As imperfect as they may be, late summer counts of wild turkeys and ruffed grouse - and submitted by volunteer observers - remain useful tools in helping Ohio Division of Wildlife decision-makers shape policies and programs for the two species’ benefit.
Each July and August the Wildlife Division conducts these public-supported surveys to help the agency estimate respective population status. They are conducted, says the Wildlife Division during these two months when female birds and their young are most active together.
Biologists have annually tracked summer observations of turkeys since 1962. Grouse were added to the survey in 1999.
Lead
Wildlife Division biologist responsible for
the annual project is
Mark Wiley. A series of questions to
Wiley about his work.
Here
are the questions and Wiley’s responses. They have been edited
slightly for length.
Q: How many people usually participate, and are participant numbers holding steady, falling, or increasing?
A: “Over the past five years or so public participation in the survey was gradually waning. The number of wild turkey reports during the months of interest dropped to between 200 to 300 birds. In 2021, our Information and Education section made concerted efforts to increase public participation.”
Q: Likely the reports about turkeys outnumber those for grouse, but is it significant?
A: “Wild turkey reports greatly outnumber ruffed grouse reports for several reasons. Wild turkeys are more widely distributed and can be found in all 88 counties. Turkeys are also more abundant than are ruffed grouse whose distribution is also limited to the most heavily forested areas of eastern and southern Ohio.”
Q: So then, does the counts regarding turkeys reflect the distribution of the species or do you think it's more of a reflection of where birds are being seen?
A: “The number of turkey reports from a specific area of the state is certainly influenced by factors unrelated to turkey abundance, such as landscape and cover type, road density, and human population. Turkeys in a popular urban park are much more likely to be observed than turkeys in a remote forested area. For this reason, among others, we focus on the ratio of poults to hens rather than the total number of observations.
Q: How valuable are the sightings and reports?
A: “Theses sightings and reports are tremendously valuable. Wild turkey reports are used to produce an annual index of reproductive success. This index is one of our most valuable tools in monitoring the status of wild turkeys. This value extends beyond Ohio as nearly all state wildlife agencies across the eastern U.S. conducts the same survey. This helps researchers monitor regional trends in turkey population.”
Q: What about reliability of the counts?
A: “We and other state wildlife agencies using the same protocol consider this survey to be a reliable index of wild turkey population trends. Any survey effort will include some reporting errors resulting from misidentification, incomplete or incorrect counts, typos, etc. We take steps to minimize the occurrence as well as to mitigate their impact on the survey results. The survey’s results are only as good as the data used to produce it, so we hope all participants do their best to provide accurate reports.
Q: Have the surveys ever provided information that came as a surprise to you?
A: “We occasionally receive reports and photos of wild turkey hens with very young poults quite late in the summer. These hens have likely had one or more nest attempts fail earlier in the nesting season but they have tried again in June or July. These late broods offer a reminder for landowners to avoid mowing nesting cover during summer months unless absolutely necessary.”
Q: How many years have the surveys been conducted online?
A: “We have offered an online reporting option since approximately 2009. Online reporting has made it much easier for observers to submit reports and may have also improved the accuracy of reports. With a smart phone in hand, an observer can submit a wildlife report immediately and the observer can include a photo or video with their report quite easily”
Participants are encouraged to submit observations on the Wildlife Division’s Wildlife Reporting System webpage at wildohio.gov or on the HuntFish OH mobile app. Be sure to record the date and county where the observation occurred.
- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment