.Let’s say we take 1000 hens that would give us an extra 20 successful nests……If we say that each nest had 10 eggs then that would produce an extra 200 birds per 1000 hens……. This doesn’t even take into account the fact we’ve likely taken out just as many possums with the incentive.
Of those 1,000 hens on maybe 25,000 acres - a good density, lets say 60% nested, thats 600 nests. Increase nest success from 25% to 27% by predator removal. That would be 150 hatched nests without predator removal, 162 hatched with predator removal. 12 more hatched nests would be an additional 120 poults. Both groups would experience over 80% mortality so the additional 120 are now 24 additional poults that make it to flight stage. That would equate to roughly 12 jakes and 12 jennys. That would equate to roughly 6 additional gobblers on 25,000 acres, or roughly an additional gobbler per 4,200 acres. An increase to be sure but not sure one anyone would notice. And thats if there were no compensatory mortality - a poor assumption. Again one of the reasons I would be against it - emptying the ocean with a bucket. It gets diluted fast.
Edit that, 1,000 hens per 25,000 would be exceptional. Realistically, thats a good turkey population. 1,000 hens per 50,000 ac would be more like it so half all my numbers. Ending up with an additional gobbler per 8,400 acres
