GAME COMMISSION OFFERS UPDATE ON WILD TURKEY BANDING STUDY
The Pennsylvania Game Commission and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), along with wildlife officials in Ohio and New York, are continuing a joint four-year study to estimate the spring gobbler harvest rates in each of the three states.
"In Pennsylvania, as spring gobbler hunters prepare to head into the woods tomorrow, we are pleased to report that we have successfully banded 332 gobblers, which is 10 percent more than our banding goal," said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. "We are indebted to the NWTF for covering the cost of Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State to coordinate this tri-state effort and analyze the data.
"Mild winter weather made turkey trapping conditions difficult in Ohio, and the state consequently banded only 222 of the 300 it sought. The tri-state annual goal of 900-banded males was exceeded because Pennsylvania banded 332 and New York banded 350. In Pennsylvania, we banded 149 adult gobblers and 183 juveniles (jakes). New York banded 150 adults, 200 jakes and Ohio banded 79 adults, 143 jakes."
To date, Casalena noted the three states have banded 2,613 male turkeys: 668 in Ohio, 914 in Pennsylvania and 1,031 in New York. She added that the study will allow comparisons of harvest and survival rates among the three states, with their varying harvests, hunter numbers and hunter densities.
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency website:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=11&Q=174009
