Atlas Twp.-It’s spring time and Mike Gross is happy.
For the past 20 years Gross, 36, has participated in the statewide spring turkey hunt near his township home? and like other years the long-time hunter is confident in a successful hunt..
‘So far this spring we’ve seen lots of birds,? said Gross. ‘This month we have counted plenty of birds including several Toms with a 10 inch beards and larger. I think it’s going to be a great season.?
Al Stewart, the upland game bird specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is not surprised at the forecast Gross and other spring turkey hunters are reporting before the season opens at the end of the month.
‘The early hunt you just don’t know a lot depends on the weather but given the mild winter the season should be great. The birds came out (of the winter) in great shape all over the state.?
Stewart said the turkey population in Oakland and Genesee counties are spread out over a large area since there’s a variety of food for the birds from acorns to corn to a variety of insects..
‘So far the turkey population has not been impacted by a high coyote population. Other states have had a lot of coyotes and the turkey population continues to flourish’it just makes the birds more leery of the preditor. The greatest threat to wild turkey is urbanization’asphalt does not produce a lot of birds. As human population continues to expand or natural resources are taxed.?
Despite population changes last year about 39,000 turkey were harvested statewide, reported the Stewart
‘Those number were pretty good,? added Stewart. ‘Considering that prior to 1980 there were no wild turkey in the area.?
Stewart says that 200 years ago the wild turkey were plentiful statewide, but due to over-hunting they were just about all gone by 1900. The last turkey was reported shot in Van Buren County in 1897. The DNR reintroduced turkeys in the 1980s just east of Holly and since then their numbers have grown.
‘Today the birds are well distributed,? said Stewart. They do well as long as asphalt does not dominate the landscape.?