Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: boneaddict on February 14, 2019, 02:04:50 PM

Title: wolves and turkeys
Post by: boneaddict on February 14, 2019, 02:04:50 PM: I wonder if wolves eat turkeys? Serious question. I know they would if they could catch one. I've watched coyotes for hours multiple times trying to catch a turkey but failed miserably.
Something gets one once in awhile as I have found the evidence. When the deer, elk , moose, run out, I wonder......
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: emac on February 14, 2019, 02:16:24 PM: I have heard they cant catch them. That is just what i have heard no evidence to back it up

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Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Hilltop123 on February 14, 2019, 02:18:12 PM: I too, have watched a coyote, try and make a meal out of a turkey. One of the more entertaining things I've watched, while hunting. That yote, was no more catching that turkey, than flying to the moon.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: idaho guy on February 14, 2019, 02:19:14 PM: I have no idea but I know bobcats like them here and seems like they are successful based on carcasses I find :dunno:, seems like wolves would too. I have called coyotes in a few times turkey hunting
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: boneaddict on February 14, 2019, 02:21:42 PM: Quote from: Hilltop123 on February 14, 2019, 02:18:12 PM
I too, have watched a coyote, try and make a meal out of a turkey. One of the more entertaining things I've watched, while hunting. That yote, was no more catching that turkey, than flying to the moon.
:yeah: exactly

I’d think a cat would have the best chance.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Karl Blanchard on February 14, 2019, 02:24:02 PM: Cats are Turkey killing machines.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Rainier10 on February 14, 2019, 02:38:45 PM: Someone in the NE must know. They have a ton of wolves and turkeys.

My guess is no because it is not worth the energy spent.

Curious to hear the answer as well.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Yelper Guy on February 14, 2019, 03:04:30 PM: I had turkey left-overs (legs and feathers) on top of my outhouse up in 113 a couple years back.
I think the bobcats can catch the turkeys at night up in their roosts.
I'm not sure what effect wolves may have on turkeys.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: carpsniperg2 on February 14, 2019, 03:10:11 PM: Bobcats eat the heck out of turkeys. I am sure lions do as well. I had a trail cam pic on my old lap top of a bobcat with a turkey it has caught.
I don't know if wolves would be able to catch them? Interesting question.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: hunter399 on February 14, 2019, 03:50:38 PM: Coyotes can and will kill Turkey's.So I would suspect wolves would too.
Some turkey kills I have seen from coyotes was turkey feathers everywhere in a six foot circle with coyote tracks everywhere in the snow.Nothing left not a bone ,not any meat ,nothing.

Are wolves gonna target Turkey's , No.Will they make an easy meal out of them given the chance ,yes.

A single coyote may not be able to get Turkey's,but when coyotes are paired up this time of year , yes they kill Turkey's.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Magnum_Willys on February 14, 2019, 05:06:34 PM: Stealth is the domain of cats not dogs. Doubt wolves have much luck vs Turkeys or anything else that can fly. Turkey eggs and chicks yes.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: hunter399 on February 14, 2019, 05:30:04 PM: Quote from: Magnum_Willys on February 14, 2019, 05:06:34 PM
Stealth is the domain of cats not dogs. Doubt wolves have much luck vs Turkeys or anything else that can fly. Turkey eggs and chicks yes.

Say what ya will .
But when you have Turkey's roosted in a tree all night carrying on ,making noise.pretty easy for any predator to wait till mourning for a easy meal.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: JKEEN33 on February 14, 2019, 05:34:38 PM: I’ve called in a lot of coyotes turkey hunting. I don’t think it would be difficult for a coyote or wolf to catch a turkey on the ground. They run fast, but they are on the slow side getting any altitude sometimes. My hunting partner was in a blind at the end of a snowed in road last year in the NE. He said he had what he believes was a wolf walk up the road. I have no reason to doubt him as I’ve seen one in that area a few years back.

I had a lab when I was a kid that would catch grouse by chasing them into the brush. She would bring them out alive no mark on them. I was fishing in a creek once and came up on a hole with about a 10 bank on one side. There were a couple ducks in there. Next thing I know, she jumped off that bank and landed on a duck and brought it out to me.

I’m pretty confident a coyote or wolf can catch a turkey with some effort.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: KFhunter on February 14, 2019, 05:36:12 PM: Ya'll realize that most turkeys are standing next to a cow right?

Why fart with a turkey burger when you could have the whole beef!
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: idaho guy on February 14, 2019, 07:20:03 PM: I think that was the point of the op :dunno:would they eat turkey when most of the deer and elk were gone? I agree that at this point wolves probably won’t waist a lot of energy on turkeys but they probably will if there’s not a lot of deer or elk.(or livestock) A pack of wolves would be a lot more effective than a coyote or two. Wolf packs are killing Machines and hunt as a team more effectively than any other predators. Hopefully we never get to the point wolves need to target turkeys
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: KFhunter on February 15, 2019, 01:11:25 PM: On wolves eating turkey, perhaps young wolves dispersing and out alone would target and put the sneak on a turkey, I've never seen evidence of it happening :dunno:

I've found lot's of dead turkeys from bobcat, yote and cougar....cougar take the most that I've found personally. Owls and hawks taking the young birds.

never seen a wolf track at a turkey kill
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on February 15, 2019, 04:49:33 PM: Can't speak to wolves, the very first telemetry study I worked on was a turkey nesting ecology study. Our #1 source of mortality on nesting hens was coyotes. Bobcats are really good turkey killers. So are great horned owls (on the roost).
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: boneaddict on February 16, 2019, 06:37:40 AM: I believe it on a nest. Heck you can walk up to em and wack em if you wanted to.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Tree Killer on February 16, 2019, 03:48:17 PM: I've watched Golden Eagles dive bomb winter flocks of turkeys. The sound of several turkeys doing an alarm putt is loud!
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: The Gobble-stopper on February 27, 2019, 09:25:32 AM: On several occasions I have witnessed bobcat and coyote take turkeys. Coyote in my experience tend to try and do more of a sneak mode. Similar to a bobcat, but more clumsy. From what I have witnessed with wolves, when they attack, they do it in a group. Coordinated attack in the open. No sneaking involved. And they try to wear down their pray. I am thinking a turkey is not going to stay around and wait for that. I also witnessed a Golden eagle snatch a ton right out of mind air. They tumbled to the ground. Wrestled around. The Tom got lose and dogs off the cliff they were wrestling and into a pile of blackberrys. I am thinking he died later? And if course it was the only day I did not have my cam...
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: bearpaw on February 27, 2019, 09:36:54 AM: Quote from: KFhunter on February 15, 2019, 01:11:25 PM
never seen a wolf track at a turkey kill

:yeah: I'm sure wolves will try, most predators will try to catch whatever is in front of them, I know numerous wolf areas that have quite a few birds, but never seen a kill that I thought was from wolf. Wolves seem to be more effective the bigger the prey is.

Eagles kill some adult birds as well as bobcats and coyotes. I'm sure mink and maybe even a fearless weasel might try to get in on the action too. In my area I'm completely convinced the single biggest predator impacting turkeys are ravens. Ravens are super efficient at finding nesting hens then diving and running the hen off the nest, the ravens then eat all the eggs. Ravens, owls, hawks, and eagles all impact small birds greatly.

There is a reason mother nature has hens laying 16 or so eggs. About the only thing lower on the food chain is insects and worms.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: MtnMuley on February 27, 2019, 11:55:26 AM: Hunting the NE last year at day break, we sat and listened as several wolves howled back and forth across 2 very small ridges. Each howl brought numerous gobbles from several turkeys below in the meadow we were set up in. One tom in particular appeared to gobble his way up to damn near the exact spot the howling was coming from. I have much of it recorded on audio.
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: bearpaw on February 27, 2019, 09:09:09 PM: a new turkey call to try...
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Birdguy on February 27, 2019, 09:41:36 PM: Quote from: MtnMuley on February 27, 2019, 11:55:26 AM
Hunting the NE last year at day break, we sat and listened as several wolves howled back and forth across 2 very small ridges. Each howl brought numerous gobbles from several turkeys below in the meadow we were set up in. One tom in particular appeared to gobble his way up to damn near the exact spot the howling was coming from. I have much of it recorded on audio.
Quote from: bearpaw on February 27, 2019, 09:09:09 PM
a new turkey call to try...

:bdid: That is one locator call that could bring in more than you bargain for sitting on the ground with three shells :yike: :yike: :chuckle:
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: KFhunter on February 27, 2019, 09:48:23 PM: and a G20 sitting in a GFI chest holster :tung:
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Dan-o on February 27, 2019, 09:53:32 PM: We've had coyotes blast into our decoys twice.

Two years in a row in the same meadow..

The first time the coyote absolutely nailed the decoy.

The second time, not so much.

I imagine a wolf would try.....
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: bearpaw on February 28, 2019, 01:52:07 PM: When coyotes come to turkey calling I tell my hunters to shoot them, might have to be careful now that wokves are everywhere around Colville and Kettle!
Title: Re: wolves and turkeys
Post by: Bango skank on February 28, 2019, 01:55:25 PM: Quote from: bearpaw on February 28, 2019, 01:52:07 PM
When coyotes come to turkey calling I tell my hunters to shoot them, might have to be careful now that wokves are everywhere around Colville and Kettle!

Yeah, you might have to be careful that your clients know how to keep their mouths shut.