We looked at reproductive ecology of hens in a longleaf pine forest managed intensively with prescribed fire. We found that nest success was 42%, which is high compared to most populations. We found that only 5 nests were influenced by fire, and 2 of them hatched. We also found that brood survival was 32% during the first 2 weeks after hatching, and 64% thereafter. Hens tended to nest in areas that were scheduled to be burned during the subsequent year, which is an important finding. Our findings suggested that applying fire on a 1-2 year return interval depending on the stand was compatible with managing for turkeys, and that growing-season fires had little impact on turkey reproduction.
Time-Since-Fire and Stand Seral Stage Affect Habitat Selection of Eastern Wild Turkeys in a Managed Longleaf Pine Ecosystem
We assessed habitat use of hens on sites managed with frequent prescribed
