WILD TURKEY DISCOVERY UPENDS CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
DECEMBER 14TH, 2023
"The most surprising finding was that precipitation during nesting was not a good predictor of daily nest survival," says Chris Moorman. "It had been widely believed that particularly rainy weather made it more likely that eggs wouldn't survive."
Precipitation levels during nesting season are not related to reproductive success for wild turkeys, according to a new study.
The findings runs counter to conventional wisdom regarding the role that rainfall plays in wild turkey nesting success and shed new light on how climate change may affect wild turkey populations.
"We wanted to know how weather influences nesting success right now, and then use that data to assess how climate change may influence wild turkey populations in the future," says Wesley Boone, a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.
Read more at: https://www.futurity.org/wild-turkeys-reproduction-precipitation-3008412-2/
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I read this article and found it slightly interesting but mostly obvious. The article was focused on the EGG, Not a poult. The interesting portions to me were weather patterns prior too egg laying.
Quote from: WV Flopper on December 17, 2023, 08:12:36 PM
I read this article and found it slightly interesting but mostly obvious. The article was focused on the EGG, Not a poult. The interesting portions to me were weather patterns prior too egg laying.
I agree with that, when it was better to have moisture surprised me. I didn't follow the link in the article yet, it may have more information on poults but it seemed more focused on pre gestation as well as time during gestation. Not even sure gestation is the proper term to use with an egg? Edit: Incubation, knew the other was not right
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I could read the article only until I quickly got to the "climate change". At that point, I realized that the article was worthless.
Quote from: silvestris on December 18, 2023, 01:19:12 PM
I could read the article only until I quickly got to the "climate change". At that point, I realized that the article was worthless.
I chuckled at that as well.
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Quote from: silvestris on December 18, 2023, 01:19:12 PM
I could read the article only until I quickly got to the "climate change". At that point, I realized that the article was worthless.
Bingo!!!
I also was suspicious when he mentioned the long held belief of wet weather on the "egg".
Quote from: EZ on December 19, 2023, 09:31:20 AM
Quote from: silvestris on December 18, 2023, 01:19:12 PM
I could read the article only until I quickly got to the "climate change". At that point, I realized that the article was worthless.
Bingo!!!
I also was suspicious when he mentioned the long held belief of wet weather on the "egg".
The one that I had never heard of before was the wet hen and predation thing, I'd never heard of that one before. The one thing I can figure with it was perhaps it could increase the order of the hen being smelled further, I kind of associated it with a dog that gets sprayed by a skunk then after a month or so you no longer smell it and then it goes outside and gets wet again and all the sudden you smell it like it was day one? that's only way I can associate it in my head anyway.
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Not to argue for or against the findings of the research, the fact is that weather patterns can be both random and variable in intensity during those times when nesting success and poult survival might be impacted. A single severe weather event can make or break either or both, depending on when it occurs.
There is also no doubt that precipitation, or lack thereof, outside of nesting and the poult raising period can impact habitat conditions during that nesting/poult rearing period that can impact those factors that are conducive to either success or failure of both. The bottom line is that we cannot control weather patterns, and that without artificial intervention that controls those factors critical to reproductive success, we will always be at the whims (and mercy) of the weather.
Quote from: GobbleNut on December 20, 2023, 12:08:31 PM
Not to argue for or against the findings of the research, the fact is that weather patterns can be both random and variable in intensity during those times when nesting success and poult survival might be impacted. A single severe weather event can make or break either or both, depending on when it occurs.
There is also no doubt that precipitation, or lack thereof, outside of nesting and the poult raising period can impact habitat conditions during that nesting/poult rearing period that can impact those factors that are conducive to either success or failure of both. The bottom line is that we cannot control weather patterns, and that without artificial intervention that controls those factors critical to reproductive success, we will always be at the whims (and mercy) of the weather.
I have no problem with that statement, I just don't believe in global warming is what I am getting at. I can seem more moisture on the bottom of an egg making it more fragile or prone to fungus, that is just common sense. At the same time if the area is too dry it can have much the same effect, just for opposite reasons.
Try laying on the wet ground for a week with nothing but a few inches of straw between you and it, it will cause problems, try doing the same on overly dry ground and it will cause other problems.
I just read the Colorado just said that there needs to be no further federal mandates for reintroduction of wolves, there is yet another problem for turkey and every other animal out there.