Overwinter survival of wild turkeys on industrial forests managed for short-rotation pines (treatment) and typical Piedmont forests and farmland (control), was investigated in Virginia's central Piedmont during 1986-1988. Ninety-six percent of the turkeys (N =106) were captured in early fall with alpha-chloralose laced bait. Sixty-three percent of the captured turkeys recovered and were released with transmitters; 15% were released without transmitters; and 21% died from capture related causes. Overwinter survival for all turkeys was <2% regardless of area or year. Daily survival was lower on the control areas (P < 0.01), however, due to the small (13) and scattered sample of turkeys captured over the 3 years on control areas, these data were omitted from further analyses. Daily survival on treatment areas over the 3 years was 97.6%. Thirty-seven percent of radio-equipped turkeys on treatment areas died within 2 weeks of release suggesting that factors related to the trapping process influenced survival. Possibilities considered were residual effects from alpha-chloralose, capture myopathy, and/or a negative effect from the transmitter and/or harness. Four weeks after release daily survival rates improved significantly (P < 0.01) indicating the influence from trapping had subsided. While hardwoods composed 38% of the primary treatment area, 65% of turkeys died in hardwood stands; predation accounted for 81% of the turkey mortality (N =42). Field evidence and necropsy results plus scent station data indicated that gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were the main turkey predators. Fox scats contained no detectable turkey remains but indicated that eastern cottontails (Silvilagus floridanus) were a primary prey species. / Master of Science

Wild turkey mortality rates, habitat use patterns, and recruitment were investigated on intensively managed pine forest of the Central Piedmont. Thirty-two adults and poults were captured with adult dosages of alpha-chloralose. Poults were easily sedated and usually recovered 1 day sooner than adults. The annual mortality rate for marked turkeys was 85%; September-February mortality was 65% (N=17), and March-August mortality was 57% (N=21). Turkeys that died during hunting seasons were recovered significantly (p < 0.05) closer to roads than those that died out of hunting seasons. High mortality during the hunting seasons and the association of hunting season mortality with roads suggests a crippling loss to legal harvest ratio as high as 4:1. Use of young pine plantations, hardwood leave strips, large stands of mixed hardwoods, mature pine stands, and fields was not significantly different (p > 0.1) from availability. Turkeys were associated with edges while on their winter and prenesting ranges. Nests were located in a variety of stand types, near edges, and in heavier cover than generally available. Nesting success was 48%. Post critical period brood survival was 90%. These data indicate that wild turkeys can adapt to the early stages of forest conversion for intensive pine management. / Master of Science

This investigation of the methods of restocking unoccupied wild turkey habitat in Virginia was conducted primarily to determine the success or failure of the propagation pen program during the 195% breeding season and to compare the success of this type of restocking with restocking programs of other states using wild-trapped turkeys. / Master of Science