Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters Association
As this is being written during the third week of January winter has arrived. We have made an initial purchase of 10,000 pounds of corn and have distributed it to 2,062 Wild Turkeys scattered over our 13 county areas. If everyone picks up their supply of corn we will be over extended and will make another corn purchase. Turkey numbers have fallen significantly over our entire area.
Two gobblers and three hens! The first tracks of the winter, ending the suspense that some of “my” birds were surviving.
Historically, turkeys were only found in the most southern tier of counties in Michigan. Our northern flock is artificial. They need help to make it through a Michigan winter. We distribute corn, plus some individuals feed the birds on their own and, of course, they raid bird feeders intended for their small cousins.
Once again, with deep snows since the middle of November in many areas of northern Michigan, and bitter cold (down to -25 one memorable night) in January, with the continued ban on feeding deer which still has many people afraid to even fill their bird feeders, we are once again up against the wall when it comes to trying to get our wild turkeys through the winter. And once again, many of the chapters are once again conducting feeding programs, with the birds either being hand-fed or the feeders up on platforms, inside trailers, or whatever necessary to keep the deer away.
