Hard Mast Trees and Shrubs make a Better Wildlife Habitat

If you want to see more turkeys on your place you have to give them a reason to stay for the summer.  Hard mast trees and shrubs provide an annual fall crop that delivers important carbohydrates and fat for wildlife during the critical months of winter.  Some estimates say that hard mast trees represent 70 percent of fall diet for deer and turkey.  Another benefit for hard mast trees and shrubs is that they provide more woody cover to protect turkeys roosting and deer bedding when harsh weather comes along.

North American Wild Turkey Management Plan

As wild turkey populations continue to increase across the United States, it is important to look toward the future of wild turkey management to ensure North America's largest game bird for generations to come. The North American Wild Turkey Management Plan looks at managing a healthy wild turkey population all across the country.  Mississippi is home to the Eastern Wild Turkey.  The Eastern Wild Turkey is the most widely distributed, abundant and hunted turkey of all the subspecies of wild turkey.  Proper management from the NAWTMP will ensure that the Eastern Wild Turkey in Mississippi will thrive for future generations to come.

Timber Stand Improvement

When it comes to managing a forest for turkeys, there are times when it is better to have fewer quality trees than a larger quantity of not so great trees.  Just think how fast weeds can take over a garden.  It is much the same with a forest.  Vegetation will quickly occupy any available growing space, so the only way to alter the forest, or control its compositon, is by killing undesirable trees and forest floor vegetation.  If you practice all of these forest management strategies, you will improve your turkey habitat tremendously. 

Timber Stand Improvement

When it comes to managing a forest for wildlife, there are times when it is better to have fewer quality trees than a larger quantity of not-so-great trees. Just think of how quickly weeds can take over a garden. It is much the same in a forest. Vegetation aggressively occupies any available growing space, so the only way to alter the forest, or control its composition, is by killing undesirable trees and vegetation. Doing this on your property and using proper timber management strategies, you can improve your turkey population tremendously. 

Primary Predators of Wild Turkeys

There are many different predators of a wild turkey.  The raccoon is a primary predator of turkey eggs, fire ants, and other small rodents will also feed on turkey eggs.  Fox, coyotes, and bobcats are probably the number one predators of a wild turkey in mississippi.  There are many ways to control these predators such as hunting or trapping them.  If you control these predators you turkey population will be doing much better.

Prescribed Burning To Improve Turkey Habitat

Prescribed burning is done on areas of land that are thick and have heavy vegetation in the forest floor. Although some people are against prescribed burning but the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. It is very important that you use extreme caution when doing a prescribed burn. It is not smart to burn when their is a high wind or if the area is exceptionally dry. Disking around the area that is to be burned is also advised instead of relying on a natural boundary such as a creek. For any questions or comments you might have about prescribed burns I highly recommend going to the National Wild Turkey Federation at http://www.nwtf.com/ These people really know their stuff and will help you with any questions you have.