SURVIVAL OF SUPPLEMENTALLY STOCKED EASTERN WILD TURKEYS IN EAST TEXAS
Abstract: We evaluated survival of supplementally stocked eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) as impacted by home range overlap with previously stocked eastern wild turkeys. In early 1994, 60 wild‐trapped eastern wild turkeys were radio‐tagged and released in the Pineywoods Region...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2005-01-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2328-5540.2005.tb00303.x |
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| Summary: | Abstract: We evaluated survival of supplementally stocked eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) as impacted by home range overlap with previously stocked eastern wild turkeys. In early 1994, 60 wild‐trapped eastern wild turkeys were radio‐tagged and released in the Pineywoods Region of east Texas. In early 1997, 80 additional turkeys were released at the same sites. In both years, equal numbers of birds were from the midwestern and southeastern United States. In 1994 and 1997, male:female sex ratios were 1:4 and 1:3, respectively. Surviving turkeys were regularly radio‐located from 1 March 1997 to 30 June 1999. We used CALHOME to construct size and shape of each turkey's home range during 1 March–30 June 1997 (spring), 1 July–31 October 1997 (summer), and 1 November 1997–28 February 1998 (winter). We used ArcView (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California, USA) to overlay home ranges of 1997 turkeys with those of 1994 birds and static territorial interaction to measure percent overlap. For 1997 turkeys, we regressed percent home range overlap with survival in days for spring, summer, winter, and the entire study period. Regardless of broodstock source, home range overlap and survival were positively correlated (P ≤ 0.05) for both sexes during spring and for females during winter and the entire study period; there were no correlations (P > 0.05) between variables during summer. These results suggest survival of recently released turkeys increases as home range overlap with birds familiar with the habitat increases. |
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| ISSN: | 2328-5540 |