Effects of fall hunting on wild turkey populations in Virginia and West Virginia

The effect of fall either-sex hunting on eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gal lopavo silvestris) populations is a common concern of wildlife agencies. We examined the effect of fall either-sex hunting on survival of radiotagged female wild turkeys from 1989 to 1994 in Virginia and West Virginia. We tes ted the hypothesis that survival of female wild turkeys did not differ amon g areas closed to fall hunting, open to a 4-week fall season, or open to an 8- or 9-week fall hunting season. Mean annual survival rates were higher i n the area closed to fall hunting than in regions where fall hunting occurr ed (P = 0.05). Mean annual survival rates varied within years (P less than or equal to 0.05). Differences in annual survival rate among areas were att ributed to legal hunting (P less than or equal to 0.01). Poaching was a maj or mortality factor. Juvenile, yearling, and adult hens had similar surviva l rates in the areas closed to fall hunting and with 4 weeks of fall huntin g (P = 0.39), but survival rates of juveniles were lower (P = 0.03) than th ose of yearling and adult females in the area with an 8-9-week fall hunting season. Harvest rates of female turkeys averaged 4.3% in the 4-week fall h unted area and 12.3% on the 8-9-week fall hunted area. Higher harvests were achieved on the study area opened only to spring hunting than the combined fall-spring harvests on the other study areas. Total harvest was negativel y associated with survival (r(s) = -0.90, P = 0.04) on the 8-9-week fall hu nted area and positively associated with survival (r(s) = 0.90, P = 0.04) i n the area closed to fall hunting. Spring gobbler-only hunting is suggested for maximum growth in a wild turkey population. Guidelines are presented f or fall harvest programs.