Wild Turkeys and Old Gobblers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Strachan Donnelley
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Mature Male ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
Family Home ◽  
Wild Turkeys

This chapter tells the story of a wild turkey hunt that did not go as planned, during a time when the author was staying at his family home in South Carolina on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday. A mature male turkey is shot and wounded, and the ethics of hunting require that the animal be followed and killed as humanely as possible. The pursuit turns into a gruelling ordeal, in a bramble patch and a water-filled ditch, for both the bird and the human. What is revealed about humans and nature in this pursuit? Characteristically, no clear answer is forthcoming. Some connection is made: a dance that ended in death for the turkey became a part of the man’s learning.

scholarly journals Gobbling activity of eastern wild turkeys relative to male movements and female nesting phenology in South Carolina

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Chamberlain ◽  
Patrick H. Wightman ◽  
Bradley S. Cohen ◽  
Bret A. Collier
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Wild Turkeys

Survival and cause-specific mortality of the female eastern wild turkey at its northern range edge

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britney Niedzielski ◽  
Jeff Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Meleagris Gallopavo ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Supplemental Food ◽  
Range Edge ◽  
The North ◽  
Wild Turkeys ◽  
Peripheral Areas

Context In an era of rapid environmental change, many species are shifting their distributions. As temperate-zone species’ expand their ranges north, different and potentially severe limiting factors may begin to affect their ability to survive and reproduce. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is one example of a species undergoing rapid northern expansion. Aims An improved understanding of wild turkey demography at the species’ northern range periphery would facilitate effective management of this important game species. Therefore, we undertook a study to evaluate survival, causes of mortality, and behavioural strategies that may govern survival of female wild turkeys. Methods We captured 53 female wild turkeys, and used backpack transmitters to monitor their individual fates during 2012–13. Key results The annual survival estimate was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.25–0.55), with the lowest seasonal survival in the winter. The most frequent cause of mortality was mammalian predation, predominately by coyotes (Canis latrans). Age, proximity to supplemental food, and habitat use did not affect risk of mortality. Conclusions Northern wild turkeys in our study exhibited lower survival and suffered higher predation than did populations in the species’ historic range. Despite our findings, the wild turkey has expanded its range northwards and continues to exist in these peripheral areas. This may be due to high productivity or a source–sink dynamic, whereby high mortality is offset by immigration from the south. Implications The low survival and high predation of wild turkeys in the north must be considered when developing management strategies, particularly if interest exists in translocating turkeys farther north. Further research is needed to better understand whether northern turkey populations persist as sinks.

scholarly journals Gobbling chronology of eastern wild turkeys in South Carolina

2018 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick H. Wightman ◽  
John C. Kilgo ◽  
Mark Vukovich ◽  
Jay R. Cantrell ◽  
Charles R. Ruth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Wild Turkeys

scholarly journals Gastrocnemius Muscle Structural and Functional Changes Associated with Domestication in the Turkey

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1850
Author(s):  
Kristin K. Stover ◽  
David A. Sleboda ◽  
Elizabeth L. Brainerd ◽  
Thomas J. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Muscle Performance ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Collagen Concentration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Wild Turkeys

Selection for increased muscle mass in domestic turkeys has resulted in muscles twice the size of those found in wild turkeys. This study characterizes muscle structural changes as well as functional differences in muscle performance associated with selection for increased muscle mass. We compared peak isometric force production, whole muscle and individual fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), connective tissue collagen concentration and structure of the lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscle in wild and adult domestic turkeys. We also explored changes with age between juvenile and adult domestic turkeys. We found that the domestic turkey’s LG muscle can produce the same force per cross-sectional area as a wild turkey; however, due to scaling, domestic adults produce less force per unit body mass. Domestic turkey muscle fibers were slightly smaller in CSA (3802 ± 2223 μm2) than those of the wild turkey (4014 ± 1831 μm2, p = 0.013), indicating that the absolutely larger domestic turkey muscles are a result of an increased number of smaller fibers. Collagen concentration in domestic turkey muscle (4.19 ± 1.58 μg hydroxyproline/mg muscle) was significantly lower than in the wild turkeys (6.23 ± 0.63 μg/mg, p = 0.0275), with visible differences in endomysium texture, observed via scanning electron microscopy. Selection for increased muscle mass has altered the structure of the LG muscle; however, scaling likely contributes more to hind limb functional differences observed in the domestic turkey.

scholarly journals Effects of hunting and season of fire on wild turkey populations in South Carolina.

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
William, F. Moore ◽  
John, C. Kilgo ◽  
David, C. Guynn ◽  
James, R. Davis
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Wild Turkey

scholarly journals Habitat overlap among bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in an agricultural landscape

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 486-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.K. Nielsen ◽  
C.R. Bottom ◽  
R.G. Tebo ◽  
E. Greenspan
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Nest Success ◽  
Meleagris Gallopavo ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Lynx Rufus ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Habitat Overlap ◽  
Wild Turkeys

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus, 1758) populations have grown considerably in the Midwestern U.S. alongside mesocarnivores, such as coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and bobcats (Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777)). However, few studies have assessed habitat overlap between mesocarnivores and turkeys with a goal to understand potential impacts of mesocarnivores on turkeys. We captured and radiomarked bobcats, coyotes, and Wild Turkey hens in southern Illinois during 2011–2013 in an agricultural landscape and created single-species resource selection and overlap models. Wild Turkeys and bobcats demonstrated concentrated use in forested areas, whereas coyote use was highest in agricultural areas. We documented Wild Turkey nests (n = 107) and hen mortalities (n = 28), which were used to model the effect of bobcat, coyote, and Wild Turkey habitat use on turkey nest success and mortality. Increased coyote use was associated with higher nest success and increased turkey use was associated with higher probability of mortality. These findings suggest that top predators, such as coyotes, may be important and beneficial for ground-nesting avian species. With coyotes acting as the top predator throughout much of the Midwest, they are likely reducing densities of other important turkey nest predator species, thereby increasing nest success.

Movement Ecology of Spring Wild Turkey Hunters on Public Lands in South Carolina, USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-270
Author(s):  
Alaina P. Gerrits ◽  
Patrick H. Wightman ◽  
Jay R. Cantrell ◽  
Charles Ruth ◽  
Michael J. Chamberlain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Public Lands ◽  
Wild Turkey

Trapping Wild Turkeys in South Carolina

1947 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
William P. Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Wild Turkeys

scholarly journals Coyote, Canis latrans - Rio Grande Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo intermedia, Interactions

2003 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 645
Author(s):  
Brian L. Spears ◽  
Warren B. Ballard ◽  
Mark C. Wallace ◽  
Roger D. Applegate ◽  
Phillip S. Gipson
Keyword(s):  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Meleagris Gallopavo ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
Meleagris Gallopavo Intermedia ◽  
Wild Turkeys

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are widely known to be predators of Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopauo sspp.). We describe two observations of single Coyotes coming within 10 m of feeding Wild Turkey flocks without attempting to predate them in Stevens County, Kansas. We relate these observations to Coyote predation on turkeys and mobbing behavior.

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