Hog panels and turkeys

I own 180 acres in NE Stephens County. We have always had quite a few turkeys in the past but I haven't seen many lately. I know that the drought has had a big impact on the turkeys as well as the hogs.

I have 4 corn feeders out and have always had turkeys coming to the feeders as well as hogs. This year I put up hog panels around 3 feeders back in the summer to hopefully improve the deer hunting, as the hogs were getting most of the corn and protein.

The deer hunting has improved as 0 hogs have been able to get in the pens with my corn and protein feeders. However, I have had 0 turkeys in the pens as well. Most people on the forum told me that the turkeys should learn to jump or fly over but that has not happened yet. I have pictures of turkeys at the 1 feeder without panels and some pictures on the outside of 1 with the panels, but nothing inside them.

It seems that the hog panels have definitely kept the hogs out but may have negatively impacted my turkey population as well. After deer season is over, I am thinking of removing 1 hog panel from each of the other 3 feeders until turkey season is over. I know that this will attract more hogs again, but hopefully it will attract more turkeys as well.

What do you all think of this idea. Any other suggestions on how I can keep more turkeys in my area would be greatly appreciated.

hmmmm, do you have one of your feeders that seem to attract the most deer or do your 4 feeders see equal deer action? maybe leave the panels up on one or two of your more visited feeders and remove one panel on the other two. Besides, you dont really hunt the feeder in spring turkey hunting anyways, try to find where they roost perhaps,so you have an idea where they start out in the mornings, Or perhaps get a small hanging feeder or two away from your other feeders. or do a few pig hunts to remove a few and hopefully that will keep them away for a few months....just trying to brainstorm here. Turkey can be stupid, its crazy they cant figure out to just hop over the panels.....

here ya go... same answer, different day

and I do have turkeys, spring and fall

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...ane#Post1919808

I've seen them go over them. They are weird. If they decide they want it they will go in. Try putting a hen decoy in the pen and see if they will go in.

Does the size of the pen matter? The reason I ask is tha one of my hunters has fenced a turkey feeder off but the inside space is so small that a turkey would have to parachute in???

Turkeys dont come stock from the factory with parachutes so that may be a problem.

Feeder pen size makes a huge difference IMO, the bigger the pen the better for all species.

My pens are 6 panels and the deer don't have a problem getting in so I wouldn't think that the turkeys would have a problem.

I will try putting a hen decoy in there and see if that helps. Thanks for the information.

I mentioned that to my hunter. Don't think he understood. What ever!!

I have 7 rio's at my house and have a pen in the back with 10' sides with no top. They can fly to the top and drop right in and eat my dog s food. And then fly out!

Try adding a turkey feeder to your deer feeder pens. I have doubled up my feeders for years, One with deer corn and one with hen scratch. The turkeys will like the cracked corn, milo & wheat mixture and if you have quail they will like it too

When the corn runs out sometime usually in febuary I switch to a bird mix that has maze, peas, cracked corn, wheat and oats in the feeders for turkey season. I have pens around 2 feeders 7 cattle pannels round in shape. The took one pannel off of one lastyear and turkeys hit it every day, the one with the full pen not as often but still hit it some.

Remember we are talking turkey here "bird Brains litteraly" ever seen one walk up and down a netwire fence for hours then remember it can fly over. Sometimes they just forget. Have had turkeys in the pens this deer season some with the pens closed off but rarely ever see them on that place in the fall but Spring they are always there.

I also feed the turkey mix stuff through the summer for them. The hens seem to bring the poults by through the summer for some easy food. I prefer to call birds in during the spring season but when gobblers in the spring know the hens hit an area a lot it does make for more birds crossing that small lease. Plus I figure it doesn't hurt the egg production for an easy source of food while the hens are in the egg production phase.

I was hunting on a ranch in Ozona. The feeders had panel around them. The Turkeys would fly one by one up and land on the feeder and drop down into the pen. It was quite funny to see.

What do actual turkey feeders look like and where can I get one.

http://www.cabelas.com/game-feeders-time-buckeye-8482-30-gallon-gravity-tripod-turkey-feeder.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=pricegrabber&WT.z_mc_id1=741592&rid=40&mr:referralID=5d9438d9-300b-11e1-8a48-001b2166becc

Actually the best ones I've seen are homemade jobs. They are a 55 gallon metal drum that has what looks like large "skeleton key" holes around the bottom. They still have the rim, but there is a funnel in the bottom that will spread milo or whatever out towards the key holes. Those key holes need to be about 3 to 4 inches high and about 2 with so the turkey can get their head in. They work well for quail also because the whole bird can get in there.

Lehman maakes good stuff. If I didn't sell Bossbuck, Lehman would be the next best brand, imo.
http://www.lehmanhfeeders.com/quail%20and%20turkey%20feeders.htm

Just a regular spin feeder will do the trick.

You might position your feeder where maybe 10-20% of the corn gets thrown outside the fence.

Turkeys in our area seem to have no issue making it into the pens. We mostly use barb wire since we dont have any hogs. Although one member uses hog panels and turkeys dont seem to mind.