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The Wild Turkey In Marylandis published by the

Maryland Wild Turkey Advisory Committeein cooperation with the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

EditorsSteve Bittner and Bob Long,

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Pubication Design and Illustration byWade Henry

December, 2003

Cover Photograph byTom Evans/National Wild Turkey Federation (NTWF)

Maryland Wild Turkey Advisory CommitteeChairman: James Gilford, Outdoor Writers

Robert Abraham, Frederick CountyRobert Eichler, National Wild Turkey Federation

Aelred Geis, Baltimore/Washington AreaFather William George, S.J., Southern Maryland

Howard Janoske, At LargeDavid Johnson, Lower Eastern Shore

Buz Meyer, The Wildlife SocietyFrank Ryan, Central Maryland

Stuart Sommers, Garrett County

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

The wild turkey(Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)and turkey hunting are a trea-sured part of our Marylandheritage. Although plentifuland a valued source of food forEuropean settlers arriving inMaryland, unrestricted huntingand land use changes in the ensuing years eliminated all but aremnant of the State’s once flourishing turkey flock which wassecluded in parts of Garrett and Allegany counties.

Today, as a result of concerted efforts to protect the remain-ing stock of wild birds and a 20-year effort to reintroduceturkeys into suitable habitat, these magnificent birds are onceagain established in all 23 Maryland counties; the resident flocknow numbers in excess of 30,000 birds.

Wildlife watchers praise the beauty of the wild turkey. Sincethey are somewhat shy birds, the average Marylander may notsee one of these birds in the wild, but anyone who has sur-prised a flock of turkeys in an old field and watched the greatbirds glide into the woods is impressed by their appearanceand grace.

Wild turkeys are both challenging and thrilling to hunt andan economic asset to the state. Based on Maryland huntinglicense sales and national recreational surveys it is estimated

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that the average turkey hunter spends more than $300 a yearfor clothing, turkey calls, ammunition, guns, in-state travel,food and lodging. With approximately 16,000 turkey huntersin Maryland, a reasonable estimate of the economic benefit thestate receives from turkey hunting is about $4.8 million annu-ally.

The revenues derived from hunting, including Pittman-Robertson Funds (a federal excise tax placed on the sale ofsporting arms and ammunition), has been the primary fundingsource of wild turkey management. Without the revenue fromhunting, management efforts probably would not have oc-curred and wild turkeys would not be as abundant and wide-spread as they are today.

More recently, wildlife watchers have joined hunters in theirappreciation of the wild turkey, and with turkeys now estab-lished in every Maryland county, involvement in watching andphotographing wild turkeys is expected to increase. Whilethere is no way of placing an economic value on the rewards ofwatching and photographing wild turkeys, they are, neverthe-less, real. On average, each of the 1.5 million Maryland wild-life watchers spends about $300 annually observing or photo-graphing wildlife. It’s not possible to identify how much of thatis attributable to turkey watching, but if it is as little as 1%, theeconomic benefit would amount to almost $4.5 million a yearspent on turkey watching.

WILD TURKEY HISTORWILD TURKEY HISTORWILD TURKEY HISTORWILD TURKEY HISTORWILD TURKEY HISTORY IN MARY IN MARY IN MARY IN MARY IN MARYLYLYLYLYLANDANDANDANDAND

EARLY HISTORYAccording to early accounts, wild turkeys were abundant

when European settlers arrived in Maryland in 1634 andwelcomed as food; “... the Turkey, whom I have seen in wholehundreds in flights in the Woods of Mary-Land, being anextraordinary fat Fowl, whose flesh is very pleasant andsweet”, wrote George Alsop in A Character of the Province ofMaryland (1666).

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Although Lord Baltimore opened land west of the Tidewaterarea to settlement in 1732, the forest habitat of wild turkeysremained relatively undisturbed until the late 1700s whenmajor expanses of forest were clear-cut to produce charcoal tofire iron furnaces. Later, with the invention of the steam en-gine and the development of railroads in the early 1800s,previously inaccessible forests in western Maryland wereopened to timbering. In the decades that followed, under thegrowing demand for wood and wood products, much ofMaryland’s timber was cleared.

POPULATION DECLINEWith unrestricted hunting and timber cutting, turkeys de-

clined along with other forest wildlife species that shared theirhabitat. By the turn of the 20th Century, only a remnant ofMaryland’s once abundant wild turkey flock remained, leadingState Game Warden F. Lee LeCompte in 1919 to conclude“Wild turkeys, outside of a few sections in the Western countiesof our State, are practically extinct.”

Concern over low turkey populations resulted in a prohibi-tion on turkey hunting in Garrett County from 1920 to 1933.In 1925, Maryland initiated a program to restore wild turkeysby buying and releasing pen-raised turkeys into the wild. In1930, the State established its own turkey farm, raising andreleasing nearly 33,000 turkeys into the wild between 1930and 1971.

Various techniques were tried in hopes of producingpen-reared birds that exhibited all the characteristics of a trulywild turkey. Wild stock was obtained from several states andthe Woodmont Rod and Gun Club, near Hancock, to improvethe genetic quality of the game farm turkeys. Wing clippedhens were mated with wild gobblers in an effort to instill morewild qualities in the offspring. Despite these and other efforts,game farm releases were not successful in establishing wildturkey flocks in Maryland. Expensive and not effective, thegame farm program was abandoned in 1971 in favor of thetrap and transplant approach.

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POPULATION RESTORATIONThe success of the trap and transplant program depended

on the rocket net, a device invented and perfected in the1950s. It consists of a large net that is shot over feeding tur-keys by means of explosive charges that are contained in metalprojectiles attached to the net. The explosive charges propelthe net over the feeding turkeys. Birds trapped by the net areremoved, tagged, and transported to a designated release site.

The rocket net made it possible over a period of time toobtain wild birds in sufficient numbers to reintroduce turkeysinto every county in the state. When the trap and transfer

WILDTURKEY RANGE IN MARYLAND BEFORE 1970

Rocket net being fired over baited wild turkeys.

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program began, wild turkeys were found only in Garrett,Allegany and Washington counties. By the late 1960s, wildturkeys, probably expanding from populations in northernVirginia, also had become established in southeastern FrederickCounty and western Montgomery County.

The rocket net was used for the first time in Maryland in1967 to capture wild turkeys in Garrett County for release inFrederick County. This original transplant was successful inestablishing a wild turkey population in northwestern FrederickCounty. But for unknown reasons, similar releases of smallnumbers of turkeys during the late 1960s and early 1970s ineastern and southern Maryland failed.

A more intensive effort to reestablish wild turkey populationsthroughout Maryland began in 1979 in Calvert County withreleases of wild birds captured at sites in Western Maryland.Following the successful introduction in Calvert County, a totalof 1,129 wild turkeys captured by rocket nets were released on63 sites around the state between 1979 and 2001. Withself-sustaining turkey populations established in all counties of

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Maryland, trapping and release operations were suspended atthe end of 2001. The restoration effort was funded entirelywith revenue from hunting license sales and Pittman RobertsonFunds.

The wild turkey population in Maryland now numbers about28,000 - 32,000 birds. Turkey populations in western Mary-land have stabilized, but continue to increase throughouteastern and southern Maryland as turkeys move into unoccu-pied habitats. State biologists expect wild turkey numbers tokeep growing until the birds have occupied most of the suitablehabitat in Maryland. It is estimated that Maryland may soonsee a turkey population of about 40,000 birds statewide.

WILD TURKEY BIOLWILD TURKEY BIOLWILD TURKEY BIOLWILD TURKEY BIOLWILD TURKEY BIOLOGYOGYOGYOGYOGY

DESCRIPTIONThe wild turkey is a member of the pheasant, quail and

grouse family, all of which spend the majority of their time onthe ground, but are capable of strong, short distance flights.Five subspecies of wild turkey are found in North America,separated geographically for the most part and distinguishedgenerally by color patterns and certain other characteristics. Ofthe five, the most widespread is the eastern subspecies, the onethat resides in Maryland.

Wild turkeys are dark brown to black in color. Many of thefeathers are iridescent and exhibit a metallic-like green andbronze color. Females, or hens, are generally duller than themales. Often, the hen is brownish in color, due to the chestnuttipped feathers along the breast and back. The male, or gob-bler, appears to be almost black, with breast and back feathersblack tipped and more iridescent than those of the hen. Thesex of the poults, the young of the year, often cannot be distin-guished by coloration. Jakes, young males, and jennies, youngfemales, are very similar in coloration until about six months ofage, when feather patterns begin to resemble adult characteris-tics.

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Adult gobblers may weigh over 25 pounds, but averagebetween 18-20 pounds. Males stand taller than females, andhave fewer feathers on their heads. During the breedingseason, the males’ head will often show various shades of red,blue and white. The males also have beards, hair like append-ages that project from the upper breast area, and spurs project-ing from the back of their legs above their feet.

Hen turkeys are smaller than males. Adult hens weighabout 10-12 pounds. They are buff colored in appearance,and have partially feathered heads that are blue gray in color.While beards and spurs usually are absent, bearded hens areoccasionally seen in Maryland.

HOME RANGEA wild turkey’s home range, the area used during the course

of a year to meet daily needs, varies depending on the avail-ability of food, water and cover. When food is scarce, turkeyswill feed over a larger area. Gobbler’s home ranges are some-what larger than those of hens. And during the poult-rearingperiod the home range of hens is especially small, often nomore than 250 acres, usually close to quality brood habitat.

Most turkeys spend their entire lives within two square milesof their birthplaces. They roost in trees at night for protection.In the winter, when heavy snow and winter winds bury foodsupplies, making it difficult for turkeys to find food, roost treesprovide thermal protection, which aids the turkeys in maintain-ing their body warmth. Good roost habitat is the key to turkeysurvival during this harshest time of the year and they willtravel long distances to find high-quality winter roost sites.

SOCIAL STRUCTUREWild turkeys are very social animals. They usually travel in

flocks, which vary in composition. Some are made up of onlyadult gobblers; some contain a mix of young and adult gob-blers; others consist of hens without poults; and others aremade up of hens with broods. There is a social hierarchy inboth sexes. Dominance in males is established by fighting and

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results in one gobbler doing most, if not all, of the breeding in aparticular area during a given year. This “boss” gobbler breedsas many females as possible; subadult gobblers and jakes dolittle breeding. If something happens to the head gobbler, thenthe second ranking gobbler assumes his role.

Hens also exhibit dominance hierarchy; the pecking orderamong hens is as strong as that of the gobblers, if not more so.The dominant hen leads the flock and claims the better nestsites. Social dominance is even seen among flocks as theycommingle at feeding areas.

BREEDING SEASONBreeding activity begins soon after winter flocks break up,

when turkeys move to spring breeding areas. Increasing daylength stimulates production of sex hormones, awakeningsexual behavior. Gobblers spar for dominance and hens roostwith or near gobblers. Gobblers strut, drum and gobble toattract hens. A receptive hen will allow the gobbler to breedher. The gobbler stands on the back of the hen as she

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crouches down, and then copulates. One insemination isusually sufficient to fertilize all the eggs.

In Maryland, flock breakup occurs in mid to late March.Gobbling activity usually starts about that time, althoughturkeys have been known to gobble during warm days inJanuary. It’s believed there are two peaks of gobbling; onewhen gobblers actively seek hens, and one shortly after thepeak of incubation when most hens are sitting on nests. InMaryland, gobbler surveys have shown the first peak to occurabout the first two weeks of April. The second peak is not aswell defined in part because spring turkey hunting may alterspring gobbling patterns.

Gobbling activity may vary because of a number of factors.Weather conditions can affect gobbling patterns; cold weatherin early spring can suppress gobbling. The age of a turkey canalso be a factor, with older birds generally gobbling more.More gobbling occurs when hens are absent than when theyare with the gobbler. Breeding may begin as early as March,but usually occurs in Maryland in early to mid April and ex-tends into May.

NESTINGAfter the winter flocks break up, hens disperse to breeding

areas, often returning to areas where they have successfullynested before. Juvenile hens may return to their rearing areas,but more often they move to new areas, frequently miles away.The dispersal of juvenile hens to new habitats expands rangesand leads to genetic diversity within the population.

Once bred, the hen searches for a suitable nesting site. Thenest is nothing more than a shallow depression in the ground;usually located in an area of moderately dense, woody under-story that helps conceal the nest. Nests often are locatedwithin 100-200 yards of water and usually a short distancefrom some sort of edge, such as a forest road or opening,which serves as a travel lane to a feeding area.

The average clutch contains 10 eggs, laid at the rate of onea day. The hen covers the eggs whenever she leaves the nest

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during the egg laying period. Incubation begins immediatelyonce egg laying is complete. It takes 26 - 28 days of incuba-tion for the eggs to hatch. All of the eggs hatch within one daybut the poults may need another day before they are ready toleave the nest.

Nest success varies with the age of the hen; on average, 30-40% of the hens will successfully hatch their nest. The survivalinstinct of older females enables them to be more successfulnesters than juvenile hens. Re-nesting may occur if a hen losesher first nest, and is more likely to occur if a nest is destroyedearly in the incubation process. Second nests generally havefewer eggs, and often contribute little to the overall addition ofyoung turkeys to the population.

REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL AND POULTSTurkeys are precocial. The newly hatched poults are able to

walk, feed themselves, and run for cover upon leaving the nestwith the hen. They actively hunt insects, exhibiting behaviorcommon to adult turkeys. The newly hatched poults imprinton the hen, forming a strong social bond. They depend on herfor survival, following the hen and learning the necessary skillsto survive in their environment. The first three weeks of life arecritical for turkey poults. While they still are relatively smalland feathers are only beginning to form, the poults are coveredwith down and are susceptible to cold, damp weather. Thehens brood their poults at night and during inclement weather,tucking them under her to protect them from the elements.

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Very young poults can make short flights, but they do not flywell enough to be able to roost in trees at night. Instead, theyroost on the ground at night with the hen until about threeweeks of age. Mortality among poults is greatest at this age.Once they are capable of flying, they are able to avoid groundpredators by roosting in trees at night and as their feathersdevelop, they become less susceptible to cool, wet weather.Poults that survive the first three to four weeks of life stand agood chance of surviving to the upcoming winter. A survivalrate of 40-50% to four weeks of age is considered good toexcellent.

Although poult survival is highly variable from one year toanother, the size of a turkey population is closely related topoult survival. Several good years of poult survival can resultin high turkey populations. Turkey populations expand morequickly into unoccupied habitats when populations increase asa result of excellent poult survival. Wet weather can have anadverse impact on turkey poult survival, with heavy rainfallcausing young turkey poults to die from exposure. Theseunfavorable weather patterns can vary across Maryland, result-ing in regional differences in poult survival.

FOOD HABITSWild turkeys eat a variety of foods. The primary food of

poults for their first weeks of life is insects, which are rich inproteins critical to development. As poults get older, their dietbecomes similar to that of the hen. The diet of adult turkeysvaries depending on food availability. Plant materials generallycomprise the majority of an adult turkey’s diet. Acorns are apreferred fall food but, when they are unavailable, other foodsare readily eaten, including various nuts and fruits and othermast, such as beechnuts, crabapples, pine seeds, cherries andgrapes, as well as grasses, buds and leaves.

Adult turkeys will also eat insects, often gorging themselveson grasshoppers and crickets. Turkeys eat waste grains such ascorn and soybeans left after the harvest and they will pick

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through manure that is spread on fields, removing any grainsor eating insects that may be present.

In some states, scarce food supplies can limit turkey popula-tions. This is especially true in the more northern states whereheavy winter snows are common and food remains covered forlong periods. Deep, powdery snow restricts turkey move-ments. In this situation turkeys may remain on the roost,selectively eating buds from the trees. However, Maryland’swinters are relatively mild. While occasional deep snows inGarrett County can cause temporary food shortages, theygenerally don’t last long enough to cause starvation.

White-tailed deer can compete with turkeys for acorns andother foods. In areas where deer densities are high, turkeypopulations may be low or nonexistent.

MORTALITY FACTORSWild turkeys are susceptible to various diseases and para-

sites and fall prey to many predators, some of which can havea major impact on local turkey populations.

Predators are the primary cause of mortality in wild turkeys.In Maryland, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, great horned owls andhawks prey on the young and adults. Skunks, opossums,snakes and especially raccoons prey on the eggs. Feral dogsand cats also kill turkeys on occasion and can harm localturkey populations.

Very young poults are particularly susceptible to predatorsbecause they are easily captured. But once they are able to fly,they are more adept at escaping predators.

Hunting is another source of mortality. Turkey hunting iscontrolled through structured fall and spring hunting seasons.

On an annual basis, about 3,000 wild turkeys arelegally harvested in Maryland. Since both

spring and fall hunting are allowed inthe western counties, huntingmortality is higher in that part ofthe state.

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Unfortunately, there are also unscrupulous people who killturkeys outside the hunting seasons. The amount of thisactivity is unknown, but arrests are made annually by theNatural Resources Police. Although poaching of turkeys is notbelieved to be serious across the state, localized poaching canreduce the turkey population.

Disease outbreaks are very rare in Maryland turkeys. Avianpox, blackhead and infectious sinusitis are some of the morecommon diseases while tracheal and intestinal worms, tape-worms and lice are among the more common parasites of wildturkeys. While parasites and disease might possibly cause alocalized problem, they don’t seem to be a major source ofmortality statewide in the turkey population.

WILD TURKEY HABITWILD TURKEY HABITWILD TURKEY HABITWILD TURKEY HABITWILD TURKEY HABITAAAAATTTTT

The wild turkey is a highly adaptable creature, which is whyreintroduction of wild turkeys in Maryland and elsewhere in thecountry has been so successful. While use of the rocket net,protection from illegal kills, and limited hunting seasons facili-tated the introduction and expansion of wild turkeys intounoccupied habitat throughout Maryland, it was their adapt-ability that enabled them to become established and to spreadin all 23 counties.

Contrary to the widespread belief of the past, large stands offorest and minimal contact with humans are no longer consid-ered to be essential elements of suitable turkey habitat. Biolo-gists have only recently appreciated and understood the extentof the wild turkey’s adaptability. Notions about what consti-tuted good turkey habitat evolved in the late 1940s at a timewhen wild turkeys existed mainly in extensive tracts of forest-lands. The physical features of these areas and lack of accesskept legal and illegal hunting to a minimum. Turkey habitat ofthe 1940s had remained forested because the topographymade the land undesirable for farming. And so the concept

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evolved that wild turkeys need large tracts of forestland andlittle human intervention. Turkey management became basedon this concept and many areas that could have supportedwild turkeys were written off as unsuitable.

By the late 1960s, trap and transplant programs in a num-ber of states had introduced turkeys into what was then consid-ered all of the good turkey range in their respective states. Yet,in a number of instances, the introduced turkey populationsspread beyond the areas thought to be good habitat. Turkeyscolonized lands that did not conform to the prevailing conceptof turkey habitat, including agricultural areas adjacent to forestcover. This occurred so often that it became apparent that wildturkeys are able to flourish in widely diverse habitat. Today,the wild turkey is no longer viewed as a wilderness species.

Regardless of the envi-ronment, trees and grassesappear to be the two keyelements common tohabitat that will sustain wildturkeys. Trees provide foodin the form of nuts andfruits, cover for daytimeresting, and roosting sites atnight. Open areas ofgrasses and legumes pro-vide food for adults andplaces where poults canefficiently forage for insects.

A balance between openland and forest and thespatial relationships be-tween the two are impor-tant factors in determiningthe number of turkeys agiven area can support.Ideally, an area suitable forturkeys is several thousand

NW

TF

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acres in size and consists of 30-60 %mature hardwood forest, 10-30 %scattered pastures or grassy open-ings, 10-30 % old fields or brushyland, and 10-30 % grain crops.

But turkeys in Maryland and else-where have also been found thriving

in habitat that varies from that formula.Wild turkeys nest in areas as dissimilar

as mature oak forests and alfalfa fields.Even so, nest sites generally share one

feature in common: lateral cover. Turkeyhens nest primarily among bushes, vines and

small trees that obscure horizontal vision in thearea immediately surrounding them. Some-

times, they nest in small openings in forests andalong forest roads and edges between woods and

open fields. Occasionally, nests are found in powerline right-of-ways through woods and in fields of herbaceousgrowth (grasses, weeds, wild flowers, etc.). All of these siteshave well-developed standing vegetation.

Habitat used for raising broods tends to be a savannah orpark-like environment with herbaceous vegetation scatteredwithin forestland. Insect production is high in these areas,providing high quality food for poults. The standing vegetationallows the hen to see predators from a distance, yet it provideshiding cover for the poults. The mixed tree cover offers shadefrom the sun and shelter from the rain, as well as escape androosting sites.

Features of primary importance in fall and winter habitat forturkeys are food and roosting cover. In the fall, food is criticalto the continued growth of young turkeys hatched the preced-ing spring. Increased fat deposits in young and old birds at thistime of year help them survive the winter, particularly in thecolder snow-prone areas of the state. In winter, food is equallyimportant but generally in much shorter supply. Nuts, fruit andseeds are the principal, though not the only food available

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during fall and winter. This is consistent with the generaltendency for turkeys to increase their use of woodlands duringthe fall and winter and decrease their use of open areas. Thegreater the proportion of mature, mast-producing trees in anarea, the greater the chance turkeys will settle in that habitatcome fall and winter.

Roost habitat, while necessary throughout the year, does notappear to be highly specific. In the western counties of Mary-land where temperatures frequently drop below freezing, winterroosts tend to be on northeast facing slopes in trees shelteredfrom prevailing winds. Elsewhere in the state, roost habitatgenerally consists of stands of mature trees.

The major threat to wild turkey populations in Maryland isthe loss of suitable habitat associated with land use changes,highway construction and urban development. Continuedencroachment on existing forest, woodlands and agriculturalland will decrease the habitat available to turkeys and lead to adecrease in wild turkey populations.

WILD TURKEY MANAGEMENTWILD TURKEY MANAGEMENTWILD TURKEY MANAGEMENTWILD TURKEY MANAGEMENTWILD TURKEY MANAGEMENT

The primary focus of turkey management in Maryland is 1)to ensure that healthy turkey populations are maintainedstatewide, and 2) to maintain high-quality hunting opportuni-ties for those who are interested in hunting turkeys. In stepwith the wild turkey population expansion comes a greaterdemand for turkey hunting opportunities. Wildlife research hasshown that wild turkeys can be hunted without adverselyaffecting the population if hunting is closely regulated.

Excessive fall hunting has been shown to have a negativeimpact on turkey populations. A large harvest of hens in thefall can cause population declines while spring turkey hunting,in which gobblers are harvested, has little impact overall. Forthese reasons, Maryland permits a limited fall season in West-ern Maryland while it allows a liberal statewide spring season.

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RESEARCH ACTIVITIESDNR biologists use gobbler surveys, brood surveys, and

biological information collected at checking stations to monitorthe status of the wild turkey population. Gobbler surveysconducted from March through May track gobbling patternsand determine range expansion. Annual brood surveys deter-mine reproductive success across Maryland. Checking stationoperators record sex, weight, and certain feather characteristicsfrom turkeys checked in by hunters. Age, sex ratios and per-centage of juveniles in the harvest as well as the previousyears’ hatch and reproductive success can be determined fromthese data.

WILD TURKEY ADVISORY COMMITTEEPart of any successful wildlife management program is

receiving input from concerned citizens. Wild turkey manage-ment in Maryland has been closely monitored by the WildTurkey Advisory Committee, a 12-member “Ad Hoc” commit-tee established in 1978 by Bernard Halla, then Director of theMaryland Wildlife Administration. The group was charged withreviewing and commenting on a proposed plan to redirect wildturkey management in Maryland. The committee included

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representatives of the Maryland Wildlife Federation, the Na-tional Wild Turkey Federation, sportsmen’s clubs from Centraland Western Maryland, media representatives and members ofHalla’s staff.

After reviewing DNR’s management proposal, the commit-tee recommended developing a long-range management planbased on the fact that turkeys could adapt to a variety ofhabitats. The plan’s primary goal was to establish wild turkeysthroughout the state. To this end, the committee recom-mended creating a database for recording turkey managementactivities; establishing an advisory committee to review themanagement plan annually; and improving communicationsbetween the turkey program staff and users of the wild turkeyresource.

Following through on its recommendations, the committeeworked with DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Division to develop anaggressive trap and transplant program. They achieved theirgoal of having turkeys in each of Maryland’s 23 counties.Today, the committee continues to advocate the wise use of thestate’s wild turkey resource. Through its membership, thecommittee’s advice on turkey management issues representsthe interests and views of turkey hunters and wildlife watchersacross the state.

WILD TURKEY HUNTINGWILD TURKEY HUNTINGWILD TURKEY HUNTINGWILD TURKEY HUNTINGWILD TURKEY HUNTING

In Maryland, unrestricted hunting of wild turkeys continuedfrom colonial times well into the late 19th century. Concernedwith the decline in turkey numbers, turkey hunting eventuallywas allowed only in the fall and only in portions of WesternMaryland, under tightly regulated and restricted seasons andbag limits.

Even then high fall harvests, coupled with poor reproduc-tion, led to sharp declines in turkey numbers during the mid tolate 1970s. Fall hunting seasons were further restricted as aprotective measure, even to the closing of the fall season in

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1978. Only recently, as wild turkeys numbers have rebounded,has the fall season been extended to include seven huntingdays.

Research demonstrated that male turkeys could be huntedduring the spring after mating had occurred. Spring hunting,with the season structured to begin shortly after the peak ofbreeding, allows turkey hunters to pursue gobblers withouthaving a detrimental affect on turkey populations.

Based on that background, Maryland held its first springgobbler season in 1970. As turkey populations introduced intoother counties became established, those counties were gradu-ally opened to spring hunting, and by 1995, the entire statewas opened for spring turkey hunting. The length of the springhunt was increased from six-days in 1970 to 24 days in 1984,and has remained at 24 days since then. Spring bag limits havealso increased, from one to two birds per season.

Spring turkey hunting provides an opportunity to huntduring a nontraditional time of year. As turkey populationshave become established across Maryland, spring huntingopportunities have increased accordingly, and the sport has

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grown in popularity. In 1970, there were only 3,131 hunters.Now, as a result of the increased opportunities, there areapproximately 14,600 spring turkey hunters in Maryland, anincrease of 427%.

TURKEY HUNTING SAFETYSome risk is inherent in hunting wild turkeys. By far the

most common turkey hunting-related accident is one in whicha hunter is shot when mistaken for a turkey. Whether thishappens because of the excitement of the hunt or failure toclearly identify the object being targeted, such mistakes canprove fatal. Fortunately, turkey hunting accidents are rare inMaryland.

Individuals who hunt turkeys for the first time should seekassistance from someone who is an experienced turkey hunter.To help reduce the incidence of accidents, the National WildTurkey Federation has developed the following Code of Con-duct which every turkey hunter should follow: A responsibleturkey hunter should -

1. Not let peer pressure or the excitement of the huntcloud his/her judgment;

2. Learn and practice safe hunting techniques;3. Hunt the wild turkey fairly;4. Know the capabilities and limitations of his/her firearms

and use them safely;5. Obey and support all wildlife laws and report all viola-

tions;6. Respect the land and the landowner and always obtain

permission before hunting;7. Avoid knowingly interfering with another hunter and

respect the right of others to lawfully share the outdoors;8. Value the hunting experience and appreciate the beauty

of the wild turkey;9. Positively identify his/her target as a legal bird and insist

on a good shot; and10. Share responsible turkey hunting with others and work

for turkey conservation.

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Although not a legal requirement, DNR encourages turkeyhunters to wear fluorescent orange. Other safety tips includenot wearing clothes with the colors red, black, white or bluewhich are the colors seen on wild turkeys. Never stalk a turkeyor a turkey sound, as it may in reality be another hunter.Should you see another hunter approaching in the woods,shout to the hunter to let him or her know where you are. Donot wave your arms or make turkey noises. You might bemistaken for a turkey. Also, protect your back by sitting againsta large tree or rock. Remember, practicing a few simple safetytechniques may prevent a tragedy.

FALL TURKEY HUNTINGFall turkey hunting has a rich tradition in Maryland and a

faithful, if modest, following. The key to fall turkey hunting islocating the birds’ food supplies. At that time of year, turkeysare feeding mainly on wild grapes, beechnuts, and acorns,preferring acorns when available. They scratch the ground andrake away leaves is search of food, creating V-shapedscratchings; those left by a flock of turkeys are easily seen. Thepoint of the V-shaped scratch indicates the direction in whichthe turkeys are moving. Often, a flock can be heard for quite adistance scratching and moving through the woods, so it’spossible to find turkeys that are feeding by listening and watch-ing.

Weather during the fall hunting season can vary from warmsunny days to snow showers. Still-hunting works the bestwhen the woods are dry and it is possible to hear turkeys asthey walk through the dry leaves. When the woods and leavesare wet, hunters are able to move about as silently as theturkeys. It’s necessary to call louder when it is raining sincesound doesn’t travel as far. When there is snow cover, trackingturkeys is a possibility even though the birds become verycautious.

Turkeys use the terrain to their advantage. They prefer openwoodlands and tend to avoid thick areas and they will travelalong benches and saddles, old logging roads and game trails.

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The most common fall huntingtechnique is to break up a turkeyflock by charging into a flock, yellingand screaming, causing the flock toscatter in all directions, then waitingpatiently for the turkeys to call to eachother and reassemble near the site. It may takeseveral hours for the scattered flock to reassemble. It isalso possible to call to individual birds trying to get back torejoin the flock. Young birds anxious to rejoin the hen areparticularly susceptible to this technique.

Some prefer to hunt fall turkeys by remaining quietly in onelocation, using topography to their advantage to avoid thekeen eyesight and hearing of turkeys. A hunter who is familiarwith the territory he is hunting has a much better chance atbagging a potential Thanksgiving dinner.

A hunter who is a skilled at imitating turkey calls may havesuccess calling in birds. In the fall, turkeys tend to gather inlarger groups and correct calling can be effective in attractinggroups of birds within shooting range. But because turkeysonly call for specific reasons in the fall, it can be very difficult tocall birds at this time of the year.

Although rare in Maryland, dogs are used by some to huntfall turkeys. Trained dogs are used to locate turkey flocks,scatter them, and remain at the scatter site, barking, until thehunter finds the dog, gives him a “silence” command, and callsto the scattered flock. The dog waits quietly at the hunter’sside, and if a turkey is killed, retrieves it.

A successful fall turkey hunt requires experience and pa-tience, as hunting techniques are not quickly mastered. Thereare always new and exciting challenges that occur during anyhunting experience, and the avid turkey hunter looks forwardto meeting these tests each fall.

SPRING GOBBLER HUNTINGSpring turkey hunting is a challenging experience; even

those hunters who are not successful in bagging a bird enjoy

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the challenge. The woods are alive with vibrant colors ofdogwoods and redbud and sounds of songbirds.

Wild turkeys have sharp vision and are extremely wary, andgobblers calling to hens are no exception. For that reason, it’scommon practice to dress from head to toe in camouflageclothing in order to be less conspicuous. Some hunters useblinds to conceal their movements, minimizing the chances ofspooking a gobbler.

The accepted and best method of hunting turkeys in thespring is to locate a gobbling bird and by imitating varioussounds made by turkeys, entice him to come within gun range.Instruments used in calling include traditional box calls, slatecalls, diaphragm mouth calls, gobbling tubes and the uncom-mon wing bone calls. Plastic hen decoys also can be used toattract cagey gobblers within shooting range.

By recognizing turkey sign, such as droppings, feathers andtracks, it is possible to locate areas that are frequented byturkeys. Once turkey signs have been found, listening at dawnor dusk for gobbling activity at the same area is a good way tolocate a gobbler on his roost.

NW

TF

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If a roost site is located, it can be approached but withcaution to avoid flushing the gobbler which would all but endthe hunt for that bird. By taking a seat against a large tree andcarefully make a few calls, it is possible to bring the gobbler offhis roost in search of the caller. To assure a clean kill, thegobbler should be within 20-30 yards; the chance of a clean killdiminishes at longer distances. Ethical hunters will not riskcrippling a bird that escapes to die later.

Bearded turkeys, including hens with beards, are legalgame. Experienced turkey hunters are able to tell the differencebetween a gobbler and a bearded hen; ethical turkey hunterspass up a shot at a bearded hen even though it is legal game.Allowing the hen to survive and nest adds young birds to thefollowing year’s flock.

HUNTING IMPLEMENTSArchery equipment and all firearms, except handguns, are

legal for hunting turkeys during the fall season. Most huntersprefer to use shotguns, but in the hands of an excellent marks-man, a small caliber rifle also can be used bag a turkey. Theultimate test of woodsmanship, stealth and shooting skills canbe found in those hunters who try to bag a fall turkey by usinga bow and arrow.

In the spring season, shotguns and archery equipment arelegal for hunting turkeys, while rifles and handguns are prohib-ited in Maryland. Shot size is restricted to #’s 4, 5 and 6 inshotguns that are 20 gauge or larger.

WILD TURKEY WATCHINGWild turkeys are large yet they move with elegance and

quickness; seeing one is a wonderful experience. Wild turkeysare believed to be more intelligent and elusive than their do-mestic counterparts and this is reflected in their great survivalskills, which can make them difficult to find.

Although turkey populations are at high levels across Mary-land, sightings are relative few because of their secretive na-ture. Many people don’t realize that turkeys may be close to

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where they live. Hikers may wonder what that small dirt bowlon a forest trail is, not knowing that turkeys recently dustedthere in an effort to rid themselves of mites and lice. Hikersand bird watchers sometimes stumble across turkeys by acci-dent.

The thunderous gobble of a large male turkey courting inthe spring is something that people remember and talk aboutfor a long time. Those residing in the more rural areas ofMaryland tell stories of turkeys coming into their bird feedersfor sunflower seeds and other bird food. Occasionally residentswill see a hen and her brood comically chasing grasshoppers ina field. Hikers often find turkey tracks in the snow and some-times follow the tracks to observe the patterns of the birds.

Wildlife watchers who are interested in observing turkeysshould get to know the birds, their biology and behavior.Turkey watchers may learn a lot from experienced turkeyhunters, as well as naturalists and other outdoor enthusiasts.The hunting section in this booklet offers many tips for findingturkey sign.

When looking for wild turkeys, locate an area that the birdsregularly frequent, such as a meadow or field edge where theysearch for insects; hens and poults may visit such areas on adaily basis. Although turkeys get most of their water from thefoods they eat, they will drink standing water at times, so it isworth checking the banks of streams or small ponds for turkeytracks, which will be quite evident in the moist soil.

Care should be taken to minimize disturbances to nestingturkeys. Incubating hens often flush from the nest when some-one gets too close. If flushed later during the incubation pe-riod, they will often return to the nest, but if disturbed severaltimes in a short period, they will most likely abandon that nestsite. So if a hen is flushed from her nest, it’s best to leave thearea immediately and avoid that site in the future.

Binoculars are useful in observing turkeys, but remember,when mounting binoculars to your eyes, turkeys may detectthe movement and leave. By remaining still when turkeys arefirst sighted, you have a better chance of seeing this magnifi-cent animal in its natural surroundings.

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THE FUTURE OF WILD TURKEYS INTHE FUTURE OF WILD TURKEYS INTHE FUTURE OF WILD TURKEYS INTHE FUTURE OF WILD TURKEYS INTHE FUTURE OF WILD TURKEYS INMARMARMARMARMARYLYLYLYLYLANDANDANDANDAND

Wild turkeys have come full cycle in Maryland. Onceabundant across the state during colonial times, turkeyswere nearly extirpated because of unregulated huntingand habitat destruction. As a result of improving habi-tat, increased protection, and sound scientific wildlifemanagement, turkey populations have rebounded.Turkeys are once again a common sight acrossMaryland’s landscape.

Wildlife managers have learned from past mistakes.No longer will turkeys be subjected to inordinately longfall hunting seasons. Ethical hunters don’t want suchseasons, knowing that they can lead to populationdeclines. Turkey watchers also prefer high turkey popu-lations, which leads to increased opportunities forwatching and photographing.

The largest challenge facing turkey management willbe the future loss of forestland across the state. Increas-ing demands on the land will lead to forestlands beingdeveloped for homes, stores and industry. No oneknows exactly what future development pressures maydo to occupied turkey range, but the tide will be difficultto stem.

Continued interest on the part of resident turkeyhunters, wildlife enthusiasts and the National WildTurkey Federation and its Maryland affiliates, will pre-serve the turkey heritage for Maryland citizens, Partner-ships with these groups will provide wildlife managersmore tools to scientifically manage this species, ensuringits future for many years to come.

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State of MarylandRobert L. Ehrlich, Jr., Governor

Michael S. Steele, Lieutenant Governor

Department of Natural ResourcesC. Ronald Franks, Secretary

W. P. Jensen, Deputy SecretaryMichael E. Slattery, Assistant Secretary

Paul A. Peditto, Director of theWildlife & Heritage Service

Wildlife & Heritage ServiceTawes State Office Building, E-1

580 Taylor AvenueAnnapolis, MD 21401

410-260-8540FAX 410-260-8596TTY 410-260-8835

http://www.dnr.state.md.us

Survey and inventory results reported in this publication werefunded by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.

The facilities of the Department of Natural Resourcesare available to all without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin,or physical or mental disability. Accommodations for

individuals with disabilities will be provided uponrequest. Seven days advance notice is requested.

This document is available in alternative format uponrequest from a qualified individual with a disability.

Printed on Recycled Paper

Questions or comments about this publication can be directed to:Bob Long, Wild Turkey & Upland Game Bird Project Manager

201 Baptist Street, Suite 22Salisbury, MD 21801

410-543-6595