and the only acorns I saw were on pin oaks... 2 years ago you couldn't take a step without walking on them... Last year where I hunted it was all about the apples... Find apples find critters! My buddy said he heard 10 different gobblers on opening morning in portage county... Think it is just relative to food sources and predators... No food no turkeys...


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## triton189

One word... Coyotes!


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## fastwater

Not buying the 'lack of food' in these parts either. Just way too many corn and soybean fields along with deep, deep acres of hardwoods.

*Backtroll* brought up a very good point about *****, skunks and opossum. I declared war on ***** around here about 4yrs ago. They stripped every fruit tree in the yard along with doing their part in destroying the garden. The dog and I have killed several dozen just here in the yard and in the barn.

Living in the middle of the woods does have a few aggravations but I can deal with these much better then when I lived in town.


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## smittyou812s

We declared war on ***** 3 years ago! I might add we are seeing results. I wish we could get the pheasants and grouse back up here!


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## Certified106

Hunted 4 different properties this weekend that are usually loaded with turkeys and had no luck at all. The two places on Saturday morning I never even heard a gobble. Got set up and had 10 hens fly down to us but there wasn't even a jake to be found. Hunted there for a few hours and moved on to the next place. Had a jake come in and that was it. 

Sunday Morning went to another place that we usually have great luck on and heard few gobbles on another ridge across the road but we didn't have permission to hunt that area. So far this year has been a total bust as I haven't even heard a bird to work. I have been asking around at other places and getting a lot of we haven't heard anything this year.


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## seang22

Certified106 said:


> Hunted 4 different properties this weekend that are usually loaded with turkeys and had no luck at all. The two places on Saturday morning I never even heard a gobble. Got set up and had 10 hens fly down to us but there wasn't even a jake to be found. Hunted there for a few hours and moved on to the next place. Had a jake come in and that was it.
> 
> 
> 
> Sunday Morning went to another place that we usually have great luck on and heard few gobbles on another ridge across the road but we didn't have permission to hunt that area. So far this year has been a total bust as I haven't even heard a bird to work. I have been asking around at other places and getting a lot of we haven't heard anything this year.



Was at hope this past weekend. Actually heard a lot of gobbles fri and sat.. Notta on sun. Where were u?


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## Certified106

seang22 said:


> Was at hope this past weekend. Actually heard a lot of gobbles fri and sat.. Notta on sun. Where were u?


We were hunting the north east corner of meigs county and the southeast corner of athens county. I think it just wasn't my weekend as half the guys here at work doubled on Saturday morning and said they heard birds. 

I have 40 acres in the southeast corner of athens county and my woods at this time of the year is usually tore up from turkeys but this year I have only heard one or two gobblers weeks ago and barely have a scratch in the woods. I can usually sit on my deck most years and listen to them gobble back and forth but this year it has been eerily quiet.

The guy I hunt with a lot is pretty darn good and tags out in 3 different states each year and he was even baffled by the fact we heard none. It was just dead silent and we could hear for a long way on the point we were at.


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## seang22

Yea I hunted prvt in franklin county on fri didn't hear a peep. We split up 8 guys sat and sun almost everyone heard one but it didn't last.and it was all done before 7


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## Certified106

Same here the ones we heard on someone elses property on Sunday were done and silent before 7am.


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## bobk

Saturday the birds were going crazy in Hocking county. Saw 5 longbeards and several jakes in the first half hour of light. Could hear other birds gobbling that we never saw. It was nuts.


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## Flathead76

In noble county the population is down for sure. The birds had it rough this winter. Add in the coyote population on the rise. Its understandable why there was less birds seen in my hunting the first 6 days of the season. This is on around 800 acres that I hunt down there.


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## fastwater

Maybe I made a mistake Sat. Went fishing at Lake Logan instead of hunting. Heard birds at first light and a few through the course of the morning on the back side of the lake were I sometimes hunt. Had fun but only caught some dink crappies. Such is life...

FWIW, haven't really heard that much around the house here all week. Can usually hear them from deck. Was out shroom hunting Sat afternoon at a place that is usually loaded with birds. Didn't see much sign and didn't hear any gobbles towards evening. Took a hen call and sounded it from time to time. No response.


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## smittyou812s

Have a report from Sunday in Jefferson county area! There wasn't much at all! Normally loaded with gobblers only had one early with no luck! We drove all over no active gobbles all morning! It was weird could it be all the gas operations shutting them up! Really unusual compaiared to farther north! I will say the deer ticks were out in full force! Protect yourselves!


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## fastwater

smittyou812s said:


> Have a report from Sunday in Jefferson county area! There wasn't much at all! Normally loaded with gobblers only had one early with no luck! We drove all over no active gobbles all morning! It was weird could it be all the gas operations shutting them up! Really unusual compaiared to farther north!* I will say the deer ticks were out in full force! Protect yourselves!*


Very good advice on the ticks *smitty*.

I have pulled five from the dog since the middle of last month. Had to 'Frontline' him earlier than normal this year.


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## Guest

The birds seem to be in a funk this year. On my family farm in Holmes County there is definitely not a shortage of birds but they are not talking. You can listen in the morning and not even hear a gobble but by 7:30 there will be gobblers strutting in the fields. They are lone toms too.....not toms with hens. 

Kind of a strange year!


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## fastwater

Just wandering if our strange weather has been having an impact on the lack of gobbling.


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## put-put

How do you guys change strategy for all day? Is evening effective?


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## carp

put-put said:


> How do you guys change strategy for all day? Is evening effective?


I killed one in the evening several years ago by setting up in a field near a roost site with a hen decoy, and calling softly. Had a hen come up to the decoy with a Tom following, I believe he gobbled once or twice when he saw the decoy.

As far as numbers, I believe there down in my specific area compared to 2 or 3 years ago. But some areas right down the road a mile or two away have more. I believe there are more 2 yr olds this spring compared to last. Gobbling has been way off but I manage to kill 2 already, and 3 of my buddies have killed 2 also! So I guess I shouldn't be complaining. 

Some of my areas that had a few birds last year, have none. And at least one of the places that had none last year, have a few?

if people aren't managing predators, then there will be a continued decline! I took 75 raccoon's this fall/winter off several of my turkey farms. coyotes are bad and I'm going to trap a few this fall if possible. If we don't reduce predators in our areas, turkey numbers will continue to decline because of animals raiding nests and killing poults and even adult birds.


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## supercanoe

Gobbling always slows down by this point in the season every year. Peak gobbling is before or right at the first few days of the season. I didn't hear anything except for first and last light gobbles this week.


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## fastwater

+1 on the predator control *carp*.

Also as *carp* point out, setting up close to known roosting sites in the evening increases your chances dramatically. And if you don't ambush him before he roosts and can slowly move out of the area without blowing him off the roost, you'll know where to set up on him the next a.m.

Mid afternoon, I like to hit the fields or known strutting zones to try and catch one after he's broken up with his 'hens of the day'. Also, since a turkey has to digest so much sand/gravel a day to help grind the food he ate that morning, setting up around areas with this content is good as well.

Far as calling, just like in the a.m., I let the turkeys dictate how I call in the p.m.


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