MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES

Abstract: Ninety‐five percent of Connecticut's 12,973.3 km2 is in private ownership. The human population density of about 239/km2 places a heavy demand by wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) hunters on the open space in private ownership and on the 344.5 km2 of state land available fo...

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Main Authors: Brian K. Miller, Dale W. May
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1990-01-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2328-5540.1990.tb00202.x
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author Brian K. Miller
Dale W. May
author_facet Brian K. Miller
Dale W. May
author_sort Brian K. Miller
collection DOAJ
description Abstract: Ninety‐five percent of Connecticut's 12,973.3 km2 is in private ownership. The human population density of about 239/km2 places a heavy demand by wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) hunters on the open space in private ownership and on the 344.5 km2 of state land available for hunting. In an effort to keep private lands open to wild turkey hunting, we instituted a system of written mandatory landowner consent for turkey hunting at the onset of Connecticut's first modern‐day turkey hunting season in 1981. After 9 years, the number of landowners permitting wild turkey hunting has increased by 308%. This trend is partially attributable to the expansion of huntable range since 1981. However, private land area open to turkey hunting has increased by 37.9% since 1987 while total huntable range remained stable. This landowner consent system has also controlled hunter density on private lands (1.5‐2.3 hunters/km2) keeping it lower than on state lands (2.2‐3.2 hunters/km2) where hunter density was controlled by lottery selection during the 1981‐1987 period. Hunter success rates on private land ranged from 13.1 to 25.5%, about 3‐5 times higher than on state land (2.4‐6.4%).
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spelling doaj-art-3f2e4d4398034ec18bf4fe0c99bae4ec2025-08-20T02:05:25ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55401990-01-011990S121422310.1002/j.2328-5540.1990.tb00202.xMANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATESBrian K. Miller0Dale W. May1Purdue UniversityDepartment of Forestry and Natural ResourcesWest LafayetteIN47907Connecticut Department of Environmental ProtectionWildlife Bureau, Franklin Wildlife Management AreaR.R. #1, Box 241North FranklinCT06254Abstract: Ninety‐five percent of Connecticut's 12,973.3 km2 is in private ownership. The human population density of about 239/km2 places a heavy demand by wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) hunters on the open space in private ownership and on the 344.5 km2 of state land available for hunting. In an effort to keep private lands open to wild turkey hunting, we instituted a system of written mandatory landowner consent for turkey hunting at the onset of Connecticut's first modern‐day turkey hunting season in 1981. After 9 years, the number of landowners permitting wild turkey hunting has increased by 308%. This trend is partially attributable to the expansion of huntable range since 1981. However, private land area open to turkey hunting has increased by 37.9% since 1987 while total huntable range remained stable. This landowner consent system has also controlled hunter density on private lands (1.5‐2.3 hunters/km2) keeping it lower than on state lands (2.2‐3.2 hunters/km2) where hunter density was controlled by lottery selection during the 1981‐1987 period. Hunter success rates on private land ranged from 13.1 to 25.5%, about 3‐5 times higher than on state land (2.4‐6.4%).https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2328-5540.1990.tb00202.x
spellingShingle Brian K. Miller
Dale W. May
MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
Wildlife Society Bulletin
title MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
title_full MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
title_fullStr MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
title_full_unstemmed MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
title_short MANDATORY LANDOWNER CONSENT AS A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WILD TURKEY HUNTER DENSITY AND HUNTER SUCCESS RATES
title_sort mandatory landowner consent as a method of controlling wild turkey hunter density and hunter success rates
url https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2328-5540.1990.tb00202.x
work_keys_str_mv AT briankmiller mandatorylandownerconsentasamethodofcontrollingwildturkeyhunterdensityandhuntersuccessrates
AT dalewmay mandatorylandownerconsentasamethodofcontrollingwildturkeyhunterdensityandhuntersuccessrates