# Turkey winter kill



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I'm finding canyons in the central region with significant winter kill
on turkey flocks..........NOT GOOD.

I imagine up north is worse,
Any reports? good or bad.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

goofy elk said:


> I'm finding canyons in the central region with significant winter kill
> on turkey flocks..........NOT GOOD.
> 
> I imagine up north is worse,
> Any reports? good or bad.


That's not good, hopefully this warm up is in time but it's not sounding like it. If it's that bad it could take 2-3 years for any recovery at best.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> I'm finding canyons in the central region with significant winter kill
> on turkey flocks..........NOT GOOD.
> 
> I imagine up north is worse,
> Any reports? good or bad.


Sad to hear, are you seeing many live birds?


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

I am seeing birds that look good at lower elevations and in canyons
that have south slope burn off.

It's the turkeys pin'd in upper canyons that got in trouble.
Lake Fork, Dairy Fork, Tucker, Starvation, Tie fork for example,
All in SF canyon.
These birds were all in trouble 2-3 weeks ago, 90% didn't make it to this 'warm' up.

I will also add on a VERY good note.
I looked at a part of the southern region a few days ago, 
saw almost unbelievable numbers.
Going to be an AWESOME LE opener:!:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Hawks and eagles are sure looking fat. They decimate those big black birds stuck on fields of white.


-DallanC


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Hawks and eagles are sure looking fat. They decimate those big black birds stuck on fields of white.
> 
> -DallanC


NO DOUBT about that either!

Both Nebo creek and Bennie creek are getting hammered by birds of prey.
Some were around 20 Bald and Golden eagles pounding those flocks right now.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Winter kill in turkeys is not anything like winter kill in deer or elk. Although they can have a winter kill, with a good spring, numbers can still be good. A cold wet spring around hatch time can be much more devastating to turkey numbers than a heavy winter. But to be on the safe side, I would recommend that all elk hunters forgo this springs turkey hunt and leave the few remaining birds to us real hunters.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

goofy elk said:


> I am seeing birds that look good at lower elevations and in canyons
> that have south slope burn off.
> 
> It's the turkeys pin'd in upper canyons that got in trouble.
> ...


Sucks to hear, but at least some flocks are doing okay in lower areas. Hopefully we get a good hath and perfect spring to bring numbers back up. If that happens turkeys aren't quite as hard to recover as 100,000 deer if we lose them this winter.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Dang this makes me wish I had discovered turkey hunting earlier than 3 years ago! Now that I'm hopelessly addicted I had to move to the only state without those birds! Although I did actually see one on the Kenai Peninsula 10 years ago and apparently there was a guy that released a flock of easterns there. Rumors have it they made it for several years but nobody has or is willing to confirm a sighting in the last 6 years that I'm aware of...might need to try some shock gobbling in the area on my spring bear hunts just in case!


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

johnnycake said:


> Dang this makes me wish I had discovered turkey hunting earlier than 3 years ago! Now that I'm hopelessly addicted I had to move to the only state without those birds! Although I did actually see one on the Kenai Peninsula 10 years ago and apparently there was a guy that released a flock of easterns there. Rumors have it they made it for several years but nobody has or is willing to confirm a sighting in the last 6 years that I'm aware of...might need to try some shock gobbling in the area on my spring bear hunts just in case!


The good news is that Washington ain't that far and they got some GREAT turkey huntin.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I'm considering turning my LE Central tag back into the F&G. I'd be surprised if the DWR didn't close the General season in the Northern areas.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

I'm looking out my back pasture as I type- probably 80 to 100 in the field behind me eating with the cows. Don't think they had many problems in Paradise. 2 nights ago on the way home from Logan traffic was stopped in both directions to let a flock cross the highway.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I think you guys are putting to much into this winter kill stuff. Turkeys, if living in good, proven turkey habitat will survive some mighty tough winters. They survive harsh winters better than deer and winter kill is not normally a huge factor in numbers present in the spring. I would be interested in seeing actual studies showing an increase in turkey depredation by hawks and eagles due to snow covering. I personally don't believe there is much difference if there is snow on the ground or not, but I have been wrong before. Much more devastating to turkey populations is a cold wet spring. Hatchling turkeys, and other upland game birds as well, can suffer terribly under these conditions leaving population devastated. The good news is that mother nature has factored this in their survival scheme with large numbers of hatchings. A few birds in the spring can produce large numbers in a very short time if conditions are good in the spring. So, don't worry too much, as long as we have birds in good basic turkey habitat, they will survive and flourish.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

taxidermist said:


> I'm considering turning my LE Central tag back into the F&G. I'd be surprised if the DWR didn't close the General season in the Northern areas.


I'd be surprised if winter kill was that high. We basically had a month and a half of bad weather and it has been warm since and melted a lot of snow. While I'm sure there was higher winter kill than years past I doubt this year wiped out a large majority of them. With a good bathing season numbers will be okay. BP is right a good hatch is the most important part of bird populations.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

"A good bathing season"? I can see those thunder chickens doing cannonballs into the hot pots right now! 

Thanks for the chuckle 1-Eye. After my present week, I needed that!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> I'd be surprised if winter kill was that high.


Oh it really was. Local flock is just *gone*, haven't seen even a track in fresh snow in over a month. Winterkill got some, raptors killed the rest. Its crazy how many kills I could see though the spotter, big black spots on the hills made up from piles of black feathers.

-DallanC


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Oh it really was. Local flock is just *gone*, haven't seen even a track in fresh snow in over a month. Winterkill got some, raptors killed the rest. Its crazy how many kills I could see though the spotter, big black spots on the hills made up from piles of black feathers.
> 
> -DallanC


Yes, they are all gone the places I hunt too. Everyone better just stay home this year. In fact I think Dallan is lying, those piles of black feathers on the hills are still moving. Everyone should try out his spots because mine are all empty.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

If I could get away from work, I would hunt the Boulder Mts. I won't hunt turkeys this year.

-DallanC


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

What a bunch of babies. Even if there aren't quite as many birds as last year, that's no reason to start all the doom and gloom... "I ain't even going huntin this year, oh woe is me, I better turn my LE tag back in, the birds are just all gone, nothin but a pile of black feathers left"...really boys, you should of tried turkey hunting in Utah back in the 90's...and I still had a ball.


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## Slockem (Nov 29, 2016)

What does a good batch have to do with hunting turkeys this spring?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Slockem said:


> What does a good batch have to do with hunting turkeys this spring?


(Hatch?)..well, nothing.

But, welcome to the forum...and...take it easy with the tough questions.

Are you going turkey hunting this spring?


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> What a bunch of babies. Even if there aren't quite as many birds as last year, that's no reason to start all the doom and gloom... "I ain't even going huntin this year, oh woe is me, I better turn my LE tag back in, the birds are just all gone, nothin but a pile of black feathers left"...really boys, you should of tried turkey hunting in Utah back in the 90's...and I still had a ball.


I think you missed the bit of sarcasm in my post. My area did okay I believe, the less competition the better though, so everyone please stay home.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> I think you missed the bit of sarcasm in my post. My area did okay I believe, the less competition the better though, so everyone please stay home.


My wife keeps tellin me I need to switch to de-caf. Gee, maybe all the boys are just being a little sarcastic. Now if we can just trick all the darn elk hunters to stop huntin turkeys we'd have it made.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

Here is an article on the topic that may interest:

http://www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.c...nter-have-to-get-to-affect-turkey-populations


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## SCtransplant (Jul 31, 2015)

BPturkeys said:


> What a bunch of babies. Even if there aren't quite as many birds as last year, that's no reason to start all the doom and gloom... "I ain't even going huntin this year, oh woe is me, I better turn my LE tag back in, the birds are just all gone, nothin but a pile of black feathers left"...really boys, you should of tried turkey hunting in Utah back in the 90's...and I still had a ball.


Hey now, don't discourage the doom and gloom.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

taxidermist said:


> I'm considering turning my LE Central tag back into the F&G. I'd be surprised if the DWR didn't close the General season in the Northern areas.


http://www.realtree.com/turkey-blog...ng-turkey-season-cancelled-due-to-winter-kill


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Interesting read hawg,

Here is one of my local (Utah) observations,
highway mortality during winter for turkeys.

Hwy 6 ( Spanish Fork Cyn) is a perfect example.
When deep snow pushes birds onto the blacktop, it's VERY bad for turkeys!
A large number were killed this year from Thistle to soldier summit.
In-fact, I've been running all the side canyons there most of the winter,
I cant even put a single turkey track on the ground in any of these canyons right now,
there are normally, literally , 100's of birds in these areas.........turkeys are GONE.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> Now if we can just trick all the darn elk hunters to stop huntin turkeys we'd have it made.


I'm more worried this year with the shed hunters. They've all been out stashing their finds.....on April 1 they'll all be heading out like a bunch of crazy.....shed hunters?....to pick up those stashes.

nothing worse than a bunch of dumb shed hunters screwing up a perfectly good turkey hunt.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

PBH said:


> I'm more worried this year with the shed hunters. They've all been out stashing their finds.....on April 1 they'll all be heading out like a bunch of crazy.....shed hunters?....to pick up those stashes.
> 
> nothing worse than a bunch of dumb shed hunters screwing up a perfectly good turkey hunt.


Well. April 1st is also opening day for spring bear hunting.

Hopefully all those nasty 'shed hunters' will have those 'stashes' picked up
in a week,
Cuz the LE turkey hunt dose not open till April 8th...........................


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

What does it all matter? The once flourishing Utah turkey population has been reduce to nothing more than a cloud of black feathers blowing in the wind. Eagles, hawks and magpies greedily picking the bones of the very last bird in Utah. Alas, sell your shotguns, burn your camo, bury your decoys and hang those scratch calls on the wall, boys, it's all over but the memories.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Went out in the central region looking to confirm reports. Sure enough all the birds are dead. Even these ones that were feeding, scratching, etc had to have been an optical illusion. I watched them for 30 minutes or so. Then went to see the psychiatrist because I had to have been hallucinating.

In all seriousness though. In my localized area (which I readily acknowledge doesn't apply to every flock in the region or the state,) I'm seeing as many birds as last year with a healthy mix of Jakes, toms, and hens. Hopefully it wasn't too bad in other areas.















Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Well, I'm just gonna pile on and say I haven't seen a single turkey in Utah this year---not 1! I had seen hundreds, if not thousands, by this time last year.


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