Turkey eats small child.

niceshot

niceshot

New member
Seriously, I am really interested in considering if the population of turkeys can affect the population of pheasants. I realize that your opinion will be based on anecdotal information and not scientific evidence, as no state agency would touch this potentially divisive issue. It would also be beneficial to give your geographical location by dividing the states into quarters i.e. Northeast Nebraska or Southwest Iowa. Here are some questions I have been pondering.
Do turkeys nest on the ground? Will the people planting trees to develop pheasant habitat regret it? Will an eagle or a hawk take a turkey? What are the natural predators of a turkey? Is the population of pheasants and turkeys going in the opposite direction? Does anyone own/hunt land with a high density of both?
 
Turkeys and Pheasants

The Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks has published or adopted a published paper addressing the impact of turkeys on the quail population. The paper concludes that the turkey population has no direct impact on quail. The paper discounts assertions that turkeys raid quail nests as having no scientific basis. The inverse relationship in turkey vs. quail population is due to habitat. What is ideal for turkey is not for quail. Whether the paper's conclusion would hold true for pheasants, I have no idea.

I hunt in an area where there are pheasants, quail and turkey. Turkey numbers are strong and quail have made a comeback over the last 10 years. In fact, quail are strong in an area where I observed a flock of about 140 turkeys and the farmer-landowner said there were about 300 there. Pheasants have fluctuated most with drought conditions and changes in farming practices accounting for it.

No turkey I have dressed has ever had anything but vegetation foodstuffs in it.
 
I have never seen any indication that Turkeys affect other game birds. There habitat here is really away from most other game birds.....Bob
 
I've never heard of turkeys eating pheasants, but I have heard the rumor of turkeys eating qauil. I think Britchaser is correct, quail like a brusher habitat, once that habitat matures, the quail use it less and turkeys use it more. There are very few times I've seen pheasants in turkey habitat. I think the same holds. Once the grassland matures into forest you lose the pheasant for the turkey. I have seen many turkey nest on the ground. I doubt they nest in trees. I know bobcats and coyotes will kill turkeys, and I'm sure hawks will kill young ones and maybe small hens. I had a bobcat come in a couple of years ago while I was turkey hunting.
 
NICESHOT, I would think with how busy at work you must be that hunting another species would be out of the question. Me on the other hand might be able to find the time. :D

As to your question I often find turkeys nesting in alfalfa fields in the early summer when I am cutting hay. Turkeys use the trees for nesting in and forage. Usually when guys plant trees for pheasants they are more for cover, IE shrubs and conifers. Turkey plantings have a lot more oaks.

By the way PM me if you want to shoot some doves in a couple of weeks I got a few spots we could go.
 
niceshot said:
Seriously, I am really interested in considering if the population of turkeys can affect the population of pheasants. I realize that your opinion will be based on anecdotal information and not scientific evidence, as no state agency would touch this potentially divisive issue. It would also be beneficial to give your geographical location by dividing the states into quarters i.e. Northeast Nebraska or Southwest Iowa. Here are some questions I have been pondering.
Do turkeys nest on the ground? Will the people planting trees to develop pheasant habitat regret it? Will an eagle or a hawk take a turkey? What are the natural predators of a turkey? Is the population of pheasants and turkeys going in the opposite direction? Does anyone own/hunt land with a high density of both?
Click to expand...

We are now on a ranch with a lota turkeys and a rebuilding quail population. Coupla years ago we had a lease on a west Texas ranch that had very good quail populations and a HUGE number of turkey. We saw a flock that we estimated at more than 200.

Great horned owls will take a turkey out of a tree. I have seen the remains several times.
 
From what I have read, I don't think turkey populations would affect pheasant populations. Turkeys generally will avoid high grasses, dense cover that hte pheasants like. They prefer more open areas. THey have fantastic eyesight, and in open areas, they can spot danger easier, not so in the dense cover that pheasants prefer. Turkey are hunted by foxes and coyotes. I'm sure if a hawk or owl spotted a small turkey/chick they would pass on the opportuinty for a free meal.
 
What general area? Am interested in turkey hunting in KS



UOTE=BritChaser;10027]The Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks has published or adopted a published paper addressing the impact of turkeys on the quail population. The paper concludes that the turkey population has no direct impact on quail. The paper discounts assertions that turkeys raid quail nests as having no scientific basis. The inverse relationship in turkey vs. quail population is due to habitat. What is ideal for turkey is not for quail. Whether the paper's conclusion would hold true for pheasants, I have no idea.

I hunt in an area where there are pheasants, quail and turkey. Turkey numbers are strong and quail have made a comeback over the last 10 years. In fact, quail are strong in an area where I observed a flock of about 140 turkeys and the farmer-landowner said there were about 300 there. Pheasants have fluctuated most with drought conditions and changes in farming practices accounting for it.

No turkey I have dressed has ever had anything but vegetation foodstuffs in it.[/QUOTE]
 
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