We investigated genetic structure and relatedness of birds within and among flocks across sites in 3 states. We found that genetically, birds clustered separately by study site which was not surprising given the geographic distance between the sites. However, we also found more genetic separation than expected at some sites, particularly one in southeastern Louisiana, which suggests a lack of gene flow at that site. The probability of within-flock relatedness was lowest at a site that isn’t hunted, which is an interesting finding that requires further analysis. Our findings provide evidence that genetic structure is highly variable in wild turkey populations, setting the stage for other ongoing genetics work.
