Wisconsin turkeys...Where are they?
 

Is it just me or does there seem to be less turkeys this year? I hunt turks in Waupaca County, Wisconsin and I just have not seen that many. Other years, the fields in this area would be full of birds but not anymore. Is the WDNR managing the turkey population similar to the deer? What do others think in Wisconsin? Are you seeing as many birds like there was in years past?

i'm asking the same question as you man! i haven't seen hardly any turkeys, even after we get done spreading manure on the fields. usually there out there picking through it

Last weekend I saw 4 Big Toms where I took my big Tom last year .

By me we have hear them in the morning and there is at least 5 or 6 in a group and i've seen 3 big toms with hens.

I hunt Waupaca Co. as well and haven't seen hardly any turkeys either. I drive around all the time just to see if they're hanging out in the fields, and I agree, the numbers seem pretty slim in comparison to previous years. Maybe that big snowstorm in December followed by the rain which froze on top limited their food supply and many didn't survive the winter. Anyone else have any ideas?

I hunt in Adams county. We are not seeing the numbers either. It could be that the big winter flocks are still breaking up.

Very few in clark county, i do have a ton in zone 1 on my hunting lease there, looks like ill be buying an OTC tag for zone 1 for a later season...

A family friend of our owns his own insurance company and he said he can you tell how good the turkey population is because he usually gets quite a few claim of vehicles hitting turkeys and this year he hasn't had any claims. So it doesnt look to good. This is in juneau county.

We have a crap load in Manitowoc County...Problem is they are all jakes and hens!!! I Haven't saw many toms.

I haven't seen many either. Even driving 100 miles to work I'm lucky to see 2 turkeys.

Okay my 2 cents

You don't see many turkeys drving now - WHY????

The poachers have taught them real well. I see birds running for cover when the HEAR a car - get that HEAR and not seen!

Over the years of my hunting adventures I ahve seen areas change drastically as we always drove around to scout. With the onset of Fall hunting as well as poaching we ahve trained the bird to be warier than ever.

Now the birds are there as - I called up a nice one for a bud 4/29.
I am seeing Toms all alone - that means hens are on the nest - all due to the extremely warm weather we are havning.

just my observations\\

and I get to hunt 4th, 5th, & 6th as well as Camp McCoy!

JW

Oh and I gotta add - the winters of 07 and 08 where very hard on many areas and winter kill did happen.

but 09 was not all that bad and with this 2nd warmest April - and If we don't get cold spring rains and it stays warm - many areas will rebound nicely

JW

I hunted zone 1, period B in Juneau County with 3 other guys. We didnt see any Toms and we didnt even hear a gobble. a couple lone hens and that was it. I hit every spot I could think of lookin for birds and put a ton of miles on my legs and my truck. nothing, didnt even see one on the side of road. I ran into several other hunters who had same reports.

I walked several miles down a firelane in the Necedah wildlife refuge and all I saw was piles of poop loaded with deer hair and I do mean LOADED! a pile about every 6 to 12 feet of the trail. My guess is wolves. We gun hunt in this refuge so I guess that explains why I havent seen a deer in 4 years

Im going up to zone 3 this weekend for turkeys. maybe Ill have better luck.

saw 24 when i shot mine 2nd period 5 toms and a mixture of hens and jakes.Have been working on our land every other day or so and have seen 8- 10 each time.Had a big winter flock of 30 or so birds that were pounding the corn food plots we left standing.Seems like 3 hens are nesting close by as i have seen them go to the same location many times.

Its probly a combination of wolves but also the refuge gets hunted really hard, Atleast thats they way i remember it. I've never heard of anyone doing well in the refuge.

Our group has been going to the same spot within the refuge since I was a kid and we have had good years there until they started with all this T-zone, kill anterless deer crap, not to mention a very large wolf pack. I remember hunting the refuge as a kid and you never saw a lone deer always strings of em together.

Thats true, we hunt the hardwood range and it sucks now, but my dad said 25 years ago you would see 75 deer opening day between being in your stand, doing drives and just driving to different parts of the range.

dam straight, them were the good ol days. now Im lucky to see 1 deer during the whole 9 day hunt.