I have Hunting areas 20 to 25 miles South of where,I Live. 15 Miles North, and 15 Miles East. With additional Public areas in between.
Strange that in some areas the Turkey Population is very Strong. And in a few others,I only hear 3 or 4 Jake's together and not much Turkey Sign.
A few of these Dry Pocket areas of few Turkeys have a Robust Black Bear Population. Black Bears have Keen noses. Wondering if they are finding Turkey nests and eating all the Eggs in a few big gulps.
Anyone else experience any Dry Pocket areas of few Turkeys while 20 miles away- there is a Strong Turkey Population?
I suspect there are any number of factors that could account for the abundance or lack of turkeys in a particular location. Out here in some arid parts of the west, the availability of water is most certainly a determining factor. If there is not a reliable source of surface water for turkeys to be able to drink, there is a high probability that there will be few, if any, turkeys in the area, even if the surrounding habitat appears to be favorable. Conversely, in areas with a good distribution of water sources, turkey numbers are often good and are found throughout those area.
Having said the above, I have also hunted areas out here which appeared to have all the ingredients to support good turkey populations but have been pretty devoid of birds. In those areas, the reasons for the lack of turkeys are not at all clear to me.