Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs The Turkey Numbers '26

Apparently that 2022-23 avian flu outbreak ran through some of the hawk populations as well knocking them back too.......We're probably seeing the delay in hunting success I was talking about if you take pressure off of poults.....That's the two years it takes those extra poults to become adult gobblers.....I think we're probably currently (2026) seeing the success from the folks who had eagles, great horned owls, and (specie?) hawks thinned out from the flu but who have not yet had eagles and great horned owls return in numbers to kill those extra gobblers

Also to add to that.....a very real possibility for why we're seeing some areas really down this year in the red is that if you take away those species of avian predators ^^^^ then its likely that foxes, bobcats, and coyotes have greatly benefited in some areas......especially in grass dominated prairies where rodents are a main keystone prey specie.