I am not familiar with the problem of turkey overpopulation. What is the fish and game's main worry with it? Is there a disease that can become rampant at higher population densities or is it more of a competition for resources deal? They can ship some of their birds out here if they want. I will not argue with them over it . Is there any risk of property or crop loss to having an over abundance of turkies? Sorry guys, I guess I'm not really informed on the eastern turkey populations.

I don't know what their actual problem with it is.  I don't think there is any disease associated with a high wild turkey population.  lthough, there was a motorcyclist last year who was knocked unconscious when she was hit by a 20 pound turkey flying across the road.  Right now, not all counties have a fall hunt.  I think opening that statewide would be a start.

Getting struck by a flying turkey would definitely hurt and is bad luck.  The issue in Kansas is that turkeys are destroying crops and are a nuiance on the roads.  More people are hitting turkeys and like deer they tend to be a problem in populated areas where hunting accessibllity is limited.

Holy crap... the last thing I want flying into my face while I am riding a motorcycle is a wild turkey. The guy probably thought that bugs in his teeth were the most of his worries. A turkey flying into you at highway speed would not be a very pleasant experience. I hope that guy didn't get hurt all that bad but it seems like it would be pretty likely that you would get injured if that happened.

I can see crop damage being a pretty big deal with turkey populations that were too large. Hitting turkeys in a car, although it isn't a great experience, is not anything like hitting a deer. I would way rather hit a turkey than hit a deer.

Crop damage is one complaint, I've responded to a farmer with special permits to remove turkeys from his farm, they will often have flocks of hundreds of birds scratching up newly planted oil seeds.

I debate whether the birds are an issue any more than they are at bird feeders, I usually had 20 under my bird feeders any given day until I gave up on them.

Another very loud cry is from upland hunters, expecailly grouse hunters, who blame declines in grouse on high turkey numbers.

The same people that say turkeys do NOT compete with grouse for foods blame hogs for competing with deer though, and if there ever was a bird version of a feral hog it would be the turkey.

My take on it is the turkey is a native bird to our land, unlike the pheasant, a nest parasite. And as native they have a place here.

If turkeys are overpopulated, Vermont has about 50,000 birds with only 3 units not open to fall hunting right now, then the populaiton has exploded due to lack of management of the forests.

Deer and grouse go hand in hand, both love regenerating forests, new cutovers and recently abandoned farmlands.

If you are kicking up grouse and bunnies you'll be tripping over deer as well, I know I was hunting them all in the boom days of the 60s here.

Now the  climax and mature forests that are taking over Vermont from lack of cutting is perfect habitat for bears and turkeys.

And we are seeing more of each, the turkeys have it made though because unlike bears they can live in the backyards of cul-de-sac neighborhoods and within the condo areas and not be blasted or chased out like bears are.

Grouse and Turkeys are like Moose and Deer, they both cannot exist in high numbers on the same lands, they simply are not compatible---not because one kills the other but because they need different habitat.

Moose increase because the habitat is becoming better suited to them than the deer, in areas, and turkeys are surviving in the new habitat of uncut mature climax forests where grouse simply can not live in numbers.

Killing moose won't give us more deer, and killing turkeys won't make better grouse cover.

We have tremendous turkey numbers, and growing, I would be interested in seeing if it is even possible to wipe them out if you wanted to.

Like coyotes, they are here to stay as long as the land is like it is and management is the way it is.