Kenneth L. Kieser
Wild turkey rumors start about this time of year. For example, cougars are not being stocked in Midwestern states, even though your Aunt Alice said they were. They are likely following turkey and deer herds from western and northern states, and no, wild turkeys are not responsible for eating all of your quail and morel mushrooms.
Wild turkey questions are common. Many don’t understand this unusual bird that is timid by nature and sighted from long distances in big groups most of the year and smaller groups in the spring. Yet there is no denying the disappearance of quail and rabbits.
For many years, some hunters have wrongfully blamed wild turkeys for devastating quail populations by eating quail eggs and chicks. This idea may sound ridiculous, but, once again, the accusations against turkeys seem to always be flying.
Some even blamed rabbit shortages because the big glutton wild turkeys were eating baby rabbits. I would not be surprised to find someone blaming wild turkeys for the rising fuel prices. They are likely as much to blame for that as they are for rabbit or quail shortages.
Quail populations in many regions have declined over the last two decades while wild turkey populations have dramatically increased at the same time, but there is no scientific data that points to turkeys as the culprits.
According to Jim Dietsch, president of Quail Forever's Central Oklahoma 89er Chapter, a lack of quality quail habitat - not turkey predation - is to blame.
"Habitat is one link between the rise of turkey populations and the fall of quail populations in Oklahoma and across the nation," Dietsch said. "Predation will always occur in nature, but we can help quail by improving their habitat. Quality quail habitat and proper nesting cover allows for more successful nesting with less interference from predators and bad weather."
Quail thrive in early growth habitat, which is dominated by small, food-bearing shrubs, weeds and grasses that provide plenty of ground cover for the small birds to avoid predators. Wild turkeys, in contrast, are more opportunistic and use all habitat types from pristine woodlands and prairies to older, more mature forests.
In the early to mid-20th century, when small family farms were popular, quail populations thrived. Wild plums, sumac and other shrubs grew around field borders, providing food and protection from predators. Wildfires also generated new forest growth that quail require.
To meet modern agricultural demands, farms have grown. Today's farmers plant larger crops and mow field borders. Additionally, wildfires, which once cleared brush and restored plant communities to the early habitats quail prefer, have decreased and have not been replaced by prescribed burns in many areas.
Without prescribed burns, young, brushy habitats perfect for quail to grow into forests more suitable for wild turkeys. Each of these factors has contributed to the decline in the quail population, but has created ideal conditions for wild turkeys.
"Turkeys can survive better than quail in much of today's landscape," said Brandon Houck, regional biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation. "Because turkeys travel farther in one day than quail will in a year, turkeys simply have more options for finding food and shelter. The good news is that quail and turkeys can cohabitate when provided with the right habitat - like in central Kansas and western Oklahoma where quail and wild turkeys thrive on the same properties."
Will a turkey eat quail by accident when feeding on grasshoppers? Absolutely, but they don’t purposely go quail hunting. The poor old turkey just happens to be visible and constantly feeding, especially on grasshoppers. I believe the same could be said of morel mushrooms. The turkey may gulp some down if they find one, but they don’t go looking for the tasty morsels—humans do that!
Currently Conservation organizations are involved in numerous conservation projects nationwide that will help create the right habitat for both quail and wild turkeys. Projects include conducting prescribed fires, managing longleaf pine plantations and creating watering spots for wildlife.
We have eastern wild turkeys here, there are four sub-species in America, and they have babies in April, sometimes in early May. Hens lay between 10-12 eggs during a two-week period, then are incubated 26-28 days. The hen will only leave her nest for a short period to feed and may remain nesting for several consecutive days.
Nests are always well hidden and the hens lays motionless when danger approaches, only flushing at the last minute. We have spooked several while mushroom hunting in the spring. A spooked wild turkey may fly almost a ¼ mile, seldom farther. Wild turkeys may walk a mile or two in one day depending on habitat and distance to food and water sources.
Turkeys venture off their travel patterns to feed on whatever is available and that may include crossing busy roads. Wild turkeys are opportunistic foragers. They spend a good portion of their day scratching in leaf litter, chasing bugs and milling for seeds. They love grasshoppers, one of their best protein sources.
You may be fortunate enough to hear gobbling during the spring. Toms become king of the woods during their breeding season and the normally shy birds develop an attitude. April is when you will hear thundering gobbles in our woods—an awesome, addictive sound.
However, turkeys gobble less when there are large numbers of predators around. Two years ago, we were hunting on my farm by St. Joseph, Missouri. I called a gobbler off its roost and it was making plenty of noise moving in. Suddenly we heard a cat-like scream and then a huge commotion.
A bobcat or cougar jumped our gobbling bird. We could hear hens making distress calls while running down through the timber strip and the hunt ended unsuccessfully for us, but not for the wildcat. A biologist later told me that cat may have laid under their roost all night, waiting for the morning fly down—such is the life of a wild turkey.
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