The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking the public’s help in tracking the state’s wild turkey population. The annual Wild Turkey Summer Sighting Survey will run from July 1 through August 31.
How to Participate
Participants can report their wild turkey sightings through the Game Commission’s website at https://pgcforms.pa.gov/TurkeySightingSurvey. They will be asked to provide the number of wild turkeys seen, along with the county, township, wildlife management unit (WMU), date of the sighting, and their contact information.
The survey is important for wild turkey population management, as it allows the agency to estimate the success of the wild turkey ‘hatch’ and compare long-term reproductive success within Pennsylvania and across states. Data from the survey will also be used in a population model to track trends in wild turkey numbers.
Many factors, including spring weather, habitat conditions, previous winter food abundance, predation risk, and last fall’s harvest, affect wild turkey productivity. The statewide reproductive success index from last summer was 2.7, which was down slightly compared to the average productivity observed across the previous five years.
Original reporting: WESB (Bradford) — read the source article.
