turkey surving the winter
 

the weather here been very bad so far, alot of snow and ice.
couple days ago we had a storm that moved thru and dumped about 7 in. on us. ontop the snow we have. now another storm brewing for thursday night and friday. snow and ice coming.what do you think this going to do to the turkey population this spring?. anybody else having the same problems.
i hope we get a good thaw pretty soon, or they are going to be in trouble.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

Yeah. It has snowed alot around here too. I dont know how much of an impact it has on the turkeys. I'm sure it does have an impact. I dont think it affects them as much as it does pheasants. Thats what I am most worried about. Our pheasant finally bounced back this year from previous bad winters. I hope most of them can make it through this year.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

gobblerspur,I'm just a little south of Punxsy so we're gettin the same weather you are.I've been seein lots of turkey hangin in the pine patches where the snow isn't as deep.If we get the freezin rain they're callin for and it stays cold it could cause some problems.The turkey can't scratch down through that crust.I sure hope that doesn't happen we had a real good hatch in this area last year but it could all end up bein for naught.Keep you'r fingers crossed.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

Jalvja,

nice to meet you, also i been seeing them in pines.
glad to see someone close by in my area that is a turkey hunter.
yep, cross your fingers and hope when spring gets here they make it thru.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

THe ice on top of the snow is the worst.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

Hey gs, how are you doing, since i am from the same area as you i was wondering the same thing i agree with you if we get anymore ice with all this snow we are going to be in trouble this spring, god i hope not , i will pray for the turkeys. take care, Rick
P.S. gs if you want to hook up this spring sometime for a turkey hunt get in tuoch with me our turkey population is excellent up here, at least it was last year anyhow.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

The turks in Southern Indiana might be in trouble. Last week it snowed about 4" and then it warmed up for a day and rained and then got cold again. It is now a solid sheet of ice that is about 2-3" deep and then it snowed a little bit again the other day. So I don't see how the turkeys can be scratching down through the ice. I hope they make it though!!!

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

We don't have that big of a problem down here, but thought I'd send ya'll a post saying good luck and I hope that it won't hurt ya'lls huntin' too bad.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

I was wondering how the birds were going to make it here in Upper Central NY. I have been watching a couple of flocks lately to see what the snow was going to do to them. We had about 40" on the ground with more falling off and on, not even the deer were moving very much. I was worried when the past couple days I was only seeing 3 out 10 birds in one flock and 4 out of another 12.
Well, yesterday I saw all of the birds in the flocks (10 & 12) and they were eating anything they could off of little trees, the kind you find in hedge rows. I was watching this one Jake, he kept jumping up in the air about a foot and grabbing some kind of red berrys, it was funny to watch.
So as far as them making it, I'm not worried like I used to be. these birds are HARDY. The weather is starting to get up into the 30's and this will give them a break. thank God.

RE: turkey surving the winter
 

As Jalvja said the ice is the big problem they can't scratch thru it. I have noticed though that turkeys do adapt to that. If you have a local farmer that spreads manure look in the fields where he spreads it you will most likely see birds there scratching thru it. The problem that I see most with alot of snow and ice is that it will build up on thier beards and break them off. Hopefully with this weather pattern which is similar to last years won't make short bearded birds here in PA.