Rio Grande Wild TurkeyBiology & Management

Andy James, Extension Assistant

September 2014

Overview• Introduction• Life History• Biology • Management

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

Feathers

• 5,000-6,000 feathers

• 4 molts

• Different coloration between males and females

Physical Characteristics

• Females• Smaller• 8-11 lbs

• Males• Larger• 17-21 lbs

Life History–Physical Characteristics

Life History–Physical Characteristics

Female Male

Life History–Physical Characteristics

Adult

Jake

Poults– Weight - a few ounces– natal down

Life History–Physical Characteristics

Poults– Down replaced by 14 days

Life History–Physical Characteristics

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

Pre-Nesting• Strutting display on gobbling grounds• Copulation

• Nest sites– Grass clumps– Brush piles

• Shallow depression

• Lays 8-16 eggs

Nesting

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

SurvivalRolling Plans– Males; juvenile 59%; adult males 36%• Most mortality in the spring

Predation Effects on Nests

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

Usable Space• Diversity is essential

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

Prescribed BurningCaution: spring and early summer might destroy nests and kill poults

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 TreesRoost trees should be protected from heavy brush encroachment

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

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