Southern Utah Wild Turkey Research

ABOUT OUR STUDY

A challenge to wild turkey management is knowing how turkeys will adapt to habitat changes. Landowners have raised concerns that by removing the Russian olive we may create more agricultural depredation impacts because they will forage more in the hay and alfalfa fields without Russian olive. Also among biological professionals there is varying opinions on how these Russian olive removal and native habitat restoration projects will impact turkey behavior, movements, and populations. With an increase effort to restore native riparian habitats in recent years this research project will provide very valuable information to guide future turkey management and Russian olive removal projects in southwest desert riparian habitats. With help of the local Escalante community, we conducted research from 2018-2020 on wild turkeys. We attached VHF transmitters and GPS transmitters to males and females each spring, and tracked their movements. Additionally, we examined turkey nests after they hatched to determine which habitat they preferred, and specific habitat traits. Below, you'll find photos, videos, and maps created during our study. Lastly, you'll find a downloadable PDF copy of our research presentation, detailing our results.

TURKEY TRAPPING MARCH 2018
Photos taken while trapping turkeys, locating turkeys with telemetry, etc.

TURKEY NESTS 2018/2019
Her nesting location was in thick brush, under ponderosa pine trees

MEASURMENTS OF FEMALE TURKEY NESTING SITES

SEEKING OUT TRANSMITTERS
Sometimes, our birds get eaten by predators. Then we have to try to find where the predator took the transmitter. Here are some photos of where we found a transmitter from a depredated hen.