Road Turkeys

[charlie elk]

Today I saw a lot of turkeys out in the roads as I traveled through north central WI and MN. Not long ago a NWTF biologist told me when you see turkeys on the roads you are probably seeing most all the turkeys in an area. This is due to their search for food and the only time they are out on roads in large numbers is when food sources in the fields and woods are not available.
Unfortunately it was a working trip so I did not have time check out the surrounding woods.
What do you think of his theory?

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I'm wondering if the turkeys are like the deer, they are on the roads more in the winter after the salt/sand? Just like long distance runners use salt tablets to help keep more water in their system, and with everything being frozen up birds may not be able to get the moister they need? They say birds get the moister they need from the food they eat, but if they can't eat that food then they can't get what they need? They also need grit in their gizards to help digest the food they eat?

[Gopherlongbeards]

Hey charlie, We've had almost an entire week of temps above freezing during the day up here and it has really cut down on our snowpack. Down to 6" or less just about everywhere, south facing slopes are bare ground again etc. Was driving around on the St. Croix while fishing last weekend and even roadbanks and drifts were not a problem. I know March can be rough, but at least the birds around her pretty much got a reset to early winter conditions first. How's it looking down in your neck of the woods?

[charlie elk]

The ice is cracking and starting to recede ever so slowly on some the south hills. Found a few more dead turkeys on another farm this morning. I wonder if they had some fatal disease because when I cut some skin away they still had fat reserve. Suppose we always lose a few unhealthy turkeys and Vic points them out to me now. So perhaps I was just missing them in years past?
Out along the rivers the hills snow is melting away big time probably due to the warmth of the river water and the spring activity on the hillsides. Spent a few hours with the spotting scope but saw no turkeys on those hillsides.
The turkeys we are finding are in deeper in the woods apparently feeding on weed seeds, insects and tree mast.

[Gopherlongbeards]

Seems like a pretty "normal" winter to me so far this year. I'm sure there will be some mortality, but barring any major hiccups here in March I'd think the majority should be just fine. Will certainly be more around than last spring! I'm already looking forward to next fall, when all those jakes I saw this past season will be jake and a halves....

[turkey junky]

do you think there will be more turkeys around the SW part of WI this spring??? if so i may have to get 2 tags lol...

if you guys had 1 county or region of the state that you feel has the most turkeys or is the best chance to tag a turkey on public lands let me know i kinda got the itch to see some new WI lands maybe a get away from the steep coulee bluff country for the old man to get around a little more EZ this spring...

thanks guys good luck this season

[ticklishtompro]

I haven't been in the woods much lately, but our winter really didn't get that bad till this past week. We got 17 inches of snow on Wed. and now Tuesday we are supposed to get another 3-5 inches, although that is what they predicted last week. Since we have a lot of farrming here, even after all the snow the birds have been in the fields where manure is being spread. It looks like all the flocks are doing well. Time will tell.

[arrowsonly]

I will get in the car & drive over to Navarino, just north of Appleton 30 minuets in the farm fields that border a 3000 acre public hunting grounds there are hundreds of birds most years. We'll see this year several 10" plus storms w/ice this year. They are just like any other wildlife they all take the path of least resistance, even the trophy ones. I ride a mountain bike thru the woods in several states, I have ridden up on more than you could ever imagine especially black bear in the spring.The path or logging road in most cases is a like a highway with little side roads crossing it. Over there in farm country the turkeys will follow the trail left behind the friendly neighborhood "poop" spreader on the way to the fields from the farm.

Funny though, when turkey season comes they almost vanish till you get up to move...

[charlie elk]

if you guys had 1 county or region of the state that you feel has the most turkeys

My best guess- Crawford County. Generally, SW WI has the highest population of turkeys in WI.

[turkey junky]

thanks guys... i think you are correct charlie thats wear my old man scored his 1st WI eastern turkey last season beautiful areas down that way... very similar to SE MN just more of it in WI...

i think i may get to know some of the areas better i found last season in WI lol the old man did not have to work really hard but it was bluff country & turkeys are not always play as fair as my dads bird did last season...

navarino... and you gave wabasha MN a hard time about its name arrowsonly??? lol thats a haul from wear i live but i may try it out some day?
thanks for the info... i actually got my 1st WI turkey last yr a stones throw from a pretty recent log n skid road going up a huge hill flushed a hen just off the trail/log n road just B4 i set up & called in that gobbler... they did use that log n road quit a bit there...