Hen Harvest and Survival Study October 2012

[dcheckman]

Wild Turkey Hen Harvest Rates and Annual Survival Rates Study, October 2012

Study Area 1 is comprised of WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D; Study Area 2 is comprised of WMUs 2F and 2G. Late summer turkey trapping began in mid-August to leg band an additional 150 hens (75 per Study Area), focusing on brood flocks to obtain a sample of leg banded juvenile hens to estimate fall harvest rates by age. Transmitters recovered from mortalities are being re-deployed with a goal of 60 transmitters on hens. Males incidentally trapped receive non-reward leg bands.
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Trapping success has been low due to the early drop of acorns and weather; we have leg-banded only 55 females (37% of goal). Consequently trapping continues through October 26 on private land with no fall turkey hunting where baiting turkeys for hunting is not an issue. Total leg banded turkeys to date are 1,172 females and 256 males.

We are continuing to coordinate with the PCFWRU to monitor survival and movements of transmittered hens. Similar to previous years, mortality rates during the summer brood-rearing period decreased from the higher levels observed during nest incubation in the spring. There are currently 42 transmitters active as of 3 October (24 in SA1, 18 in SA2). From mid-August through 3 October we recovered 1 transmitter in Study Area 1 (mammalian predation) and 1 transmitter in Study Area 2 (equipment failure); also, contact was lost with 2 transmitters in Study Area 2, and two juvenile females transmittered in Study Area 1 died within 2 weeks of capture.

A few of the transmittered hens have begun moving toward wintering grounds away from summer nesting/brooding areas. One hen in particular has returned to her winter ground where she was trapped last winter; a 12 mile trip.

[dcheckman]

PGC Wild Turkey Hen Harvest Rates and Annual Survival Rates Study – 2011-2014 - Update

This on-going PGC research study is designed primarily to estimate female turkey harvest rates and survival rates by age class and fall season length and determine the effect of changing fall season length on harvest rates of hen wild turkeys. Other objectives are to estimate the relationship between fall mast abundance and age-specific harvest rates, and determine fall turkey hunter satisfaction, participation during the different season segments and hunter recruitment. These results will be incorporated into models of turkey population dynamics for directing future management decisions in Pennsylvania and possibly other states. Study Area 1 is comprised of WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D; Study Area 2 is comprised of WMUs 2F and 2G.

[Key dynamics will be increased research data available for the state-wide wild turkey population model which will be a primary factor for updating and revising the new PGC Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania beginning in 2015. Results from the previous PGC Gobbler Leg Band Research Project will also be incorporated into the wild turkey population model, as well all the yearly wild turkey management data collected and reported by BWM. Wild Turkey Management History is being made with these two research studies, as neither research project has ever been done to these documented research objectives in Pennsylvania and possibly future management ideas and model for other states. I see a future DH article in the making, already keeping good notes. Don Heckman]

[Dutch]

It is always interesting to read of telemetry studies of any critter. Twelve miles to a wintering ground? Would be nice to see if that wintering ground becomes a concentration of birds.

[richg]

Don,what's the chances of ever seeing a second turkey season?Say after Christmas.Our area is loaded with hens and not many hunters.Fall hunting falls with everything else,smallgame and bow hunting.

[dougell]

Hen survival was pretty high around me this year lol.I've never seen so many turkeys in my life without killing one.

[Deleted]

Dec 11, 2012 18:05:24 GMT -5 dougell said:

Hen survival was pretty high around me this year lol.I've never seen so many turkeys in my life without killing one.

I couldn't find the buggers when looking for them and saw them tons in rifle I think they do that on purpose.

[dcheckman]

The second fall turkey hunting season is here now, the recently added fall season addition for Thanksgiving Day, Friday, and Saturday.

I do not foresee an additional Fall season in December in the future. The current wild turkey management plan and current 10 year data does not support additional fall/winter seasons.

The yearly state-wide wild turkey population graph since 1990 does not support additional fall seasons as the state-wide population increases/decreases based on the data presented and represented in Population Objective and Habitat Objective and strategies as documented in the management plan.

And for the record, I personally 100% agree with the management plan Goal, Objectives and Strategies, as documented.

And my opinions on this subject... One of the primary reasons for finally getting PGC BWM to schedule and complete these research studies was to gather data to answer questions like yours and my 12-15 questions.

It has taken PANWTF 12 years working with PGC to get state wide gobbler research study scheduled and completed. Actually 5 years longer to get the hen harvest rate study scheduled and started. Wild turkey just do not get the same needed requirements as Bear, Deer, Elk, and some other small game species, and that's Don's comments as I was the one to start asking back in 1999-2000-2001 when the TMA7B hen study was started after I was given PGC Executive Director and DCNR Secretary / and NWTF permission to request the start of the TMA7B Wild Turkey Task Force in 1996-1997. That was accomplished and I coordinated those yearly meetings for 14-15 years, and still attend the current fall meetings at Michaux State Forest Headquarters in October.

Believe me... I'm got the history and the dates and the meeting minutes from all those PGC/PANWTF meetings for the past 25+ years, studies, management reports, turkey hunting license requests, hunter safety improvements, wild turkey information education, and more turkey hunting license legislative requests, etc. etc. My data base is almost as good as Jerry Wunz's was, and I have copies of much of his data, papers, and articles.

Now that the Gobbler Leg Band Study is completed, data gathered, analyzed, documented, tables updated, the wild turkey population model started, the same needs to be done with completing the Hen Harvest Rate Study (2011-2014) and that data completed, updated, documented also. This all takes time, and the timing is right to get this done before the next revised PGC Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania 2006-2015 is updated and signed hopefully by 2016.

I'm sure over on the other message board you have probably read by now my many comments and articles on wild turkey management, proposed seasons and bag limits, seasons and bag limits recommendations, and what can be done if the Wild Turkey Management Plan is updated and followed based on "Resource First" wildlife management principles and guidelines, which includes habitat management.

I've outlined my thoughts up to 2049 [based on 100 year 1950-2049, with 4 - 25 year management periods], which are all dependent on PGC Management decisions based on sound scientific wildlife (wild turkey) management decisions as documented, updated, revised in the PGC Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania. It is the bible of wild turkey management in and for Pennsylvania and needs to be followed as updated and revised each 10 years.

With all that being said, Pennsylvania's state-wide wild turkey population could increase and grow to a 3 year stable 450,000+ population before a yearly 4 bird limit could be possible, and all day spring gobbler season for 4 weeks-5 Saturdays, and possible extended fall season dates.

However the difficulty with the current fall bear and deer hunting seasons being as they are structured today would be hard to support additional overlapping turkey hunting days into early December. Only possibly could be the week following antlerless deer season for initially 3 days. My one concern on extended fall turkey hunting days is snow cover and the ease of killing turkeys with snow cover and over harvesting. In my humble opinion the end of November is the right time to stop turkey hunting before winter sets in, and winters need to be a major concern in Pennsylvania and can be a severe detriment to wild turkey population management as is.

Now that says a lot of which nothing has been documented or researched in the wild turkey management plan for future expanded spring gobbler season days, extended fall hunting seasons into December, and expanding bag limit considerations. Could the door be opened to any of these 3 in the future, possibly... but the state-wide wild turkey population model must be completed and put into the management planning and decision making process for 1 - 10 year management plan revision cycle.

And that is just the beginning, Page 1 Paragraph 1... for any possible future wild turkey population modeling and increased hunting days and bag limits considerations. My book has 49 pages.
Don...
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[richg]

A december or january season would be great.Even if for one or two weekends.