John C. Kilgo

We captured 60 wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hens from 1998-2001 on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina to assess nesting success, identify characteristics of successful and unsuccessful nests, and determine survival rates and mortality factors of hens. Hen nesting success varied greatly among years, ranging from 0-80% and was strongly correlated (r = 0.998) with the number of poults per hen observed during brood surveys. Woody stem densities (F30 = 5.1; P = 0.03) and nest concealment (F30 = 4.69; P = 0.04) both were greater at successful...

We compared survival rates of eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris) gobblers in hunted (Crackerneck Wildlife Management Area and Ecological reserve [CWMA]) and unhunted (Savannah River Site [SRS]) populations in South Carolina to assess impact of spring gobbler-only hunts. Annual survival rate of gobblers on SRS (0.71) was greater (χ2 = 5.11; df = 1; P = 0.02) than that of gobblers on CWMA (0.54). Our results indicate that spring gobbler harvests constitute additive mortality to turkey populations. However, even in years when reproductive rates were relatively low, a spring-...

To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female white-tailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-,...

Understanding the responses of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to controlled dog hunting can aid in the effective implementation of canine-assisted population management strategies. We examined the 24-h diel movements of 13 radio-collared female deer exposed to dog hunting on the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina, where regulated dog hunting has occurred since 1965. We compared diel home range size, rate of travel, and distance between extreme diel locations before, during, and after hunts from 14 September-14 December 2002. Diel home range size (F2,91 = 7.71...