As a turkey hunter, few things are more disheartening than discovering your precious nests raided and eggs destroyed. But who are the culprits behind this turkey egg massacre? Raccoons, skunks and snakes certainly earn their nasty reputations as egg thieves. However, when it comes to possums, the jury is still out on whether these nocturnal oddballs truly have an appetite for turkey eggs. Let’s examine the facts.
Possums – Heroes or Villains in the Turkey World?
Opossums are strange looking critters with beady eyes, naked tails and 50 razor sharp teeth. Although they appear sinister, some research suggests possums are wrongly accused when it comes to gobbling up turkey eggs. Possums are omnivores and eat a varied diet of insects, slugs, snails rodents plants, fruits and Carrion. While they will opportunistically eat eggs, some studies indicate they destroy fewer nests compared to other major egg predators.
However, it would be foolish to declare possums totally innocent. As generalist feeders, they will happily consume protein-rich eggs if discovered undefended in a nest. Even occasional nest destruction can significantly impact turkey populations, where a single breeding pair may produce up to 20 poults. With predation accounting for a devastating 80% of nest failures, every egg lost to a possum puts additional pressure on vulnerable turkey numbers.
So while they might not be the villainous gobblers of legend, possums undoubtedly play a role in suppressing turkey numbers. To boost productivity, implementing intelligent trapping strategies to control possum populations is an excellent place to start.
Trapping Possums – Effective Tactics and Helpful Tips
Trapping is an extremely useful tool for managing possum numbers, along with other egg-loving culprits like raccoons and skunks. Late winter is the optimal time for intensive trapping, when natural food supplies are scarce and predators are actively searching for sustenance. Removing possums and other egg-eaters during this pre-nesting period gives turkey eggs the best chance of survival.
When trapping, adhering to regulations and prioritizing humane methods is essential Useful tips include
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Set traps near water sources like creeks and culverts where predators travel regularly
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Avoid areas with high human or pet activity
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Use humane traps like Dog Proof Coon Cuffs to minimize risks
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Bait with irresistible smells like fish, marshmallows or peanut butter
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Check traps frequently and release non-target animals
With intelligent trapping, it’s possible to significantly reduce the population of possums and other egg-stealing predators, paving the way for a more productive turkey breeding season.
Beyond Trapping – Holistic Turkey Conservation
While trapping possum provides immediate benefits, true turkey conservation requires a multi-faceted approach. Here are some additional strategies for giving your turkey population a boost:
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Create quality nesting and brood rearing habitat by thinning dense understory vegetation. This allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, stimulating growth of grasses and herbaceous plants for nest construction.
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Conduct controlled burns to improve habitat. Fire recycles nutrients and promotes the growth of beneficial native plants. Just be sure to burn early before nesting begins.
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Establish natural buffer strips between fields and forests. The transitional habitat produced boosts insect populations for poults, and provides cover for nests.
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Supplement habitat improvement with food plots containing species like clover, wheat and oats. The additional nutrition can bolster poult survival.
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Fence riparian areas to allow vegetation to flourish. Streamside vegetation provides bugs for developing poults.
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Partner with conservation-minded landowners. Cooperative habitat management across properties produces cumulative benefits for turkeys.
With dedication and a holistic strategy, it’s possible to build a landscape capable of sustaining a robust turkey population, despite the destructive tendencies of possums and other predators. Do your part by implementing intelligent trapping and habitat improvements. With coordinated efforts, we can ensure the continuation of quality turkey hunting for generations to come.
California meanwhile has wild turkey boom
But the U.S. wild turkey population has not declined everywhere since 2013––not even in drought-stricken northern California, where wild turkeys are not native, yet per square mile outnumber wild turkeys in Georgia by anywhere from three-to-one to five-to-one.
Simultaneously, throughout the California wild turkey boom, raccoons have maintained their highest population densities precisely where the turkeys are doing best, taking advantage of many of the same abundant sources.
Further, the steepest increases in both wild turkey density and raccoon density in California appear to have come in the Berkeley hills, where neither wild turkeys, raccoons, nor opossums are hunted.
A wild turkey chase makes a wild goose chase look easy
Yes, raccoons and opossums eat wild turkey eggs, and even wild turkeys when they can. But raccoons tend to find wild turkey eggs only when the turkeys abandon their nests, chiefly because the eggs are for whatever reason unlikely to hatch and tend to be able to eat wild turkeys only when cars have hit them or hunters have shot and not retrieved them.
Otherwise, catching a wild turkey––as anyone who ever watched a dog try to catch one can testify––is an exercise in futility.
Wild turkeys will invite a chase, elude the dog for as long as the dog is fool enough to follow, then fly up to a tree limb and see how long it takes the exhausted dog to recover sufficiently to wobble away.
Why Don’t We Eat Turkey Eggs!
FAQ
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