Illegal Turkey Hunting in Mississippi

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting has gained popularity as turkey populations have risen. Consequently, there is a greater chance that illegal turkey hunting will impact turkey populations. Our objectives were to determine the extent of illegal turkey hunting in Mississippi and identify potential violators. We conducted a mail survey of turkey hunters (N = 4,026) who hunted in Mississippi during the 1994 spring gobbler-only season. A response rate of 55% was obtained. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the probability of a hunter violating a regulation. We entered 20 independent variables into the model and 6 significantly predicted turkey hunting violations.