The following schedule is from the 72nd Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies which was held October 21-24, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama.
AUTHORS: Lee A. Margadant, Carolyn E. Moore, James B. Grand – Alabama Cooperative Research Unit.
ABSTRACT: Accurate estimates of population size and structure can inform decisions about species management. Baited camera surveys are a valuable tool for estimating population size and structure; however, camera surveys may be biased. When conducting camera surveys, we have little idea as to how bait effects the movements and home range of the species of interest, which could lead to biased estimates of occupancy and density. I marked adult female Eastern Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) using transmitters with onboard GPS loggers to determine home ranges. I estimated home ranges using a minimum convex polygon (MCP), and determined core use areas within the home range using a fixed kernel density estimator (KDE). I deployed a bait station with each within the MCP and two weeks later generated a new home range to examine changes to the MCP and KDE. My hypothesis was that turkeys use of bait stations would change core use areas, but not home ranges; therefore, estimates of occupancy and density would not be affected. This research will help determine whether the use of bait could significantly affect estimates of the size and structure of turkey populations determined from camera surveys.
