Are the turkeys moving South?

[Stalker]

I keep hearing about large flocks of birds in the south half of the lower peninsula. At the same time I have noticed that I am not seening the large flocks of birds in northern areas that I saw them a couple of years ago.

Is it possible that the birds are slowly moving south?

Is there any data on birds that were tagged moving?

Do birds stay in the area where they were hatched or do the move if there is predator pressure or low food supply?

:confused:

[EdB]

Turkeys have spread throughout southern Mi through trap and transfer programs by the MDNR. While I am sure they have the ability to migrate, turkeys are not know for long distance migration. The trap and transfer program was done by baiting flocks into an area and using cannon to shoot nets over and capture a portion of the flock. These would be moved as seed stock to a new location. Turkeys are now hunted throughout southern Mi except for the most urban areas, although there are some turkeys living in urban areas. This is one of the DNR's best success stories and has been happening in many other states beside Michigan. There are still a lot of birds up north.

[Thunderhead]

The flock of Toms I shot at and missed were headin south, in a big hurry........ :-)

Thunderhead

[Stalker]

Thanks EdB. I didn't think the birds moved to far, but I learn something new about them every season.

How many acres will a flock of birds move around in? Let's say in a 50-50 mix of agriculture and woodlot area.

Thunderhead, I bet those birds you shot are still running.:D

[EdB]

I can't give a absolute answer on the range of turkeys but here's my take from observations. In the fall, we watched the same flock of birds hang out where we deer hunt and the adjoining properties. They pretty much stayed within about a 600-700 acre chunk of land but I could not observe just how far they moved on the neighbors land and if they moved beyond it but I don' think they went far. They would roost on our property and we'd see them around all day between ours and the neighbors. This is in a southern Mi agricultural/woods mixed habitat. In the spring, I think the gobblers tend to range farther in search of hens. There was a group of 7 jakes we observed 2 yrs ago on some state land in this area and they covered approx 1000 acres. Not positive it was the same birds but I don't think there were two separate flocks of 7 jakes. I would tend to think they cover more ground if there was less food in an area and in spring breeding time and travel less if food is prevelent. Someone who has info on any scientific studies can probably give a more accurate answer then me. I'm curious on what others think or have seen?

[Hemingway]

In the studies I've read and research I've looked at, a best guess on the "home range" of a Michigan turkey is 1-3 miles. The southern birds really don't need to travel much and the bulk of that travel is done during the early spring break-up when pecking orders are established and subordinate toms head for greener pastures and less mean gobblers in search of hens.

Contrast that, however, to birds in states like South Dakota where the turkeys will travel 2-3 miles per day usually in search of food, etc. That doesn't always apply to the more heavily-timbered areas of the Black Hills however where food is more available. Imagine working birds off the roost in the morning and then seeing that same flock about two miles away in the afternoon. Talk about a chore to chase.

Obviously, there are exceptions to everything and I would guess most turkeys here stay in the same square mile or so much of the time. There are times of the year when the birds are simply easier to see like early fall and winter when the flocks are huge. They're pretty visible again in the spring when they like to eat bugs from fields and display for the ladies. But when summer heat rolls in and the leaves pop it can seem like every turkey has vanished but they're just hanging out in the shade of the cooler woods.

Thanks guys for posting. I love to talk turkeys.

[Linda G.]

The birds aren't moving south. Like Hemingway says, easterns don't migrate, although they do move from winter to summer ranges and vice versa. One to three miles, rarely more than that, although, like a big buck, a gobbler without hens will go a very long ways.

What you're seeing is fewer birds in northern Michigan, despite what the DNR says. With the ban on feeding of deer and elk, many people in the last couple of years are afraid to feed anything at all in the winter, including turkeys, although it is still legal, and have quit feeding altogether. This winter was mild enough in most areas of northern Michigan that the birds were able to survive anyway in areas that had good mast or good agricultural areas, although both were sporadic last fall due to summer drought. But last winter I believe we lost birds...we had a very long winter with more snow that winter than we've seen in years, we averaged more than 190 inches last year. This year was only something like 120 inches, but all of that came in March, that worst time of the winter, so if there were birds out there weakened from hunger by March, we might have lost some this year, too.

Couple that with very bad hatches for the last two years in a row, due to rotten spring weather and way too many predators, and you get fewer turkeys in the north...

last week, tho, if you were trying to hunt, you would have sworn there wasn't a turkey left in all of northern Michigan...cold, nasty weather...we took a nice gobbler, finally, on Friday, after 5 full days of hunting with virtually no gobbling at all. Our second of the season, took the first in 3 inches of snow on 4/22, opening day of the first season.

Southern Michigan is premium wild turkey habitat, where it's not paved, and has 1/3 the winters of northern Michigan, twice the food sources, and 1/2 the predators. Which all equals lots of birds...

Linda

[Stalker]

Thanks for the input EdB, Hemmingway & Linda G.
I just got word last night the Mrs. Sarge got a nice bird. I'll
let Sarge give the details. He will be back to the cyber world Wed evening. You're right Linda I was with my nephew opening week and was almost convinced that the birds had flown the coup. I was glad to hear Mrs. Sarge got one. They are hunting the same piece of land That I will be for the rest of the week.

Everyone have a blessed hunt. I'll be out of touch for a few days.

[EdB]

Hey Linda, it was a challenging hunt for me last week down here too. I passed a jake on opening morning and started to wonder if I'd regret that through the week. Weather was cool and gobblers were henned up. I hunted hard every day, covered lots of ground and had some close encounters with gobblers with hens but couldn't pull them in close enough. The weather finally got nice on the last day Sunday and birds were gobbling through the morning. The early morning birds were with hens but I finally called in a 24lbr with a 10-1/8 in beard at 11:15AM. My wife has the last hunt and I have had some exciting 4th hunts in years past with hot gobbling action. The birds were wise to yelps or loud calls but were lonely, gobbled a lot and would respond to soft clucks and purrs. Maybe the late hunts will be the best ones this year?

[mich buckmaster]

Hey Linda, there are turkeys down here, but the biggest flock of turkeys Ive ever seen are around Manistee, Bretheran, and Thompsonville. I will have to say that our winter here in Southern Michigan in Cass, and Berrien County get some incredible lake effect snows.