Theoretical Deer AND Turkey Farm

[Charlieyca]

Thanks for the new perspective on turkeys in thick cover. Im working saturday with the chainsaw to do exactly what you have done, edge feather and blockade the plots except for a few key trails in and out.

 

[g squared 23]

Overhead was taken in winter. Plot is much bigger now than it was when photo was taken. Solid woods...fairly thick now as everything is in full greenout...lots of hinge cuts in there, turkeys work those thick hinge cuts too and I have a hen nesting in a thick hinge right now. I am unsure of who originally said Turkeys don't like thick woods but I am glad the birds in NE Oklahoma never read or heard that because I have hunted Turkeys in thick woods for many years...

Dozer piles on sides of the plot...deer not seeing in is a good thing...bucks have to enter to see does in the plots...and there is the break of a rise in that plot so can't see from end to end of it either without traveling in it...all good things. I have a stand on the plot but very, very rarely ever hunt a plot. My favorite game for deer and turkey is ambush between bedding and plot... Turkeys are like clockwork, fly down in the woods out of those pines, scratch and work their way south to that plot, hang out most of the day right around it, work their way back to the pines in late evening and go to roost. Turkeys never leave the 90 acres...

Guys hunting those fields to the north east of the roost tell me they used to slaughter the turkeys in that field but they haven't killed a bird in the last 3 years there now...said they won't come over...

While you have a lot of hinge cuts, you also have quite a few mature hardwood trees visible in your picture, which means some open grown down below them. They would prefer this type of habitat as compared to an area that has been recently aggressively timbered or clearcut. If turkeys have the option of more open hardwoods or thick, impenetrable tangled mess, they are generally going to choose the former. If they don't have the option, well then they'll go wherever the food is.

Now the areas that they prefer for NESTING certainly WILL be thicker making it harder for predators to find and destroy their nest. But that doesnt mean they frequent those areas the other 11 months a year (as soon as their poults can fly and roost).

We have ZERO turkeys 10+ months a year. Our farm was timbered and was/is great for deer cover, but the turkeys avoid it. I run trail cams 6 months a year and got turkey pics 3 times. But so far every spring I'll get a hen passing through looking for a thick place to nest and there will be a dumb tom following her. I've hunted twice and shot 2 huge toms, but I'm not silly enough to think we hold a lot of turkeys. The trail cams pics (and lack of sightings while I'm deer hunting) tell me otherwise. They prefer the untimbered hardwoods all around our property.

 

[OkieKubota]

While you have a lot of hinge cuts, you also have quite a few mature hardwood trees visible in your picture, which means some open grown down below them. They would prefer this type of habitat as compared to an area that has been recently aggressively timbered or clearcut. If turkeys have the option of more open hardwoods or thick, impenetrable tangled mess, they are generally going to choose the former. If they don't have the option, well then they'll go wherever the food is.

Now the areas that they prefer for NESTING certainly WILL be thicker making it harder for predators to find and destroy their nest. But that doesnt mean they frequent those areas the other 11 months a year (as soon as their poults can fly and roost).

We have ZERO turkeys 10+ months a year. Our farm was timbered and was/is great for deer cover, but the turkeys avoid it. I run trail cams 6 months a year and got turkey pics 3 times. But so far every spring I'll get a hen passing through looking for a thick place to nest and there will be a dumb tom following her. I've hunted twice and shot 2 huge toms, but I'm not silly enough to think we hold a lot of turkeys. The trail cams pics (and lack of sightings while I'm deer hunting) tell me otherwise. They prefer the untimbered hardwoods all around our property.

Turkey roost tree...

Turkeys fly right down into it and go to scratching...

Where I set up to turkey hunt...make sure a round is chambered...ask me how I know

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[Charlieyca]

I wish my woods were that open! Im probably 5-6 years away at least from woods like that. My farm is current rabbit heaven. Thick briars and undergrowth with heavy pine and sweet gums trees protruding through it all. I have used the tractor and atv to try and make some trails for the deer, but much of it is literally too thick to walk through. I know over time this will pass and I will be on the opposite side of the cover issue, but for know I am stuck clearing out some of the cover.