Donald L. Francis

Research Priorities for Monitoring Wild Turkeys Using Cameras and Infrared Sensors

A persistent shortcoming of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) management programs is the inconsistency in survey techniques. One approach to standardize turkey population monitoring is to use cameras and infrared sensors. The 7 primary assumptions associated with using cameras and infrared sensors to monitor turkey populations can be grouped into those pertaining to baiting and those associated with sampling design. Because none of these assumptions have been tested, our objective is to outline an experimental design appropriate for determining which theoretical assumptions are practically...