what is your guys thoughts about turkey predators

[WV TURKEY THUG]

How much harm do u think hawks do to the turkey population. Here in the last ten years I have noticed a lot more hawks flying around and seeing not as much turkeys as I would have ten years ago in my area. I've also notice ed there is alot less rabbits and grouse. I think the hawks are putting a hurting on the turkey and small game. It used to be that people would shoot every chicken hawk they saw but now no one is shooting them. If it were legal I would be busting them things left and right. So what do u guys think.

[DirtNap647]

i agree i think with the growing predator population it definetly takes an effect on the turkeys and everything

[WV TURKEY THUG]

I personanly think hawks and owls do more harm to the turkey population then coyotes do.

[RutnNStrutn]

The last 2 springs in SC we've noticed coyotes stalking our gobbling turkeys. My hunting partner was able to shoot one this season. It came in to their calling, with a gobbler answering the calls, and was 10 yards to the right of my friend, staring at his decoy. My buddy was able to grab the gun and blast the yote, a big male!!
And our gobblers seem to have noticed the pressure too. They are gobbling a lot less.

[wisconsinteacher]

I agree.  We have a lot of bald eagles in the area and I have seen them clear a field a turkeys real quick.  When they fly over, the birds run like crazy.

[WV TURKEY THUG]

I haven't saw any yotes stalking my decoy yet. But I'm positive they do kill turkeys. But I've noticed that hawks prey in in area till there is hardly anything left then move on. Usually I will see hawks in the same place for a couple of weeks or so then all of a sudden u don't see any hawks there. Then in areas were u didn't see hawks u start seeing hawks. I no hawks kill poults I've witnessed it one time. I was watching a hen and some of her young ones one day in a field then all of a sudden two hawks I believe they were red tailed hawks swooped down and killed 2 of the poults. Boy was I mad at those hawks I started running at the hawks hopeing I could scare them before they killed the poults but it was too late. My buddy said he had a hawk swoop down at his decoy and grabbed it by the neck with its claws. He shot his gun in the air to scare the hawk away. He said there is no doubt that wasnt the first time that hawk has done that. He knew what he was doing.

[RutnNStrutn]

I had a bald eagle swoop down and grab one of my old foam dekes years ago in FLA. As soon as he realized he'd been fooled, he dropped it.
Also had a cow walk up and grab my deke in its mouth and walk off. Had to chase her down yelling before she dropped it.

[eddie234]

I can always tell when im making good yelps cuz ill have a hawk circle over top of me. Every off season i try to improve on some aspect of my turkey hunting. Last year upto this spring it was a tube call. A week or so ago i wasnt geeting any response so i thought id try my tube call. A few yelps and the hawks were circling me, so i knew i was yelping pretty good.

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[va wingbone]

Hawks!?! You mean they weren't all brown and white speckled crows? 

[WV TURKEY THUG]

Hahaha

[mudhen]

I have been told the owls lead the way, by far, but that won't stop me from shooting every coyote possible....

mudhen

[stone road turkey calls]

Yea, you need to shoot al the lawyers, sorry i mean coyotes you can.

[BamaProud]

Personally I think the nest raiders like opossums, raccoons and skunks are a bigger problem for turkey populations than traditional predators.  ...but I bet coyotes and probably foxes both nest raid and kill live birds.

[va wingbone]

Personally I think the nest raiders like opossums, raccoons and skunks are a bigger problem for turkey populations than traditional predators.  ...but I bet coyotes and probably foxes both nest raid and kill live birds.

  I've seen a recent influx in guys starting to trap around here again, hopefully that will take some of the pressure off of em

[MouthCaller]

while setting up my decoy on a gobbling bird earlier this year I saw a yote int he field below me booking it towards the gobbling bird.... a cousin in mississippi killed a coyote after setting up on a roosted bird earlier this year after he shot the gobbler shut up so he moved 100 yards down the ridge he was on and called in another coyote! couldnt get a shot on the second one but Im seeing way more coyotes in the last few years than I used to...