I have no doubt that turkeys will eat the eggs of other ground nesting birds, along with insects, grubs, caterpillars, seeds, nuts, and just about any protein they can find during their grazing through the woods. Other than wild grapes, they were competing for many of the same food sources. I cannot recall seeing turkeys in wild grape thickets very often. Yet I can well recall many places that had good populations of both grouse and turkeys at the same time.
I can't say that I really see a much greater number of owls, but I know that they are mostly nocturnal. However, the number of hawks has exploded. I think the Game Commission finally realized that grouse numbers are at a tipping point. There was never a great number of hunters during the late season. I always tried to get out a several times, but it largely coincided with my flintlock deer hunting after Christmas. By then, when winter has set in, there are few guys in the woods, and distant shots from late season small game hunters are few and far between, so the impact on grouse was probably rather small.
When the coyotes really got into the areas I hunt, you could hear them howling at night. At the same time, I began seeing a much greater number of predator killed grouse and turkey carcasses. Turkey numbers are not as bad as grouse, but the numbers are noticeably much lower in most places. This was before we started hearing reports of bird deaths from West Nile Virus. I know that the coyote lovers don't want to have us believe our own eyes, but I'll go with hard evidence I can touch and see over feel-good theories that make little or no sense.
