Where I own property in the WV mountains, it is almost 100% wooded. The turkey numbers hadbeen increasing in recent years, to the point wherein fall '04 we heard quite a few while deer hunting. In the spring of last year, I heard some gobblers. Then NOTHING. We haven'theard or seen asingle bird since last spring. Are there boon/bust cycles? I haven't heard of a sudden influx of predators, andI was hearing them after winter '05 so know that couldn't have hurt the flock.

hmm..this sounds like a tough one. I dont think it sounds like a result of poor breeding from what you are saying. They will go whereever there is food though..has their food source depleted anywhere in your area. Maybe the flocks are getting so big that they are eating all the food and having to move around more. Thats my guess.

If its a good area for them I wouldn't worry to much, they should be back. Fall and winter if the weathers not to bad the large flocks can move around quite a bit. Once spring breakup occurs they will spread out more to cover more ground. I think the biggest thing that would affect population is the cold wet springs. Hens can get the 'wet dog' syndrome (smell) and attract predators when nesting, and very young ones can die from getting cold (and wet).

years ago when i hunted Pa. birds they would follow the food sources acornsBeechnuts and wild grapes these were mainly fall sources of food that is when i started hunting them spring birds seemed to like the gas lines power lines clearcuts my guess would be food sources

i been thinking about that lately...i have an "enviromental problems" class...and were on the subject of population...talked about the rabbit cycle..it will rise until its at its max for the area..then they willALL die or whatever...and restart....i guess predation and hunting is about all that will get a turkey after it hatches and makes it out of its young life....i never shot a "skinny" turkey...though i guess it could happen?...i think the flocks grow to an amount that the area can hold..and they keep it there....the elephant cycle reaches its max for the area..and then fluxuates slightly to above and below the max...(man i really do pay attention in class!) wonder what the turkey cycle REALLY is....in your case though.....id say they moved to a diffrent food source...i have a hotspot in the spring....at the trail end i can stand there day break in the spring and hear 20 diffrent birds sounding off...every year i try to find them in the fall and cant find a trace of them....no scratchings..no birds..nothing....then winter ill find them back in the same area....still trying to put that puzzle together....i made giant 4-5hr loops looking for them and their sign many times this fall and couldnt find them...winter i was deer hunting and they were back....not the WHOLE flock....but about 10-15 of them....scout scout scout....youll find the sign....then go in early and listen for them and locate their roosting site.....maybe ill talk to my professor and see where he found the cycles of rabbits and elephants...or he just knows that stuff.....pretty neat stuff...interesting class...

mauser i think grouse have a 7_10yr cycle also

i had an area near me that held a good population of turkeys and i noticed a decline rather quickly......on 2 consecutive hunts i saw a bobcat mid morning in broad daylight....hmmmmm?

Doug, are you finding dead turkeys laying around where i hunt there is plenty of bobcats and it is obvious when you find a predator killed turk luckily cats are bringing up too 400.00 a pelt so there are people keeping them in check