WILD TURKEY

To collect this data, we capture turkeys across the state of Maine for banding, sampling for infectious diseases, and deployment of radio telemetry and GPS transmitters. During the winter, we establish bait sites within our study areas to attract turkey flocks. Once turkeys have become habituated to our setup, we use drop nets or rocket nets to secure the turkeys for processing. Individuals are given leg bands, have blood and cloacal swab samples collected, and a selection are fitted with transmitters allowing us to track their survival, nesting behavior, and movements throughout the year... Our project began in 2018 as a collaboration between the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) and the University of Maine. This project seeks to support implementation of the wild turkey component of MDIFW's Big Game Management Plan, which will guide MDIFW's wild turkey management over the next 10 to 15 years. We.