WILD TURKEY REPRODUCTION IN A PRAIRIE‐WOODLAND COMPLEX IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Abstract: Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), primarily Merriam's subspecies (M. g. merriami), have been particularly successful in the intermix of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) woodlands, moist deciduous draws, and grasslands of south‐central South Dakota. Fifty‐three wild turkey females in sou...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1995-01-01
|
| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2328-5540.1995.tb00225.x |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract: Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), primarily Merriam's subspecies (M. g. merriami), have been particularly successful in the intermix of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) woodlands, moist deciduous draws, and grasslands of south‐central South Dakota. Fifty‐three wild turkey females in south‐central South Dakota were monitored using radiotelemetry during 1986 and 1987 to ascertain reproductive characteristics. Clutches were initiated as early as 9 April. Thirty‐six of 47 (76.6%) adult and 1 of 6 (16.7%) juvenile hens incubated clutches; observed nest success, including two renests, was 43.6% (17 of 39). Predation appeared to be the cause for failure in 19 of 22 nests (86.4%) and for the loss of 4 of 37 nesting hens (10.8%). Mean clutch size was 11.2 eggs (n = 25) and egg hatchability was 91.8%. Dispersal by females from the geometric center of their winter home range to nest sites averaged 2.6 km (n = 27, SD = 1.04). Brood survival was 64.7% (11 of 17) for both years combined. Poult survival from hatch to mid‐August was 42.9% in 1986, with all poult mortality occurring within 2 weeks of hatching. Due to brood amalgamation, we did not estimate poult survival in 1987. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2328-5540 |