Post on 02-Jan-2016
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Introduction
• History– In the late 1800s, hunting greatly reduced
RGWT numbers.
– By 1920, much of the population was extirpated over its original range.
– Approximately 100,000 birds left in Texas, primarily in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains.
Introduction
• History– Through harvest restrictions and restoration
efforts, RGWT rebounded across Texas and U.S.
– Restoration primarily by trapping and transplanting birds.
– Turkeys in the Edwards Plateau were not immune to population declines as numbers have been decreasing since the 1970s.
Possible Reasons for Decrease
• Reproductive issues• Land fragmentation• Increase in brush canopy• Decrease in vegetative cover
Movement• Turkeys move up to 2 mi/hr in search of food• Direction is random, but driven by food availability
• Spring – bred hens move independently from non-bred hens
• Summer – gobblers move separate from juvenile males and non-breeding females
• Late-summer – brood flocks form• Winter - males join flock
Movement• From winter roosts, turkeys move ~ 2 mi searching
for food• In spring, search for nesting and brooding cover– Usually within 2 miles of roost– Some have been documented moving up to 27 miles
Nesting• Eggs cream / tan with speckles• Incubation begins when last egg is laid• Lays 8-16 eggs• Incubation takes ~ 28 days
Nesting• Edwards Plateau– In grass ~18 inches
tall• Rolling Plains–Vegetation near
roadways– Low brush
important for poults
Nesting• Reproduction and recruitment are highly important– Percent hens nesting and re-nesting– Nest success (clutch hatched out)– Poult survival
NestingReproductive success dependant on – Rainfall
• Cumulative over the year not individual rain events• Winter rainfall better predictor than spring rains
– Range condition– Body condition of individual hens
Predation Effects on Nests• Raccoon and grey foxes were the most
common nest predators• Sometimes more than 1 predator
depredates a nest• Occasionally a hen will resume nesting if
some eggs remain
Management Considerations and Planning
• Outlines a plan of action to enhance wildlife and habitat resources
Benefits of Prescribed BurningRGWTs can benefit from prescribed burning– best in the fall and winter– stimulates forbs, which produce seeds and green foliage – beneficial for invertebrates
Turkey DietsRGWTs have broad diets
– Green foliage– Seeds from grasses and forbs– Mast– Animal matter – Content varies seasonally
Shallow Disking• Disk in January - March• Plow, 2-4 inches deep to break soil• Narrow strips ~ 20 ft wide• Place close to cover• Disk strips in alternate years
Roosting TreesLarge trees with many horizontal branches and broad crowns– Pecan– Cottonwood– Oaks– Hackberry– Elm
Roosting Trees• If brush treatments are required, consider– Timing of treatment• Late spring or early summer; when leaving winter
roosts• Midday while turkeys are foraging• Avoid roost disturbance; quickly get in & get out
– Density of encroaching brush species– Types of treatment• Mechanical• Chemical• Stem treatment
Roosting Trees
• Mechanical treatment– Use depends on stem density– Pro: instant gratification to brush person– Pro: no chance of killing roost tree with herbicide– Con: noisy and invasive– Con: does not kill most brush species
• Recommend taking only a small percentage of brush and gauge turkey response
Roosting Trees
• Chemical Treatments – basal stem– Pro: quiet as compared to mechanical treatment– Pro: precisely control which plants to kill– Pro: brush dies over 12-18 months; mimics natural
plant mortality– Con: if tebuthiuron, or hexazinone are used it WILL KILL the roost tree
• Recommend 15-25% mix of triclopyr in diesel for selective brush treatment
Roosting Trees
• Chemical Treatments – cut-stump– Pro: quiet as compared to mechanical treatment– Pro: precisely control which plants to kill– Pro: instant gratification given top removal– Con: if tebuthiuron, or hexazinone are used it WILL KILL the roost tree
• Recommend 20-25% mix of triclopyr in diesel for selective brush treatment– Apply immediately to fresh cut stump
Roosting CoverWhen natural roosts do not
exist or are limited- Artificial sites can be
built - Set horizontal boards
between two poles- Approximately 20 ft
high- Leaving 3 feet
between the boards