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It seems to me that there probably are already DNR employees on eBird who could look at what birders post there without even asking.
So, this looks like DNR is looking for more observers. Right around here, turkeys have been common enough to not be remarkable. But, they do seem to have become less densely populated in the last 2 years. They are hunted here, and may also be getting released here.
Steve Long (near) Oxford
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There’s a lot of information about this project on the DNR website and I urge anyone who is interested in understanding it to go to the website to read about it. As someone previously noted, DNR is trying to reach much more than birders, including hunters, land-owners, and public and private land managers.
More information about the project can be found on the DNR website at https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/Public-info-flyer-turkey-project-12-22.pdf. Or see DNR’s Wild Turkey Fact Sheet at https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/WildTurkeyFactSheet.aspx.
Here are a few snippets from the above to show the scope of the project:
Beginning in January 2023, Wild Turkeys will be captured and outfitted with leg-bands and/or GPS radio-transmitters. DNR staff will monitor the birds throughout the year and collect data on survival, reproduction, movements, and habitat use. The effects of weather, habitat, predators, disease, and hunter harvest will all be investigated by the research team.
The department is asking for the public’s assistance by reporting via online form any turkey flocks they see during the winter. You can report turkey flocks using this form: https://forms.gle/qWsnzuR3Doq9cWdD7
Although turkey populations have increased in Maryland in the past 50 years due to an intensive restoration program to reintroduce the birds to their historic range, surveys suggest that their numbers have declined from their peak in some areas.
The annual DNR Summer Wild Turkey Observation Survey has documented a general decline in wild turkey reproduction the past several decades, particularly in areas that were previous turkey strongholds. Spring turkey harvests have dropped in some areas as well. Similar trends in other states throughout the U.S. have prompted numerous studies to investigate potential causes.
This research will be conducted as part of a multi-state collaborative effort with partners, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Penn State University, University of Pennsylvania, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Data will be collected at sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region to allow comparisons among areas with different landscape characteristics, providing an avenue to learn even more about the birds.
Marcia
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Marcia Watson
Bowie, MD
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