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Oklahoma Turkeys: Why Poults Don’t Survive
Wild turkey numbers depend on more than nests — they depend on whether poults survive those first dangerous days after hatch.
Dave Deken visits with Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist, about what Oklahoma landowners can do to support turkey brood survival. Turner explains why young poults need insects, usable cover, bare ground and the right plant structure to grow fast enough to escape predators and environmental stress.
Key takeaways:
Detailed timestamped rundown
00:00–01:12 — Dave Deken opens the episode from Oklahoma and sets the scene with a tom turkey in the pasture. He shifts the focus from adult birds to tiny poults, explaining that the future of the flock is decided in the grass during the first days after hatch. He introduces Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist.
01:12–01:52 — Turner explains that a lot of turkey management attention has gone to nesting, and nesting still matters. But he says available data suggest nest survival has not fallen sharply enough to explain the full population decline. Instead, brood survival appears to be very low, making poult survival a key management focus.
01:52–02:57 — Dave expands on the point: a hen can successfully lay and hatch eggs, but if poults hatch into poor habitat, the year’s production can disappear quickly. He describes what poults need — bugs, overhead cover, bare ground and vegetation that is tall enough to hide them but open enough to move through.
02:57–04:14 — Turner explains why the first two weeks are so risky. Poults cannot yet roost in trees, so they and the hen remain on the ground. He outlines threats from mammalian predators, avian predators, rain, exposure and heat. He also explains why insects are crucial: poults need high-protein food to support rapid early growth.
04:14–04:59 — Dave closes by reminding listeners that every gobble began as a vulnerable poult in the grass. He points listeners to RedDirtAndRoundBales.com to learn more about increasing turkey habitat and bird numbers in Oklahoma.
Red Dirt And Round Bales website
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By Dave DekenWild turkey numbers depend on more than nests — they depend on whether poults survive those first dangerous days after hatch.
Dave Deken visits with Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist, about what Oklahoma landowners can do to support turkey brood survival. Turner explains why young poults need insects, usable cover, bare ground and the right plant structure to grow fast enough to escape predators and environmental stress.
Key takeaways:
Detailed timestamped rundown
00:00–01:12 — Dave Deken opens the episode from Oklahoma and sets the scene with a tom turkey in the pasture. He shifts the focus from adult birds to tiny poults, explaining that the future of the flock is decided in the grass during the first days after hatch. He introduces Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist.
01:12–01:52 — Turner explains that a lot of turkey management attention has gone to nesting, and nesting still matters. But he says available data suggest nest survival has not fallen sharply enough to explain the full population decline. Instead, brood survival appears to be very low, making poult survival a key management focus.
01:52–02:57 — Dave expands on the point: a hen can successfully lay and hatch eggs, but if poults hatch into poor habitat, the year’s production can disappear quickly. He describes what poults need — bugs, overhead cover, bare ground and vegetation that is tall enough to hide them but open enough to move through.
02:57–04:14 — Turner explains why the first two weeks are so risky. Poults cannot yet roost in trees, so they and the hen remain on the ground. He outlines threats from mammalian predators, avian predators, rain, exposure and heat. He also explains why insects are crucial: poults need high-protein food to support rapid early growth.
04:14–04:59 — Dave closes by reminding listeners that every gobble began as a vulnerable poult in the grass. He points listeners to RedDirtAndRoundBales.com to learn more about increasing turkey habitat and bird numbers in Oklahoma.
Red Dirt And Round Bales website