(Posted on Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Facebook Page)
Check out the movements of these female wild turkeys we tagged in Kentucky!
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and partners at Tennessee Tech University are testing a GPS transmitter that can provide live, real-time tracking.
Swipe through the photos to check out charts depicting this movement:
During late winter, these hens stayed in a tight flock, but as days lengthened, they broke into smaller groups and shifted their home ranges 1–2 miles on average.
Juvenile hens can disperse 5 or more miles from their winter range, which has important management implications. This seasonal movement reflects hens leaving wintering habitat to find the best nesting habitat.
So, if the flock you’ve been watching all winter suddenly disappears, don’t worry — it’s just their biological clock telling them it’s time to move on.
More importantly, early spring is a transition time for turkeys as well, as they redistribute across the landscapes.
