I live North of Tyler, about 7 miles from Big Sandy and there are no turkeys anywhere in my area. They just don't exist. I was driving through Big Sandy yesterday and saw a flock of about ten turkeys right along 155N just at the Northern side of town. I was so shocked to see them that I wasn't even sure what they where are first. Are there wild turkeys in Big Sandy, or are they somebodies pets that got out?

There have been several wild turkey stocking efforts this year not sure if Big Sandy is one of the areas though.

I would be simply stunned if there were turkeys around Big Sandy. I grew up outside BS near Shady Grove and never in my 28 years of living and visiting have seen nor heard a turkey. However, if they really are wild turkeys that is awesome - since deer don't exist there either!

There are some scattered small flocks around NE TX from previous stockings. There is a flock of 10 here, near Lake Fork that I have seen twice over the years. Seen jakes with them, but never a dominant gobbler.

Being that they where right at the edge of town, I couldn't be sure if they where wild or pets, but they where in the ditch next to 155, so there was nothing keeping them there. I drive through there a few times a year, so I'll keep an eye open for them the next time I'm in the area. Hopefully they are wild and there will be more of them!!!!

There are more and more sightings in different areas, but only recent stockings that I'm aware of are further south in Anderson, Henderson, Cherokee, Trinity and Angelina counties. There could be a few tiny pockets that managed to survive from the old block stocking method from back in the 80's and 90's. At the same time some of the recently stocked birds have traveled some great distances according to some of the gps transmitters attached to some of the released birds. One hen traveled about 67 miles from the initial release site before returning, and several hens traveled from near the neches all the way toward the trinity river, so you never know what your seeing out there.

if everyone doesn't get busy with varmint control,
we won't be seeing any in east Texas from
those that were stocked.

Predator control is beneficial to turkeys, quail,and deer, but the most important factor is habitat. There were both turkeys and predators in east Texas long before we came along with our predator control and management ideas. All the states across the southeast with turkeys have the same predators we do, and they've always been there.

The issue with early stocking methods in east Texas is that the habitat was no longer there and most forest in east Texas was different than it was 150 years ago, and no one was managing the thick young forest that was much different than the more open old growth forest of 150 years ago. That thick under story in young forest is what makes it easy for predators to catch turkeys, because in good open habitat it's quite difficult for a coyote or bobcat to catch a full grown turkey as opposed to the thick stuff they can't fly through.

Also, during the first stocking methods, fewer birds were released at stocking sites. You typically had 3 toms and 12 to 15 hens per site, and if those few toms were killed by predators, poachers or anything else, there was nothing left to breed hens to establish a population.

This new super stocking method is proving successful, as birds are only being released into a minimum of 10,000 acres of quality habitat with a minimum of 80 birds per site...20 toms and 60 hens. With more birds you have a much higher rate of reproduction and survival. Once those birds populate the quality habitat and the population increases they'll travel into surrounding habitat that can support them.

Southeast Anderson/Cherokee counties along the neches river has some of the highest populations of turkeys in east Texas thanks to the new super stocking model, and turkey numbers are definitely improving in this area..

Terrance, I had 31 of the released birds come out in my foodplot yesterday when I was sitting in stand. Was shocked to see that many of them back together in the field they were released in.

That's awesome! Did you get any pictures? They're starting to gather into those large winter flocks. Amazing how those birds will travel all over the place and come back to the same place they were released. A couple of the guys at our co-op meeting last month said they had seen birds on 175 between Frankston and Poyner, and on 155 north of Frankston going towards Tyler. It's probable that those were birds from your release. Hopefully we get even better production throughout the Brushy Creek co-op this coming spring, and hopefully our site is approved for winter 2019 release.

Still got a flock in NE Upshur County from the early 80s release but it is very rare to see them. I saw them again a few weeks ago on the edge of deep landlocked cutover.

I built a drill site on a large place near Big Sandy years ago and there was a flock on that place. We saw some of them a few times while we were working there. I can't remember who's place it was, but it was a large place. I was privileged to see them fly down from their roost early one morning. They roosted atop a pretty tall hill and glided down for several hundred yards before landing. Wonderful sight !

I had at least eight hens on my place here at Troup when I bought it 21/22 years ago. Saw them on the roost a couple times in some large oaks behind my pond dam. They slowly disappeared one by one until there were no more.

I saw a tom dead on the side of the road by 14 and 154 just north and east of Holly Lake Ranch last year.

When I was in high school in the late 90's we would see some in white oak bottom. Only a handfuk if times but it was always neat. Haven't seen any in a long time up that way but every once in a while you will hear someone say they saw some.