John T. Forbes

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...

Numbers of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and turkey hunters have increased greatly in the Southeast during the last 3 decades, and administrators and managers should be aware of hunter attitudes toward potential hunting regulation changes. Our objective was to determine attitudes of turkey hunters regarding regulations on use of hunter orange, baiting, and a fall either-sex harvest. We conducted a mail survey of turkey hunters (N = 4,026) who hunted turkeys in Mississippi during the 1994 spring gobblers-only season. An initial mailout was followed by a second request, and a total...