How Can North Carolina Land Owners Increase Turkey Populations on Their Land?
Introduction
With turkey seasons around the corner across most of the U.S., hunters are gearing up for the pursuit of these large North American game birds. An exciting hunt that involves no small amount of “talking” back and forth with the birds to draw them ever closer, turkey hunting is a passion for many in the Southeast that can often make whitetail hunters look lackadaisical.
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Understanding Turkey Life Cycle
Often a comparably short season, turkey seasons coincide with the target species’ life cycle, in part, to further sustainable populations. Understanding the lifecycle of these birds is a key point in increasing their population and presence. Turkeys mate in spring, their behaviors during this time being what hunters aim to capitalize on. After mating, a hen will lay between 10 to 12 eggs over about a two-week span before setting her nest. These large birds nest on the ground, making them vulnerable to predation.
Habitat preservation is an easy first step, but the planning shouldn’t stop there. Managing the wildlife within a habitat is the trick. Turkeys have few natural defenses against the coyotes, bobcats, and fox that will quickly make a meal of an adult bird, and poults and eggs are completely defenseless against nest raiders like raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Considering a nest represents an entire new generation, and the adults only mate once per year, nest raiders are the predators with the greatest impact.
Here is where a wildlife management plan comes in, by controlling the populations of the scavenging nest raiders alongside the larger predators.
Managing Wildlife for Turkey Populations
Now that we’ve highlighted some manageable threats, how does one go about managing them? First things first: there is no one-time solution here. Because animals disperse over time into territories and ranges, management is an ongoing endeavor. Depending on the time of year implemented, a management plan may not yield desired results until the following season or year (maybe longer).
We’ve cleared that up, so we can get started on what practices to employ. Like understanding the turkey’s lifecycle, we need to explore the behaviors of their predators and our role in the mix. Most predators are territorial, and many scavengers tend to stay within certain areas that meet all their resource needs. The size of these territories can vary greatly depending on species, habitat resources, and population density—the latter being the area of greatest focus.
In short, fewer predators that eat turkeys and their eggs equals more turkeys (so long as the habitat itself is ideal for those thunder chickens). An overabundance of predators is usually not helped by hunters…after all, we are after the same game they are. That said, predatorial species and scavengers have characteristics that make them more difficult to hunt, chief among them being predominantly nocturnal activity.
Explore our expert tips on predator behavior to protect your turkey populations effectively.
How to Implement Predator Management
How is a hunter to be well-rested and ready for a jaunt into the woods if they’re up all night chasing wary and often elusive predators? That’s not to mention that when it comes to turkey season, various species’ hunting seasons may not line up. Many humans in the 21st century also have not developed a taste for hunting these predators, a fact that impacts the number of individuals actively managing predator populations.
So how does one go about controlling these nighttime turkey munchers and still enjoy the hunt when the turkey is in season? The single most effective means is trapping. Trapping has been proven time and time again as the most effective wildlife management tool. There’s a rich history behind the practice as it relates to the growth of the U.S., but that’s a topic for another time.
There’s a lot to be said about the use of traps, but let’s stay focused on how it can help the gobblers. The facts are both that traps work at night and a number of traps can yield significant results. Those two points alone should entice some, but let’s double down: a trap can be reused where a bullet cannot, and as my friend Dave Canterbury says, “live food doesn’t spoil,” a statement I wholeheartedly agree with.
Check out our guide to legal and effective trapping for turkey predator management.
For the sake of spelling it out: traps work around the clock in multiple locations while simultaneously producing game and all the resources that come with their harvest.
Trapping as a Management Tool
Trapping may be your solution, but there are things to know before heading to your local agricultural supply store or online retailer. Trapping, like hunting, is a heavily regulated practice that requires licensing separate from a hunting license in most states. We’re not talking about cage traps here—they work, but don’t compare to the effectiveness of foothold and body-grip traps.
Traps tend to get expensive quickly, as they are only a single element of the craft. There is also a learning curve. Whether used for food, fur, or management, there’s a lot that goes into using steel traps. Trap choice depends on state laws, target species, other animals in the area, and the specific location of the trap set.
While catching nest raiders such as raccoons is made simple with a dog-proof foot-encapsulating trap, coyotes are wary animals requiring more practice. Most states require traps to be checked once every calendar day, which is worth considering when building a management plan.
If trapping isn’t an option for you, don’t worry: many local trappers would be happy to work a new location, or you can hire a professional trapper. Either way, remember that trapping and predator management is a long-term effort.
In summary, bringing more turkeys to your hunting lands means paying attention to more than just the turkeys. Managing predators and nest raiders is key. A management plan is ideal, as predator control requires ongoing effort over the years. Hunt or trap—there are options, with trapping being the superior choice. You can do it yourself or enlist help.
No matter the choice, remember that turkeys, their predators, and humans are all part of the ecosystem. A wildlife management plan should be implemented to manage predator populations—not eradicate them.
By: Kyle Sanborn (Wildlife Control Agent | Owner Fluent Frontier LLC)
