If you hunt on private property, you likely use trail cameras to scout for turkeys. Trail cameras, especially cell cams, are one of the best tools you can use for locating gobblers and patterning their movement. But, according to Dan Rensel, Pennsylvania Regional Director for the National Wild Turkey Federation, trail cameras are effective for more than just scouting; you can also use them to keep closer tabs on local turkey populations, guiding harvest, predator control, and habitat decisions.
To do so, Rensel first places his cameras in areas turkeys regularly use. “I put them in open areas, like ag fields, where you might get males strutting in the spring,” he says. “Any open field where they can bug and find food would work. Turkeys like to feed there and also like to go there during bad weather, like rain.”
Another tactic Rensel suggests using when you’re managing a turkey property is to place cameras in places where you’ve caused intentional disturbance, such as a recently disked or intentionally-burned field. Once you find fields where you’re seeing birds, Rensel says that it’s important to leave your cameras up well before and after open turkey seasons. By doing this, you can key in on flock numbers and seasonal movements, from flocking up in the winter to mating in the spring, followed by nesting. Rensel uses SPYPOINT cameras and particularly utilizes the time-lapse feature, instead of motion-activated images, to more consistently keep track of flock size and habitat use over extended periods of time.
To get tabs on hyper-local population trends, it’s also important to track rearing success—so long as you do so in a low-impact manner. “I would never advise anybody, you know, putting a camera up like on a nest itself,” he says. “But after nesting, you can definitely tell the difference between poults and their mama. If you can find good brooding habitat, which has forbs and protection from avian predators, you can see which hens are successful and how many survive the summer. You might have to move your cameras around depending on the different life stages they go through.”
The extended use of trail cams for turkeys can allow you to shift your hunting decisions to preserve the health of your flock when you also take into account weather conditions, harvest data, regional and statewide counts, and predator control efforts. “Game cameras can give you a good snapshot of what’s going on in your area,” Rensel says. “There’s no silver bullet to getting a true population model, but it’s a tool for seeing how successful birds are in your area. You can definitely keep it in mind when deciding how many toms and jakes to take off a property.
Rensel runs both cell and SD-card trail cams from Spypoint’s lineup. Each type offers advantages when it comes to monitoring turkey populations: the non-cell cameras tend to have better image and sound quality, while the cell cameras reduce the impact you can exert from regularly checking your cards. Plus, you’ll be sure to get some awesome footage and audio of wild turkeys doing what they do.