Maybe a dumb question, but I've heard it said that deer and turkeys compete for the same foods. Is this true? One thing really bothers me though in the areas I hunt. I now see far more turkeys than deer, probably 4 or more to 1. I'm sure that in the spring there are hardly anybody turkey hunting my areas except one guy who only hunts a week or two. I am very amateur at turkey hunting, guess I'll get more serious come this spring. To be totally honest I don't care much for turkeys.
Sounds like the same scenario we have down here. The areas that the turkeys were released 20+ years ago are now LOADED with birds. Seems like the birds haven't expanded the territory very much IMO. I don't have turkeys on 2 of the propertys that I hunt, but another property is seemingly overpopulated.
Nor do I until I hunt them, then it becomes a challenge, thrill, exciting particularly in the spring with the interaction and thunderous gobbles! Add the bow and fun, fun, fun! :D
Deer are vegetarians, turkey eat grains and bugs. In the winter they compete for food sources but I don't think it will have an impact on the deer.
just this year i saw a yearling get flogged by a turkey over some acorns. it was pretty funny to watch.
As Dr. Andy mentioned they have different diets throughout the majority of the year. In the spring and summer Turkeys eat nearly 100% insects. In the fall they'll eat insects, grains and then grains in the winter. Obviously we know what deer eat and the only time this would be competition would be in the winter but I too feel that neither one would hurt the other's population.
Turkey hunting is a love/hate relationship w/ me. I consider my '07 bow bird (which I called in and shot) to be in the top 2-3 accomplishments I've had with a bow in my hand. In fact...."I" consider ANY spring bird called in and shot by a bowhunter (sans those shot over bait) to be one heckuva bowhunting accomplishment. IF I'm ever lucky enough to take one with my recurve, I'm not sure how I'll ever top that. But it won't stop me from trying. The interaction is what I love. For the way "I" deer hunt......that's totally outside of the "norm".
