It is however, a time that many wild turkey enthusiasts want to see wild turkeys using their land. At this time of year a turkey needs wooded areas for concealment, roosting trees, and a good food supply to ensure they go into the winter in good physical condition.
In the Northeast, particularly northern New York, northern New England, and eastern Canada and to a lesser extent southern New England, southern New York, and Pennsylvania winter habitat is crucial for the survival of wild turkeys. In some parts of this area, turkeys now exist north of their historic range at the time of the arrival of European settlers.
This is primarily because of habitat changes that have occurred, such as farming in the St. Lawrence and Champlain Valleys. During northern winters, wild turkeys need a dependable food source that is close to thermal roosting cover and protected travel corridors. In more southern parts of New York and at lower elevations, there is less difference between fall and winter habitat.
The following are suggestions for managing specific habitats for winter habitat. Remember that these are suggestions only. There are no hard and fast rules and you can decide what methods you wish to employ on your land. Assistance with soil testing or fertilizer and liming recommendations is available through your local Cooperative Extension Office.
Logged areas, landings and roads: Leave some scattered treetops, but clear most of the tops and branches to allow natural regeneration. If grassy openings are lacking in the vicinity you may decide to make some of the logged area into permanent openings by spreading lime and seeding grasses, sedges nut grasses and clovers.
These treatments are known as "top-dressing". Clover mixes should not be mowed lower than six inches. Woodlot edges: Thin remove some of the trees to let sunlight reach the ground up to 50 feet adjacent to open areas to encourage shrubs and brushy growth.
Leave some scattered tree tops or branches for horizontal cover. Hardwood timber and tall shrubs: Manage for dependable mast producing species such as oak, beech, cherry, ash, black walnut, or hickory. Develop a timber management plan in consultation with a professional forester to manage for your goals e. Thermal Cover: Conifer stands provide a wind break, protection from extreme cold, and limit snow depth under the stand allowing turkeys to be mobile.
Provide several acres of conifer trees for every hundred acres of habitat. Hemlock or white pine are good, but most species of native conifers will help. Travel Corridors: During deep snow conditions turkeys will use travel corridors created by conifer cover. By providing narrow strips of conifer cover between other habitat types, turkey will be able to move more freely. Google Scholar. Cite Cite Wayne E.
Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Abstract Rates of nesting participation, renesting, and nesting success for Wild Turkeys Meleagris gallopavo in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, are among the lowest recorded in the eastern United States. All rights reserved.
Issue Section:. Download all slides. View Metrics. Email alerts Article activity alert. Under ideal conditions toms can live up to five years but more likely two or three , hens six to eight years. An eight-year-old hen is rare, however, and comparable to a year-old person. As winter starts to break up so, too, do the turkey flocks. Hens start moving back to the breeding grounds and bachelor flocks of toms start splitting up. Mature toms return to their strutting grounds, while young males jakes look to establish their own breeding territory.
Hens, on the other hand, will travel a long way to find a tom or a secluded nesting site. The older the tom, the closer to home he'll stay during the breeding season. This may explain why hens search out toms during the breeding season, and not the other way around.
Hens, on the other hand, may travel miles from their breeding site to find a secluded nesting site, but then may return to their breeding site to raise their poults. Some hens will travel back to the same breeding, nesting and brooding sites year after year. During this time, the hen puts herself in danger to stay on the nest day and night for about 28 days. She needs to bulk up prior to nesting and may take a brief recess period around mid-day to feed on protein-packed insects.
Before hatching, nests are in danger of foxes, skunks, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, crows, hogs, dogs and some snakes. After hatching, avian predators, such as hawks and owls also threaten poult lives. Various studies indicate 10 to 40 percent of nests successfully hatch. Then, only about 25 percent of hatching poults will make it beyond four weeks. The good news is despite huge predation losses each year.
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