http://maineforest.org/do-wild-turkeys- ... ines-oaks/


Do wild turkeys ever get a break of being blamed for something.

Just watched a quail hunting show the other day that the wild life manager is blaming the turkey for the low population of Quail throughout the US. That the turkey is eating the young hatched quail. Please enlighten me on this one, I heard of the turkeys destroying the eggs but not eating the hatched quail. Before you quail hunters jump on me I was once a quail hunter and am currently working with a biologist to get a huntable population back on Quantico. AP Hill has a huntable population (small) but they are making better habitat for them and other game animals.

The grape (vineyard) owners are ever increasing thier protests to the game departments that turkeys are responsible for the destruction of thier grapes. Yes even here in VA. And wants the State to get ride of them.

I read an article the other week that farmers are now blaming turkeys for crop loss due to the fact turkeys are scratching up thier planted seeds or bulb type plants.

I am sure some of you out there have heard other stories concerning the turkeys and how they are killing off other species or causing crops to fail.

Now the acorn Maine thing is a new one.

And yes studies have shown where turkeys do have a small, very small percentage of grape and crop damage. But not I believe to the extent of what a lot are saying. I am not a farmer maybe a couple on here could make a comment on the crop damage of turkey's and any vineyard owners.

Earl

Tall Timbers is the name of the leading southeastern US quail research organization. Based near Tallahassee. TT studies quail and southern ecology in several areas of S E USA. They have monitored quail nest for years and years with personal biologists observations and many many cameras. In their list of quaIL NEST and CHICK predators I dont think turkeys are even mentioned and certainly if mentioned the turkeys aren't in the list of significant predators on quail. Thats not Va to KY or Tn etc. But theres no scientific. proof of the turkey predation on either quail or grouse that I have ever seen. The TT information is available on TallTimbers.org website. Having said all that I suspect a turkey might eat anything that moved , if it could swallow it, based on the salamanders , etc I have seen in their crops.

A lot of hearsay conversations about turkeys and all game bird populations; primarily based on observed decreases in grouse and quail populations where turkeys are found in large numbers and somewhat newly introduced (Wisconsin, Ohio etc). I suspect the turkeys may carry some diseases that affect the other bird populations, plus there is some food competition. No correlation shown scientifically that I have read (yet).

Turkeys have a right to eat people’s grapes too

GN, good info, thanks.

Roy, I am quilty of eating apples, pears and grapes from orchards when I was a poult.


Earl

Gotta blame something I guess. It seems to be in vogue right now.
V

This was a problem in California years ago...the folks thought the turkeys were DESTROYING the vineyards.......THEN they got smart and did a study. They actually found that Turkeys were the least of their worries and that raccoons and foxes were more to blame. They used scouting cameras and such to determine this.
Interesting study since CA is so heavy in grapes!!!!!