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Avian flu in turkeys

Our daughter said we should buy our thanksgiving turkey now. She said she was talking to some people on her commuter bus that were somehow connected to that problem and were going to two infected turkey farms to 'take care of business' the next day.

So I am talking to the wife and she says should we buy one now. News is saying not to panic, plenty of turkeys still left. Then she says I should just go out and shoot one. Next thought, can wild turkey get that flu? Guessing yes, why not. Then second thought, does it matter if you eat a turkey that has or had that flu? Maybe extermination of all the turkeys on farms is more to protect the industry than the public that eats it.

Your thoughts?

Nearly 90 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter in the U.S., and well in excess of 100 million year-round. That makes the three million or so that had to be killed at farms in the Midwest (last figure I heard) pretty small in comparison.

Since turkeys are dispersed in a wild situation, any outbreak would likely be limited. Officials have said there is no food safety concern, but it's advisable to avoid contact with sick birds (naturally).

Does anyone think this could be the reason for the large decrease in wild turkeys in an area?

There is an export ban on US turkeys as a consequence of overseas nervousness about the avian flu outbreak. That means a larger supply for the US market. Larger supply = lower price. Wait to purchase your holiday bird.

AI in a wild bird population is a low probability risk relative to penned/farmed birds. Nevertheless, APHIS has published guidelines for hunters.

Rut, not me. If numbers were way down here (they're not, Door and Kewaunee counties), I'd blame poor recruitment from hard winter/late spring and cold, wet spring weather some years. In isolated areas, poaching may also be an issue, and certainly is much more likely than bird flu. Believe it or not, there are a few folks who like turkeys better dead than alive. I recall a farmer who poisoned a huge winter flock, and I hear of guys who feed corn year-round who "don't like turkeys eating my feed/bait." Coyotes have done well through the years with the boom of Wisconsin's flock, too, especially on poults before they can fly, and birds slowed by deep snow..

No shortage of turkeys on the Door peninsula. Only the deer population is larger.

There is a huge drop in the population on our land in Pierce county. I have talked to 4 neighbors and heard the same thing. I have a friend that owns 300 acres of prime river bottom land in the same county. They have seen the same, their land is approx 7 miles as the crow flies from ours. I know this area well, and can assure you something is amiss with the turkey population.

Back to the avian flu, didn't the DNR buy some expensive equipment or machine that was supposed to be used for incinerating or disposing of CWD positive deer? Maybe that same equipment could be used to get rid of these infected birds? It might be a cost effective and efficient way to try and head this flu off before it is able to spread significantly.

Coincidentally, I called a WI public radio talk show yesterday and asked basically that to Scott Craven. His understanding was that the DNR had no knowledge of the flu affecting our wild turkey flocks. I have followed this outbreak with interest due to owning SAFM, a stock that raises turkeys. The flu is a fast moving flu and is frequently fatal which makes me think it would not be too deadly other than in a local area. Or another way is saying if it did affect some wild birds it might do some damage but not be passed to many birds due their limited contact. Surprising is how little is known about how the flu is passed with a theory it is coming from migrating waterfall. If any hunters can find dead birds I would get a carcass to the DNR and let them deal with it. If an area is suddenly devoid of birds because of the flu there has got to be feathers somewhere.

I am really wondering if it can affect wild turkeys. Again today we heard no gobbles in the area. As we were packing up a guy that owns land a mile and a half away stopped to ask if we knew where all the turkeys had gone. I had never met this gentleman. He doesn't hunt but lets a few hunters on his land. From his daily observations on his land, and that of those that hunt his land. He said it seems as the turkeys have mostly disappeared. So it's not only me, I have talked to half a dozen landowners and many hunters from the area. They all say the same thing, when they are seeing turkeys it's only hens, and few at that. I know this area well and have turkey hunted all over this county. There is something odd about this rapid drop in turkey numbers.

Sounds like statewide the kill was 20K-plus first two periods, best in a half-dozen years, so it must be a localized issue.

Naz, I agree it's a localized issue. However it is happening over 20+ miles in this area.

What county is that? I'll see if I can find out any prelim numbers and DNR comment.

The birds were there the entire time in period C! They were holding tight to cover especially in the pines and white cedar. I actually abandoned my hunt on private land and ended up hunting the last two days in the Northern kettle Moraine State Forest. Both days I got on Toms in a spot and stalk situation. I was not able to ultimately connect but, I did get a shot on the last day after a three hour stalk in the cedars. I ended up taking off my boots and belly crawling for near a hundred yards. Got within 40 and missed!!!. It was the most fun I've had hunting in some time. Beautiful big Tom, I just crapped the bed on my shot. And, there are plenty of birds in the kettle, just very well educated. Much more challenging than private land. Anyone that gets a bird on public hunting grounds after the first week, you certainly have my respect. Especially if you stuck it with an arrow! Good hunting.

Naz, it's Pierce county.

A Snowy owl found dead in NE Wisconsin was confirmed to have died from the bird flu. The wild turkey population has got to have it at least in that part of the state. We will see the significance of this.

I would assume that if the local turkey biologist has not heard of an area that has an unusual turkey population deficit they would want to know. Let them do a fast survey, they might close the season in an small part of the zone. Help them do their job.

glunker, I have tried talking to a biologist. They just blow smoke up your a$$. After all we hunters are just "barstool biologists." Nevermind the fact that we are actually out there and know what's currently happening.

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