Ecological factors affecting wild turkey reproductive success in South Texas

Abstract

The synecology off actors affecting reproductive success of the Rio Grande wild turkey, Meleagris gallooavo intermedia Sennett was investigated on the King Ranch in South Texas from 1968 to 1972. Four study are as were set up in three different vegetative types. Reproductive success exhibited wide fluctuations from year to year. Percent increase in the breeding population ranged from 384 in 1968 to 0 in 1971 on one of the study areas. Other indices of productivity (poult: hen ratio, percent hens without poults, and average brood size) also exhibited annual fluctuations. Density estimates in the summer from aerial transects on the four study are as were 68, 40, 51, and 17 turkeys per 1,000 acres in 1968. By 1972, after a series of low reproductive years, the respective densities were 23, 6, 23, and 1. Road counts generally produced higher estimates but possibly more accurate due to more repetitions. ...