Wild Turkey Research
Wild turkeys are one of the most popular game species in New York State. Over 100,000 hunters participate in the spring hunting season and 65,000 hunters take to the field each fall in pursuit of this great game bird. Successful long-term management of turkey populations requires knowledge attained through rigorous science. Only by determining the past and current status of wild turkeys, their habitats, and public concerns and expectations can we manage this resource in a sustainable manner. The following summary highlights our most current research project examining harvest and survival rates of males wild turkeys or "gobblers".
Wild Turkey Spring Harvest Rates and Annual Survival Rates Study
In January 2006, DEC began a 4-year wild turkey banding project designed to estimate harvest and survival rates of male wild turkeys ("gobblers") in New York. This study is being done in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, researchers from Pennsylvania State University, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. The objectives of this work are to: (1) Estimate harvest rates of male wild turkeys during the spring season; (2) Estimate annual survival rates of male wild turkeys; (3) Estimate non-hunting mortality rates of male wild turkeys; (4) Estimate hunter reporting rates of harvested wild turkeys; (5) Use the estimated harvest rates and independent harvest estimates to calculate a population estimate for male wild turkeys in each state; and (6) Investigate landscape factors (e.g., percent forest cover, patchiness of forested areas, human population density, etc.) related to harvest rates.
Winter 2009 marked the final field season for capture and marking, and data on band returns was collected through summer of 2009. DEC staff banded an additional 300 gobblers this winter, bringing the four-year total to 1,331 gobblers and 1,353 hens in 54 of the 55 counties in upstate New York (north of the Bronx-Westchester border). During the four-year study Pennsylvania Game Commission and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have banded 1,262 and 618 gobblers, respectively.
During the spring 2009 hunting season, we recovered bands from 142 gobblers including 61 banded in winter 2009, 58 banded in winter 2008, 16 banded in winter 2007, and 7 banded in winter 2006. The 61 bands from winter 2009 (22 jakes, 39 toms) represent a return rate of about 20%. This is a slight increase from spring 2008 (18% return rate). The return rate for 2009-banded jakes was 14% and 2009-banded toms was 28%. Some of the analyses currently underway include estimating harvest and survival rates for each state and for major regions within each state (e.g., DEC regions and ecozones such as the West Appalachian Hills), and investigating whether landscape composition and configuration (e.g., % forest and agriculture, forest patch size, etc.) are related to harvest and survival rates. Final results will be used to assess our current hunting season configurations to ensure the long-term welfare of the wild turkey resource in New York.
DEC thanks all of the volunteers and cooperating landowners for their invaluable assistance in the field. This project would not be possible without them.
