TOPIC: Turkey damage?

Have any of you had any problems with wild turkeys eating newly planted seeds? I just planted a couple pounds and am wondering if I should be concerened. Turkey bow starts in 9 days so I figure ill at least take care of one of them. They seem to be leaving this years emerged plants alone.

I've certainly had them do their thing on new beds. I\"ve had more trouble when they get into a bed of seedlings. It kinda irks me when I walk in and see big 3 and 4 prongs laying on their side nearly covered up with scratchings.

They are of concern unless you don't mind them planting the seeds somewhere else! When they are scratching, they are eating seeds, small plant shoots, bugs and worms. Any Ginseng seeds that they eat will get planted elsewhere later, once they digest their' food and it comes out the other end. You can hang up doubles or pairs of (aluminum) pie plates (the cheapies you buy or usually get pies in at Walmart) around the perimeter of your' Ginseng seed beds. When they bang together in the wind and flash sunlight and reflections, it will keep them and deer away. You can also make and put up white human silhouettes that move with the wind and also make them to have moving parts such as arms. Now, if this is where you also turkey and deer hunt, these could be a problem.


Frank

I have had some turkeys visit my plantings here and there but nothing major. You can actually count on turkeys destroying every seed they eat. Their gizzard is filled with grit that is used to grind and pulverize grain or seed into something more easy to digest.

Hillhopper

You are Correct. They destroy ginseng!!

Hillhopper wrote:

I have had some turkeys visit my plantings here and there but nothing major. You can actually count on turkeys destroying every seed they eat. Their gizzard is filled with grit that is used to grind and pulverize grain or seed into something more easy to digest.

Hillhopper

While turkeys do destroy a lot of Ginseng and other seeds, they don't destroy all of them. I have many times seen turkey poop with intact seeds in it and found intact seeds in their' intenstines while gutting them. This is either due to them eating too much too fast and can't process all of it in their' crawls or they have been unable to get enough small rocks/gravels in their' crawls to grind up everything.


Frank