Anyone else in SE MN noticing a dramatic drop in turkey population?

I could understand if a tree line divided you from another part of your field and it saved you time. A few years back a tree line that divided my uncles field from the neighbors was taken out. It was like 400 yards long and connected 2 woods. There was huge trees in there. Had to cost 10s of thousands of dollars to have it all cleared out. Max gain for each property owner about 2 corn rows probably. In none of their lifetimes would there ever be finacial gain from it. Dont understand why.

We live on the Winona/Houston County line. Wandering flocks of turkeys used to contain 20-30 individuals. Now I occasionally 4-5. But I will say there are less rabbits and squirrels than in years past. In my neighborhood, I attribute it predation by coyotes, feral cats, and the eratic spring weather the last few years.

I cannot blame the landowners, but I also agree that habitat is being eliminated at an alarming rate for the holy dollar. I too had excellent habitat on the farms adjacent to my land. New owners on one farm the other farm being leased out to new individual, hundreds and hundreds yards of prime fence lines eliminated in the last year. The remaining waterways were cleared out and now have a “Brazilian Buzz” multiple times a year. In a matter of a year – pheasant population and turkey population plummets locally. On top of that they have the nerve to ask me where all the big bucks went and why they can’t shoot any like “I” use to there. I just say, “you need to ask yourself that question”…..

jimmysiewert wrote:

On top of that they have the nerve to ask me where all the big bucks went and why they can’t shoot any like “I” use to there. I just say, “you need to ask yourself that question”…..

Can’t help but shake your head at that ignorance. Did the neighbor connect the dots on the lack of bucks coinciding with their clearing and deforestation once you responded with that?

JEREMY wrote:

I could understand if a tree line divided you from another part of your field and it saved you time. A few years back a tree line that divided my uncles field from the neighbors was taken out. It was like 400 yards long and connected 2 woods. There was huge trees in there. Had to cost 10s of thousands of dollars to have it all cleared out. Max gain for each property owner about 2 corn rows probably. In none of their lifetimes would there ever be finacial gain from it. Dont understand why.

Clearing trees and draining wetlands for crop production isn’t anything new. My uncle who farms always says “when the price goes down, you plant more. When it goes up… you plant more.”

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JEREMY wrote:</div>
I could understand if a tree line divided you from another part of your field and it saved you time. A few years back a tree line that divided my uncles field from the neighbors was taken out. It was like 400 yards long and connected 2 woods. There was huge trees in there. Had to cost 10s of thousands of dollars to have it all cleared out. Max gain for each property owner about 2 corn rows probably. In none of their lifetimes would there ever be finacial gain from it. Dont understand why.

Clearing trees and draining wetlands for crop production isn’t anything new. My uncle who farms always says “when the price goes down, you plant more. When it goes up… you plant more.”

Agreed. Technology and the equipment to do it quickly with ease is just reaching everyone now and compounding the issue

Big problem is families passing the land down to their children. Protecting it like the treasure it is for future generations. Is being replaced but huge corporate operations, or mega farms. Often farming land they don’t own. Milking every last dime from it. Pumping chemicals in, taking everything of value off.
More and more the land is even foreign owned. A mile from the photo I posted is an old pasture put into production. That on a wet day, you would struggle to walk up the hillside. It’s part of my Great Uncles old farm, that I pheasant hunted on. A few year after it was put into production with grass waterways. The waterways were removed. Now every spring before planting. They pull the little remaining topsoil into 2′ deep washouts. It literally makes me sick to my stomach.
After a rain, when it starts to dry. You can see over half the hillside is down to the clay. I grew up in a rural community. Worked and grew up on farms when I was younger. A lot of my friends are farmers. Live in a town with 1,800 people I’m not anti farming or a tree hugger. But I think the respect, and responsibility to the land is becoming at best an after thought for some people. More worried about being bigger than your neighbor. We are finally taking better care of our lakes and rivers. But this land that makes up a huge part of the midwest is being raped and pillaged. So much to do about the Amazon rain forest. If you look at a overlay of the United States that was forested years ago, I think you would be shocked. There’s a model showing it in a forestry museum in Oregon. It’s amazing. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling vacations is going places, That have thousands of acres protected.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JEREMY wrote:</div>
I could understand if a tree line divided you from another part of your field and it saved you time. A few years back a tree line that divided my uncles field from the neighbors was taken out. It was like 400 yards long and connected 2 woods. There was huge trees in there. Had to cost 10s of thousands of dollars to have it all cleared out. Max gain for each property owner about 2 corn rows probably. In none of their lifetimes would there ever be finacial gain from it. Dont understand why.

Clearing trees and draining wetlands for crop production isn’t anything new. My uncle who farms always says “when the price goes down, you plant more. When it goes up… you plant more.”

That’s the problem. When prices are down people think they need to plant more acres to make more money, then when prices are up they need to plant more acres to make more money. It’s a false dichotomy

Producers are brainwashed into thinking about production. You need to think about profit per acre. It doesn’t matter if you produce more if you make less money doing so. Some of these tile projects won’t pay for themselves for 100 years. Allot of the practices that you see on a daily basis just don’t make economic (or environmental) sense. That’s why subsidies provided 40% of producers income in 2020. The business model is broken.

Take tillage for example. It increase wind and water erosion, you have to touch your field more, it increases the application of herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, increases compaction, and decreases water infiltration yet everyone does it.

Regenerative agriculture is becoming more popular, slowly, and is much better for the environment/wildlife. It’s also more profitable. I’ve met and worked with a few people practicing it and they are working less and making money hand over fist. They’re doing so well they don’t even purchase crop insurance, let alone get any subsidies. If anyone is interested in learning more you can watch some Gabe Brown videos on youtube or buy his book “Dirt to Soil”. He’s the best source on the subject in the midwest (in my opinion)

Armchair Biologist wrote:

That’s the problem. When prices are down people think they need to plant more acres to make more money, then when prices are up they need to plant more acres to make more money. It’s a false dichotomy

You can bet that production will be sky high this season too. Corn and soybean prices are through the roof. Corn was almost 9 bucks/bushel last week. With Ukraine not producing as much in Europe, supply will also go down globally. I think it’s time to plant more!

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Armchair Biologist wrote:</div>
That’s the problem. When prices are down people think they need to plant more acres to make more money, then when prices are up they need to plant more acres to make more money. It’s a false dichotomy

You can bet that production will be sky high this season too. Corn and soybean prices are through the roof. Corn was almost 9 bucks/bushel last week. With Ukraine not producing as much in Europe, supply will also go down globally. I think it’s time to plant more!

Corn acres will be down this year, in fact soybeans will have more acres planted. The price of inputs for corn has gotten to high. Fertilizer is 4 times the cost it was last fall so if you didn’t get your granular down last fall you are stuck with anhydrous at half the effectiveness and double the price.
Corn was not $9/bushel last week. The high was $8.19 on the July futures which roughly equates to $7.97 cash price. Pure speculation but I do think corn is going to $9. Ukraine is also a big sunflower producer so any disruption there could lead to a cooking oil squeeze as well.

I did get a kick out of the DNR saying in the MN Outdoor News last week that the weather was driving the 44% decrease for turkey kill. I swear every season for deer, turkey, etc. it is always the weather!!! Year after Year after Year after Year🤔🤔

I did get a kick out of the DNR saying in the MN Outdoor News last week that the weather was driving the 44% decrease for turkey kill. I swear every season for deer, turkey, etc. it is always the weather!!! Year after Year after Year after Year🤔🤔

A buddy and I were talking again last night about “where are the damn turkeys?” Literally every single day I would see them in the morning when dropping off kids for the last several years. I have seen a group of turkeys once in the last 2 months. I would often have to stop for them to cross the road in the morning and I am not seeing them at all. Strange.

One of the pieces of property we hunt in SE MN we have plenty of birds and getting kids out and friends right now. Really not seeing anything dropping in our area.

This spring I think we have harvested 4 birds so far. Hoping to get another buddies son out in the next few days.

Hoyt4 wrote:

One of the pieces of property we hunt in SE MN we have plenty of birds and getting kids out and friends right now. Really not seeing anything dropping in our area.

This spring I think we have harvested 4 birds so far. Hoping to get another buddies son out in the next few days.

Glad you are seeing birds. THat is good to hear and that you have been having success!