Here in Iowa I consider Turkey as an invasive species. I say that since as a kid growing up here they didn't exist. They were of course here by the thousands when the territory was settled back in the 1840's but were shot out.

As a kid we hunted ruffed grouse, had them by the hundreds, but after the DNR reintroduced turkey the grouse disappeared.

The latest event in our area has been tremendous timber damage from last years tornadoes. Large tracts of timber turned into blow-down.

The deer seem to navigate such areas with ease, and love the increased browse, but here is my question for you Turkey experts;

Do turkey tolerate such nasty habitat, or do they avoid it as it makes it almost impossible for them to see and walk easily? Of course they can fly over or through it but flying is a Turkeys last choice.

they travel the thick cutovers here in VA with no problems

Grouse have all but disappeared here in Pa. over the past couple decades, but it is mostly to habitat change. Grouse need thick cover and open woods is not the most beneficial. We do have pockets of them where we had tornado damage, north of Interstate 80 back in the late 70's.

Turkeys are native to the US, and can tolerate open woods since they can eat acorns, and some of the larger mast that grouse can't. I've seen them in some seriously thick cover here in our county. If there is food there for them, they will get to it. That tornado damage may help get some grouse back in your area.

I don't know much about turkeys but they cross through a tag alder swamp on my property that is pretty thick.I figured they would not but they do.

Turkeys will navigate any type of cover to find food. I see them in timbered land ,thick brush, multi floral rose bush thickets and little patches of woods around pasture fields.

Turkeys can navigate through nasty terrain but they like tall trees to roost in at night

Walk same trail's as deer.

They traveled all over our place with blowdowns, brush piles and heavy greenbirier etc..

Turkeys may be able to travel through blowdowns and thick cover, but they prefer and do better in more open country. It took15 or 20 years for the Turkey population to recover in the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston after Hurricane Hugo hit in '89.

They prefer to go around really thick stuff if possible.Hard wired to avoid pounce points.

4nolz is correct. They can’t smell and only rely on eyes as protection. Thick stuff is gonna cause them to be useless. In the spring the hens do nest in thicker cover but it’s an exception.

When turkeys are roosting they're safe from predators at night but Nesting hens that stay with their eggs sleep with their head tucked under their wing making them easy prey for fox, coyotes, owls, coons and opossums.... this can sometimes be their fate.

Don't know how well turkeys navigate or specifically tolerate blown down timber, but I'd imagine they might use it for cover at times. Our past was this: I saw one (1) turkey before I was 18 in my area of upstate NY, and I was blown away by seeing it here. They were more likely to be seen far down in the southern tier, and Alleghenys. We used to have pheasants galore (a true introduced species), and lots of ruffies, but now the rare pheasant I see (just last week, rooster next to the road near our house, and was dead in it three days later) are holdovers from local fish and game club bird hunt releases. Ruffies are cyclical here, and have been down for a few years, with coyote and fisher numbers WAY up. Turkeys are making a comeback, and many of them seem to be moving into the Adirondacks up north. Since there are a lot of blowdowns in the 'dacks, I'd surmise that turkeys tolerate that habitat well, and may thrive in the abundant beech habitat, taking advantage of the beechnuts.

Most here, including me, speak to their home areas. Around here they have not problem with brushy areas...even cutovers.

I've seen low country wood lot birds defy the traditional mountain birds personas.

Simply put they are not the same birds and are not skittish living umong humans unlike big country birds.

So to answer your question go out and learn your own birds and stop with questions. You have to find out on your own anyways and then figure out how to get in position to get you some.

I seen turkeys go through brush and blow downs that deer could not get through let alone a human on his hands and knees.

If you don't think so wait till you wound one then you will get to see a bird try to even go down a fox hole or coyote hole.

As small as the kill zone is the birds they are twice as tough and can take an arrow unlike many animals and other critters. You arrow enough birds you find out quick what they can and do and will do to get away.

Hens w poults often head for cover. That’s their option being poults often don’t fully fly or fly at all. If they ran into the open they’d be nabbed. They also hit thick cover when avian predators try n get poults. Actually saw about 2 years ago a hawk try n get some young poults. The hens ran the poults into a thick edge and actually flew after the hawk. That being said, turkeys do not do best when everything is thick to answer the op question. You do need some mix for sure but not all thick. Also I should say if they’re native they’re not invasive no matter how we view them.

Turkeys are not afraid of thick brush...not one bit

They are adaptable just like deer as long as there is a food source. DANNY

Guys we must be talking two totally dif kinds of thick. Around here there’s lots of multiflora rose. Deer are sometimes in it, rabbits always are. Turkeys never., Again their only defense is eyes. They gotta see through it to be comfortable but believe as you want. No one is talking once or twice, what’s the norm? Not real thick, least what I call thick, cover

Turkeys seem to be an odd duck? WAY BACK IN THE DAY when I was growing up, I was in the boonies pretty much. Only in the last 30 years or so have housing subdivisions sprung up like mushrooms. In all that time of woods and fields, Never heard or seen a turkey and never heard any of the local people talk about them. Seems like that the THUNDER CHICKENS should have been all over but weren't. Not so back in the day was a scouting trip to check out deer in a combination of logging area and Game management place about 30 miles to the North. I and the mottly crew drive off a paved road on to dirt and pass a flock of around 20 or so full grown birds in a feed (?) plot??? Talk about total shock? The first time I had ever seen TRUELY WILD TURKEY and THAT MANY OF THEM. Trying to figure out what was the difference between there and my old home place??? Just sayin'

they tend to stay out of the rough stuff when the poults are young due to predators. The more they grow mature, the more they seem to go anywhere to find mast or insects.

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