Ever wonder, 1. “What eats wild turkey eggs? Or 2. What causes turkey nests to fail?”
The NWTF and State Wildlife Biologists have extensively studied predator communities and their interactions with Wild Turkey Nests and their Eggs. By placing trail cameras in the immediate area they have learned which animals are a threat to the nest, the eggs, as well as to the hen.
Cameras focused on wild turkey nests reveal a diversity of predators come to the nest site. Snakes are common, as are ravens and crows — with coyotes, bobcats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, possums, wild hogs and owls also showing up.
Crows and Ravens follow hens to their nest sites and then harass them until they abandons the nest. However, coyotes, bobcats and owls are after the hens, not the eggs. Surprisingly, research shows that raccoons, armadillos, skunks and feral hogs are not regular visitors at active nests.
Biologists suspect that is because female wild turkeys don’t regard those species as a threat. Hens are quick to fight and defend their nest sites against species that are not a threat to them.
