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General Discussion => General Forum => Topic started by: Dtrkyman on June 12, 2021, 04:00:38 PM

Title: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Dtrkyman on June 12, 2021, 04:00:38 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzIn0dSgeiU
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Tail Feathers on June 12, 2021, 06:24:19 PM
Thanks for posting that.  Good info and a solid closing message too. :icon_thumright:
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Dtrkyman on June 12, 2021, 06:41:28 PM
His deer management info on that channel is excellent!
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: bossgobbler on June 12, 2021, 08:53:59 PM
Thank you for sharing this with us. That was a lot of great info. I will certainly be passing this along. We all need to take action.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Dtrkyman on June 12, 2021, 10:59:26 PM
Everything wants to eat turkey, can't say I blame em!

Quality habitat trumps all in my opinion.  Bush Honeysuckle is becoming a real problem in Illinois and Missouri, there is just no ground cover once it takes over!

The cattle pasture he talks about being cool season grass as well, I mean Missouri is loaded with these beautiful green fields in the spring and not many turkeys are in them in my experience.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: silvestris on June 12, 2021, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.

I call BS.  Eggs yes; poults no.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:11:36 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2021, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.

I call BS.  Eggs yes; poults no.

I've never witnessed it, but I Googled it and there is a lot of info about
crows killing birds. Read about it and then post your thoughts.

I put, "will crows kill young birds" into Google.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: ChesterCopperpot on June 12, 2021, 11:17:27 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2021, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.

I call BS.  Eggs yes; poults no.
If they'll kill calves and lambs I don't know what in the world would stop them from killing poults.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 12, 2021, 11:17:27 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2021, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.

I call BS.  Eggs yes; poults no.
If they'll kill calves and lambs I don't know what in the world would stop them from killing poults.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I didn't know about calves and lambs. They're definitely opportunists.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Jimspur on June 13, 2021, 08:10:42 AM
Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 12, 2021, 11:17:27 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2021, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.

I call BS.  Eggs yes; poults no.
If they'll kill calves and lambs I don't know what in the world would stop them from killing poults.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I read about crows and ravens attacking calves and lambs - those birds
are vicious.

Grant Woods had some interesting points in his video.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise. 
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Greg Massey on June 13, 2021, 10:25:12 AM
Nothing better than improving the habitat and predator control. Good information in the video...
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Sir-diealot on June 13, 2021, 10:35:44 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 09:30:11 PM
I read something interesting in the comments on the video. A guy said he
was observing a hen with poults near his house and a flock of crows came 
in and took every poult.

I guess the crows gotta go too.

Turkeys have a lot of things going against them.
Last year a few members and others in the country did a test were they set up fake nests and put eggs in them and set it up to look like turkey nests and they videoed the nest with motion activated cameras and the top animal to come in and wreck nests/eat eggs were crows. I think one of the members and his daughter did it and they had posted a video I do believe. I do not recall whom it was though.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Spurs Up on June 13, 2021, 10:38:14 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise.

We can say in this forum there are too many crows, too many raccoons, too many coyotes, too many you name it that will eat a turkey. And we can say we need to kill more of them. How do you explain that to the masses that don't hunt and might care as much or more about a crow as they do a gobbler?  To them, it must sound like we want to kill crows so they won't kill turkeys, so we can kill the turkeys the crows would have killed.  :z-dizzy:

I don't think they would see that as balancing nature.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Dtrkyman on June 13, 2021, 10:38:51 AM
Ever crow hunt with an owl decoy?  They absolutely bomb that thing!  Maybe the west nile helped the turkey population years ago, crows were pretty much gone in the Midwest for a while!
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Southerngobbler on June 13, 2021, 10:59:24 AM
I think the guy that made this video has some valid points and I'm even more happy that someone is actually trying to figure this all out.
I do have to point out that where I hunt in Florida none of this stuff is really taking place and our turkeys are declining the same as everyone's else through out the united states. It would be quite the coincident if our turkeys were declining at the same rate and same time as everyone's else but for a different reason. 
I hunt a large military base that hasn't changed in years land wise, no encroachment whatsoever in at least 50 years. The predator food plots he mentioned don't exist here, just huge chucks of great cover-miles and miles and miles of it, mostly devoid of turkeys.
Maybe we have more predator's but  really not so much. Steel traps were outlawed in FL in the early 70s and lets face it, there's never been much of a fur industry in Florida, just too warm and the pelts aren't worth much.
There's really just one main culprit. Supply verses demand.
I'm all for trying to eliminate predators and improve habitat. I'm sure every little bit helps but the real problem is just supply vs demand.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Jimspur on June 13, 2021, 12:39:50 PM
Quote from: Spurs Up on June 13, 2021, 10:38:14 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise.

We can say in this forum there are too many crows, too many raccoons, too many coyotes, too many you name it that will eat a turkey. And we can say we need to kill more of them. How do you explain that to the masses that don't hunt and might care as much or more about a crow as they do a gobbler?  To them, it must sound like we want to kill crows so they won't kill turkeys, so we can kill the turkeys the crows would have killed.  :z-dizzy:

I don't think they would see that as balancing nature.

You're 100% right. One of our members touched on this subject a couple
of days ago. It's hard to justify to the non-hunters out there that you
need to kill more of x,y, and z birds or animals, so you can have more
turkeys to kill.

Where I live they do have a season for crow hunting.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 05:15:48 PM
All the rational arguments and talking points we hunters make about balanced ecosystems and the like means absolutely nothing to that segment of our population that is against hunting.  Their point of view is totally emotion-based.  Fortunately, the great majority of our citizenry recognizes that for all of us to exist, other "things" on this planet must die.  They accept that hunters make the choice to take a "hands-on" approach,...but at the same time they expect us to understand that we cannot be too calloused about the way we do it.

More and more, we tread a fine line between those emotion-based rantings of the anti-hunters and that majority portion of the populace that accepts what we do. That is why it is so important for us hunters to understand that we have to approach things like predator management and nuisance-species control very carefully when explaining (and demonstrating) that "balanced ecosystem" concept.  A calloused approach to doing that no longer cuts it in this day and age.    ?

The bottom line is that we need to recognize that this "new society" exists and that we need to do a better job of presenting ourselves and our point of view in dealing with it.  That is essential to keeping those that currently accept us on our side. 
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Greg Massey on June 13, 2021, 07:20:08 PM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 05:15:48 PM
All the rational arguments and talking points we hunters make about balanced ecosystems and the like means absolutely nothing to that segment of our population that is against hunting.  Their point of view is totally emotion-based.  Fortunately, the great majority of our citizenry recognizes that for all of us to exist, other "things" on this planet must die.  They accept that hunters make the choice to take a "hands-on" approach,...but at the same time they expect us to understand that we cannot be too calloused about the way we do it.

More and more, we tread a fine line between those emotion-based rantings of the anti-hunters and that majority portion of the populace that accepts what we do. That is why it is so important for us hunters to understand that we have to approach things like predator management and nuisance-species control very carefully when explaining (and demonstrating) that "balanced ecosystem" concept.  A calloused approach to doing that no longer cuts it in this day and age.    ?

The bottom line is that we need to recognize that this "new society" exists and that we need to do a better job of presenting ourselves and our point of view in dealing with it.  That is essential to keeping those that currently accept us on our side.
X2 So agree, so true..
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: owlhoot on June 14, 2021, 12:04:55 AM
Quote from: Spurs Up on June 13, 2021, 10:38:14 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise.


We can say in this forum there are too many crows, too many raccoons, too many coyotes, too many you name it that will eat a turkey. And we can say we need to kill more of them. How do you explain that to the masses that don't hunt and might care as much or more about a crow as they do a gobbler?  To them, it must sound like we want to kill crows so they won't kill turkeys, so we can kill the turkeys the crows would have killed.  :z-dizzy:

I don't think they would see that as balancing nature.
Don't have to explain it. Don't have to talk to them. Don't have to explain it to the masses.
Many states already have a lot of fur bearer , predator seasons. problem is they are WAY under utilized.
If we want to crow hunt we can in a lot of states. Again way under utilized.
We can use what's in place to help manage predators and improve habitat.
It isn't about just increasing turkey numbers so we can shoot them, its about stopping the decline that plenty of states are seeing from turkeys becoming the next protected species.
In the mean time many of us don't want to see season closures and reduced number of hunting opportunity
so that our sport remains strong.
Its up to the game departments and us hunters to balance it.
This is a hunting forum with people from all over different states and region so some have not seen the drastic reduction in turkeys others have. For me traveling hundreds of miles through north Missouri on state highways, black tops and gravel roads seeing 100+ turkey on some trips down to none. 
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: GobbleNut on June 14, 2021, 08:46:29 AM
Quote from: owlhoot on June 14, 2021, 12:04:55 AM
Quote from: Spurs Up on June 13, 2021, 10:38:14 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise.


We can say in this forum there are too many crows, too many raccoons, too many coyotes, too many you name it that will eat a turkey. And we can say we need to kill more of them. How do you explain that to the masses that don't hunt and might care as much or more about a crow as they do a gobbler?  To them, it must sound like we want to kill crows so they won't kill turkeys, so we can kill the turkeys the crows would have killed.  :z-dizzy:

I don't think they would see that as balancing nature.
Don't have to explain it. Don't have to talk to them. Don't have to explain it to the masses.

Again, in this day and age with so many folks trying to use whatever propaganda they can to turn "the masses" against us, it is a mistake to think we don't have to "explain it".  We most certainly do....and we have to figure out a way to do it that they can relate to.  That is the ever-increasing challenge we have.

Those emotion-filled antihunters are not going to let up,...and they are getting more and more sophisticated in their approach to trying to turn the public against us.  We, in turn, have to learn that we must be more sophisticated in our approach to reasoning with them. 

We can deny it all we want, but hunting is gradually becoming more and more controversial as our society becomes more and more urbanized.  We have to admit that to ourselves, and figure out ways to address it that are acceptable to those masses of folks that control our destiny as hunters.   :icon_thumright:
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Sir-diealot on June 16, 2021, 12:39:46 PM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 14, 2021, 08:46:29 AM
Quote from: owlhoot on June 14, 2021, 12:04:55 AM
Quote from: Spurs Up on June 13, 2021, 10:38:14 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on June 13, 2021, 09:50:32 AM
Quote from: Jimspur on June 12, 2021, 11:22:01 PM
They're definitely opportunists.

That's a big part of the problem.  There are too many "opportunists" out there nowadays.  In addition, many of them are protected species  based on their historical numbers from decades ago rather than their population status today.  Around these parts, crows and ravens are protected species and they are totally out of control numbers-wise.


We can say in this forum there are too many crows, too many raccoons, too many coyotes, too many you name it that will eat a turkey. And we can say we need to kill more of them. How do you explain that to the masses that don't hunt and might care as much or more about a crow as they do a gobbler?  To them, it must sound like we want to kill crows so they won't kill turkeys, so we can kill the turkeys the crows would have killed.  :z-dizzy:

I don't think they would see that as balancing nature.
Don't have to explain it. Don't have to talk to them. Don't have to explain it to the masses.

Again, in this day and age with so many folks trying to use whatever propaganda they can to turn "the masses" against us, it is a mistake to think we don't have to "explain it".  We most certainly do....and we have to figure out a way to do it that they can relate to.  That is the ever-increasing challenge we have.

Those emotion-filled antihunters are not going to let up,...and they are getting more and more sophisticated in their approach to trying to turn the public against us.  We, in turn, have to learn that we must be more sophisticated in our approach to reasoning with them. 

We can deny it all we want, but hunting is gradually becoming more and more controversial as our society becomes more and more urbanized.  We have to admit that to ourselves, and figure out ways to address it that are acceptable to those masses of folks that control our destiny as hunters.   :icon_thumright:
Well said GobbleNut I agree completely, we can't hide out heads in the sand or somebody is going to come along and lop our heads off while we can't see and that will be the end of it.
Title: Re: Grant Woods on turkeys.
Post by: Meleagris gallopavo on June 16, 2021, 05:31:20 PM
I have tried many times to explain many things to some urbanites with limited success.  Data and expert opinion mean very little to most of them, and to be honest the rural population as well.  We live in a time where there is so much misinformation out here that everyone can pick and choose information that fits their set of ideals and claim that information that doesn't fit is agenda-biased.  I feel like I'd have problems convincing people that the sky is blue on a clear day if they didn't want to believe it.  Clear, calm dialogue and respect for other peoples opinions and perspectives is gradually disappearing.  I don't have answers, just observations...