15 Steps to Help More Wild Turkey Poults Survive

Tips to benefit wild turkey production on properties you own and manage.

On its best day, the woodlot that once heard five gobblers sound off every morning, now only has one. As a result, my inner hunter and inner conservationist war like there’s no tomorrow. Do I feed that inner hunter and let him eat? Or do I satisfy the inner conservationist and leave that bird for seed, hoping for a population resurgence in years to come. Of course, the latter wins out, but not without disappointment to the other half of my hunter-conservationist nature.

Throughout much of America, wild turkeys are in decline. Without question, the species is down from the all-time highs of the 2000s and early 2010s. Today, fewer birds roam the landscape than in decades prior.

So, what can we do about it? Better year, what can you do? Aside from solving the problem of habitat loss at scale, take the following 15 steps to help more wild turkey poults thrive near you.

1. Provide Quality Nesting Habitat

Hens require quality nesting habitat. This is a must-have for hen survival, let alone poult production. Without it, hens won’t make it through the two weeks of egg-laying and subsequent 28 days of nest incubation. This is accomplished through early successional cover.  Disturbance on a 2-year interval keeps this intact.

2. Establish Good Brooding Cover

Once poults hatch, they must have quality brooding cover. Young poults need a place where they can move about freely and feed without fear of predation laterally or from above. This translates to a ground floor that’s simple to navigate yet has enough vertical and overhead structure to shield them from predators. Aside from the commonly used and associated pesticides — which kill off much-needed insects — soybeans and similarly structured legumes make for excellent brooding cover.

3. Create Plenty of Food Sources

Wild turkeys require diversity, especially with plant life. A mix of grasses, weeds, and desirable native species helps wild turkeys to thrive. Create a mix of forbs, grasses, and shrubs to maximize poult production. Furthermore, position food sources close to nesting and brooding areas to minimize the odds of predation as turkeys move to and from feeding areas.

4. Promote Insect-Rich Settings

Poults need protein-rich insects to thrive. Furthermore, they need these in abundance to carry them into the fall. A lack of these tends to correlate with lower poult production. For best results, these areas should be located close to nesting sites.

5. Provide Strategic Plantings

Landowners and land managers should consider providing other strategic plantings. If the landscape isn’t naturally providing these on its own, it’s worth thinking about planting key native grasses, beneficial shrubbery, food plots, and more. Clover species, such as crimson, ladino, and red, are great. Don’t write off other important food plot options, either, such as alfalfa, buckwheat, cereal grains (cereal rye, oats, winter wheat, etc.), chufa, Korean lespedeza, millet, and more.

6. Prioritize Overhead Cover

Turkeys, especially poults, aren’t just attacked at eye level. They’re attacked from above as well. As previously noted under brooding cover, prioritizing overhead shields. This limits the odds of aerial predators, such as hawks, owls, and eagles, from predating wild turkeys. 

7. Create Better Edge Habitat

Wild turkeys and other native animals thrive on edge habitat. Thus, creating more of it only elevates populations. Prioritizing better quality edge habitat does, too. Position these in a strategic manner, and turkeys will use these areas for nesting cover, brooding cover, escape cover, and feeding.

8. Conduct Routine Timber Stand Improvement (TSI)

Benefit wild turkeys by conducting routine timber stand improvement (TSI). Thinning the canopy allows for more sunlight to hit the forest floor, which improves overall habitat structure. Plus, you can “release” better-producing trees by cutting down the competition around them. Use this method to benefit high-output mast producers, quality roost trees, and more.

9. Avoid Artificial Feeding

The artificial feeding of wild turkeys comes with significantly more negatives than positives. The direct feeding can lead to illness, especially with risks of aflatoxin poisoning during the warmer months. Plus, feeding attracts predators, which leads to direct contact between predators and wild turkeys, especially of the nest-raiding kind.

10. Time Burning, Mowing, and Other Tasks Wisely

Disturbance is needed to create early successional habitat, which turkeys require. Thus, disturbance in itself is a good thing — not a bad one. However, it’s crucial to time these projects wisely. For example, conduct controlled burns outside of the nesting and brooding seasons. Likewise, don’t mow hay fields or brush hog early successional areas until at least early June. This allows hens and poults enough time to reach critical thresholds.

11. Emphasize Predator Management

One of the most overlooked elements of modern wild turkey conservation? Predator management. Today, it’s paramount to emphasize this much-needed step in aiding wild turkeys. Accomplish this primarily through sound trapping plans, but predator hunting can have minimal impacts, too.

12. Don’t Shoot the Hens

Many states allow the harvest of hens during fall hunting seasons. If increasing poult production is a management goal, don’t indulge in the tagging of female turkeys. Instead, let them live and raise their young. It will lead to more poults on the landscape.

13. Minimize Human Intrusion

While human presence isn’t necessarily a bad thing, human intrusion certainly can be. Avoid intruding into key nesting and brooding areas. Don’t apply too much pressure to roosting and feeding areas, either. Ultimately, limit the human interruptions of everyday turkey behaviors.

14. Work with State Agency Biologists and Other Experts

Those hoping to elevate their property might decide to work with state agency biologists and other turkey conservation experts. This can assist them with goal setting, habitat improvements, and more.

15. Join Turkeys for Tomorrow

Wild turkey populations are on the decline throughout the nation. Established in 2021, TFT is new to the landscape, but it’s driven by highly trained professionals with decades of conservation experience. To support TFT, and the complete body of wild turkey research and conservation it’s leading, become a member today. An Adult Annual Membership is $50, multi-year Team Turkey Membership is $250, and Life Membership is $2,500. Every dollar counts in the fight for wild turkey preservation.