It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, but it is normal for turkey populations to swing up and down. Here are three threats to turkey populations.
- Loss of prime turkey habitat via development and lack of proper land management negatively impact nesting success
- Efficient nest predators such as raccoons and opossums are more of a threat to turkeys than coyotes, but crows and ravens are the biggest avian nest predators
- Cold, wet spring weather affects poult survival and short-term population swings
Wildlife populations exist within a dynamic interplay involving other species competing for resources within their environment and Mother Nature. Most species rely on human intervention to ensure habitat exists where creatures can live and thrive.