We have a lot of wild turkeys on the property. Weather channel predictions are for lows of -7, -13, & -20 over the next several days with highs predicted to be at 0 & -2. Any one have any idea of just how cold a wild turkey can take & survive? Coldest I have seen has been around a -2.
If they can find a place in out of the wind and 'hunker down' I'd guess the temp. can get way on down
and they'll still survive like they did back in the days of the last Ice Age.
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I think if they have an adequate food source they should survive any temp for a short time frame, if they have a sheltered spot too roost. Loss of body mass from starvation would be the reason for freezing to death.
I think heavy snow and Ice is harder on them they cant get to food or water thru it.
I live in the northern states where it gets 30 below and colder with windchill and they’re still running around on my property since I saw them first in the early 80s. They have some pretty good claws to dig through the snow to get to the ground and forage food along with a fast running creek that never freezes over on my property. When I was out squirrel hunting the other day I had half a dozen of them come walking by and wish I had a shotgun instead of my 22 win mag because it’s illegal to use anything except for shotgun in my state…just my luck…and all big 10.5” plus bearded Toms! I just had wild turkey tacos last night. I’m on the last of my meat from the second time I got last spring. Wild turkey nuggets will be the last of it next week.
Where I live, winter temps of -20 are normal and spells of -40 or colder are not unusual. We have bunches of turkeys. 30 of them in my yard right ow and it is +7 with 10 MPH breeze.
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Good info to hear. We had a large hatch last spring , turkeys every where. Some flocks at 100 birds or more . A sight to see.
I heard a rumor that wild turkey could fly ...
Maybe they will fly South , to warmer weather and not sit there and freeze to death in the -20 degree weather .
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It's more than a rumor.
It's common to see turkeys roosting in trees at night, and they are about the only bird that can fly straight up.
However; flying any distance is hard for them.
Sort of like chickens- they can fly, but not very far, and it's a lot of effort.
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In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
My chest freezer at 0F is a pretty good temperature for wild turkey.
gets pretty chilly in eastern Montana and the turkeys seem to do okay
..
How cold can wild turkeys take?
Much much, more than Me or You
I live in Fargo ND, yeah way up there. Our trees along the Red River of the North are loaded with wild turkeys.
-30 is no sweat as long as they have food. Birds fluff up their feathers which are terrific good insulation.
Main thing is finding a place out of the wind. But they know how to do that.
Don't worry, they'll be fine. But if it keeps cold for more than 3 days you might take them a bag of corn.
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Last winter we had a couple of days get to -37 and we had about 30 Wild Turkey hanging around the Horse Feed area to pick up scrap Corn and Alfalfa from the horses. All of them survived to the Spring when the flock dispersed.
Mustang
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It's supposed to hit -55 here in the Kalispell area tonight with the wind chill. I have a turkey roost on my property, I'll check for dead ones after this blows through. I suspect they will survive just fine. Previous cold blasts haven't hurt their population.
Wild Turkey in a bottle, however, WILL freeze!
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They do just fine in MN... gets to -31f where I live.
I have seen them survive -40.
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Agreed, heavy snow and ice is a bigger problem. We have turkeys here in Tug Hill where we get 300+ inches of snow and it dips to -30 and they survive. As long as these stretches don’t last for months.
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Wild TurkeyS (which make their own heat and have some intelligence) fare better than Wild Turkey (80 proof) which freezes at -17°F...
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