The wild turkey, now you seem them, now you don't. We've all been there.

So why do some areas that are hot spots seemingly dry-up overnight?

The answer lies primarily with the hatch. Annual productivity of wild turkeys is highly variable. Research that was funded by members of NWTF through the Hunting Heritage Super Fund has helped answer some questions regarding the hatch. Research conducted in Central New York essentially confirmed the wet-hen theory. What the research found was that wild turkey production was tied to spring and early summer weather conditions. Cold and wet weather during the nesting season and shortly after hatching can have negative implications for nest success and poult survival. While deep powdery snow for extended periods of time can result in some winter mortality of turkeys, spring and summer weather appear to have a greater impact on turkey populations from year to year.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) recognizes the importance of the hatch. Starting in Summer 2006, IFW asked their staff and volunteers to record observations during the month of August in an effort to track the hatch. Those interested in keeping track of turkey observations only need to write down the number of gobblers, hens and poults, as well as, the size of the poults they observe during August. Only complete counts of turkey flocks should be submitted so that averages can be used to describe how many poults per hen were observed. Counts of only portions of a flock would compromise the results. It is also important to include flocks that have no poults as this indicates the number of hens that failed to raise any poults. Results will be compiled annually on a statewide and regional basis to allow wildlife biologists to look at trends in production and how the hatch differs from region to region.

Because this information provides a snapshot of the hatch and is not a complete count, or census, of all turkeys in Maine during August, managers consider the survey as an index to the state's wild turkey population. An index is of greater value when several years of data are collected. Multiple years of data allows for comparisons to be made on a statewide and regional level so that trends can be detected. Out of all the information summarized from the August Turkey Sighting Report, the number of poults per hen is the essential statistic. This number includes hens that were unsuccessful at raising poults, either because they did not attempt to nest at all, lost their nest to predation or the poults did not survive to the time the survey was conducted. It is important to incorporate these unsuccessful hens into the poults per hen number because if we had a year with very poor turkey production and we only looked at how many poults per successful hen were observed, we might be fooled by the number and think all is well. Combining both successful and unsuccessful hens into the poults per hen number allows us to see the big picture. Also important is the size of poults observed. Early hatched poults could be ¾ grown by August, while late hatching birds would be about ¼ grown. During winters that are harsh, poults only ¼ grown in August have a lower chance of survival and recruitment into the harvestable Spring population. Therefore, it is not only important to understand how many poults per hen were produced, but approximately how old they are as well.

Although wild turkeys still have room to expand into other areas of Maine, we now have a healthy, harvestable population in many areas. Now it is time to monitor that population more closely in an attempt to fine-tune wild turkey management in Maine. Your participation in this survey will help us monitor the year-to-year variation in productivity to better manage Maine's wild turkey population and help ensure the existence of the this grand bird for future generations of Maine hunters.

Instructions and data sheets for the August Turkey Brood Survey can be found by clicking here.