Increase Turkey Populations in North Carolina
With turkey season 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 North Carolina and the southeast that can often make whitetail hunters look lackadaisical. 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.
Understanding Turkey Nesting & Predators in NC
Turkey 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 notation, though the planning shouldn’t stop there.
Managing the wildlife within a habitat is the trick. Turkey 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 the nest raiders like raccoon, opossums and skunks. Considering a nest represents an entire new generation and the adults only mate once per year, nest raiders can easily be identified as 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.
Effective Predator Management Strategies
Now that we’ve highlighted some manageable threats, how does one go about managing these threats? First things first, it should be noted that 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).
Now that we’ve cleared that up, 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 of this situation. 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 individual species, dispersal of habitat/resources and population density, the latter of which being the area of greatest focus.
In short, the fewer critters that eat turkey and their eggs equals more turkey (so long as the habitat itself is ideal for those thunder chickens). An over abundance of predators is usually in no way helped by the vast majority of hunters…after all, we are after the same game they are. That said, to be completely fair, the predatorial species and scavengers have a number of characteristics that proves them to be more difficult to hunt. Chief among those characteristics being that almost all of them are predominately nocturnal.
Trapping: The Best Wildlife Management Tool for NC Landowners
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, you’d have the added challenge of the various species hunting seasons not lining up. Many humans in the 21st century and “modern” world have also not developed a taste for them, a fact that certainly has an impact the number of individuals who actively hunt these predators and scavengers. So how does one go about, in advanced preparation, control the populations of these nighttime turkey munchers in a meaningful way and still get to 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. as fur played a significant role in the expansion westward, but that’s a topic for another time. It has also been a successful food procurement method throughout human history, but that too is something we’ll leave for another occasion. There’s a lot that both can and has been 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 (x)number of traps has the potential for (x)number of catches. Those two points alone should’ve been enough to entice some, but in case it wasn’t enough we can double down with two more. 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. For the sake of spelling it out, traps work around the clock in more than one place while simultaneously producing game and all the resources that come with their harvest.
But Wait… Is Trapping Simple?
Trapping may be your solution, but there are things to know before just sauntering off 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 also not talking about cage traps here, they certainly work, but don’t come close to the effectiveness of foothold and body grip traps. Traps/trapping tends to get expensive quickly as the traps themselves are only a single element of the craft. There is also a learning curve to employ successfully.
Whether they are used for food, fur or management, there’s a great deal that goes into using steel traps. Which trap to use is a good example as trap choice is determined by state laws/regulations, target species, what other animals frequent the area, and specific location of trap set (a set being how a trap is placed).
There are hundreds of great resources to learn the skill. While catching nest raiders such as raccoon is made simple and easy for a beginner with a dog proof foot encapsulating trap where coyotes, however, are wary animals that may require more practice.
Revisiting the laws and regulations element, most states require every trap to be checked once every calendar day, a fact worth considering before getting started in building a management plan. If trapping for yourself is not an option you’re willing to undertake, don’t worry, there are options. For starters, there are very likely trappers in your area that would be happy for the opportunity to trap a new location.
Just remember, time is something no one can make more of. That means they may not be able or willing to commit to your long term management plan over just the opportunity to trap as able. The other option is to hire a professional trapper, someone for whom wildlife management is a business. I believe the adage goes “you get what you pay for”. But if money is the topic, lets be honest…between feed plots, calls, gear, guns, ammo, licensing, travel and those hunting snacks we all carry, hunting is a passion we all pour a great deal into.
Conclusion
In summary, bringing more turkey to your hunting lands means paying attention to more than just the turkey. It also means managing the predators and nest raiders. A management plan is ideal as predator control will require an ongoing effort to maintain over the years. Hunt or trap, there are options with trapping being the superior choice. You could do it yourself or have another help.
No matter the choice it’s important to remember that turkey, the predators that hunt them and us are each not only part of the ecosystem, but part of the big picture to establishing a management plan that works for you well in advance of the following season. As the name suggests, a management plan should be implemented to manage predator populations and not to eradicate them.
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