The Latest Turkey Research
The Importance of Turkey Bands
 Editor’s
Note: What have scientists learned about turkeys and
turkey habitat that can help us understand turkeys better,
learn how to provide better habitat for them and find
out why and when they gobble? State conservation agencies
across the United States currently have conducted research
projects in these areas with the help of the National
Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the federal government
and other conservation organizations. To learn the latest
information, we’ve talked with Tom Hughes, senior
wildlife biologist for the NWTF (www.nwtf.org).
How long does a turkey band stay on a turkey’s
leg? According to Hughe s,
statistical information about turkeys, including how
long they live, how far they travel, and how many hunters
harvest toms directly relates to the bands on turkeys’
legs. The states of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio
have conducted an intensive ongoing study to determine
how long a turkey band will remain on a turkey’s
leg, and what type of band material will keep the bands
from coming off the turkeys’ legs accidentally
as they cross various terrains. Biologists have made
double-banding 300 gobblers in each state their goals.
A third to 1/2 of these double-banded gobblers will
have a reward band as well as a test band on their legs
with the reward band worth $100 to $150 for the hunter
who turns in the band. The first phase of this study
plans to determine gobbler mortality and the number
of bands turned-in by hunters who take turkeys. The
turkey’s reward band’s attached with small
rivets to m ake
sure the turkeys can’t lose it. The other band’s
made of aluminum or another material, much like a duck
band.
“We believe that a turkey with a $100 to a $150
band attached to its leg will be reported by almost
100% of the turkey hunters who take them,” Hughes
says. “Of the
300-banded turkeys per state, 150 of them will have
reward bands on them, and 150 birds won’t. We
want to know what percentage of hunters will turn in
the bands from turkeys without rewards attached. Then
we can get more-accurate data on how many turkeys harvested
with bands we can expect to be reported. Once this study
ends, we’ll have a good idea of what reporting
rates we can expect when we band turkeys for scientific
studies like mortality and other scientific information
we want to gather.” 
This banding study also will aid scientists in learning
how many of the banded turkeys hunters harvested, and
how many of the banded turkeys died of natural mortality.
Without knowing how many hunters will turn in bands
without rewards attached to them, how many bands the
turkeys have lost, and what materials work best for
making turkey bands, scientists may assume that certain
turkeys have died of natural mortality, when in fact
these turkeys have just lost their bands, or hunters
haven’t reported taking the gobblers by turning
in the bands.
If you’re hunting in New York, Pennsylvania and/or
Ohio this year, please turn in any bands, and tell the
conservation officer where you’ve taken the turkey.
Preliminary results have indicated that bands have fallen
off turkeys’ legs at a much-higher rate –
16 to 18 percent - than the scientists previously have
assumed.
Tomorrow: Texas Turkeys, and
Turkeys and Grape Vines
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