Preliminary Report On Methoxymol To Capture Turkeys

A new hypnotic agent which is especially potent in birds was tested on free-feeding wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Florida by oral administration on baits. One hundred thirteen were narcotized sufficiently to be captured. At the optimum dosage (4 grams of powdered drug per cup of bait) the first evidences of narcosis were noted almost immediately and some turkeys were captured within 3 minutes after beginning to feed. Narcosis wore off after 8 hours even in the more heavily drugged individuals. Mortality from overdosage was less than 3 per cent at optimum dosage levels. The new drug is clearly superior in narcotic qualities to alpha-chloralose but it is so distasteful to turkeys that they often refused to eat it.