Rio Grande Turkey Habitat Management - Texas Parks & Wildlife

Rio GrandeTurkeyHabitatManagement

Rio GrandeTurkeyHabitatManagement

byGeorge W. LittonFielding Harwell

Wildlife Division1995

A contribution of Federal Aid (P-R) ProjectW-129-M. Printed with money from theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department’sTurkey Stamp Fund.

Cover artwork – Rob Fleming

Rio Grande TurkeyHabitat ManagementRio Grande turkey are distributed throughout the central portion of Texas from thenorthern high plains to the southern gulf coastal prairies. The occurrence of thisspecies becomes less frequent as they approach far west Texas and they are not found indeep east Texas.

The popularity of the Rio Grande turkey as a game bird has increased markedly inrecent years; primarily due to the acceptance of the spring gobbler hunting season byhunters and landowners alike. Although many birds are harvested during the fallseason, these birds are generally taken incidental to deer hunting. The spring gobblerseason presents a unique hunting experience when the birds can be called within closerange and during a time when there is very little other hunting opportunity.

Through proper management, land managers can establish or enhance huntableturkey populations which not only provide an additional source of hunting income, butincreases man-days of hunting opportunity for the hunting public.

Basic Habitat Requirementsoccur during the winter, spring, and fall.Rescuegrass is frequently eaten by turkeywith the birds taking green seeds, leaves,and dried seeds. These food items areoften available when other food items arescarce during late winter. Agriculturalcrops which are considered as grasses,such as wheat, rye, or oats, appear to beof major importance to the birds whenavailable. This will be discussed at lengthin the supplemental feed portion of thisbrochure.

Utilization of browse plants includesfruits, berries, beans, and acorns pro-duced by trees, shrubs, and vines. Theseitems are important when available butthey are seasonal and availability isusually of short duration. Importantbrowse plant and fruit producing speciesare: acorns from many oak species(liveoak, Lacey oak, Spanish oak, shinoak, and post oak); berries produced byhackberry trees; elm seeds; fruit of Texaspersimmon; mesquite beans; fruit andseeds of pricklypear and tasajillo; wildgrape; chittum berries; agarito berries;and wild blackberry.

Use of forbs or weeds is also ofimportance to wild turkey. The birdsutilize the green leaves and fruits of theseplants but use is seasonal because forbgrowth and production is dependent onrainfall and temperature. Forb usage is atits peak during the winter period.

FoodRio Grande turkey have the same basichabitat requirements as other wildlifespecies in that they require food, cover,and water. The distribution and availabil-ity of these basic environmental compo-nents is important. Food requirements forRio Grande turkey greatly influence thedistribution of these birds and seem todetermine their population levels. Year-round food supplies apparently are themajor requirements necessary to establishand maintain turkey in any given area.

Food habit studies in Reagan andSterling Counties of Texas indicated thatturkey utilized the following food items onan annual basis by percent volume in theirdiets: grasses - 36%, insects - 29%, browse -19%, and forbs - 16%. Turkey need areliable source of food which is available ona daily basis. These mentioned food groupsthen become of major importance due totheir seasonal availability (Figure 1).

Insects are highly preferred turkeyfoods. Peak utilization period of this foodsource is during summer and fall wheninsects are most numerous. Insects areconsumed in large quantities whenavailable and searched out when lessavailable. Turkey actively search outinsects such as beetles during the dormantwinter period.

Grasses are utilized throughout theyear but peak use of these food items

Winter Spring Summer Fall

1000

800

600

400

200

0

Crop contentsin ML

Grass

Browse

Forb

Insect

Figure 1. Seasonal Utilization of Food Typesby Rio Grande Turkey

CoverAs with other game species, a diversity ofcover is important for maintaining aprolific and healthy turkey population.Vegetative cover is required for escape,loafing, screening, nesting, and roosting.Turkey do venture out into cleared areasto feed but must have escape cover nearbyin which they can hide.

Shrubs, weeds, vines, and grassesprovide cover required for nesting as doagricultural crops such as alfalfa, wheat,and oats. Ground cover over 18 inches inheight is desired by nesting turkey.Oftentimes, in the Edwards Plateau, theseconditions are found only in highwayrights-of-way and many nesting attemptsare successful in these areas.

Turkey spend the night roosting off ofthe ground to escape the danger ofpredation. Normally, they will use talltrees as roost sites; however, in extremecases they have used electrical poles andother man-made structures. The birdsprefer roost areas with low-growing brushboth under the tall roost trees and alongthe approach to the roost site. This low

Preservation of sites utilized by turkeysfor roosting is essential for maintainingthe population.

brush or screening cover is extremelyimportant and provides cover as the birdsenter and leave the roost site. Turkeyscustomarily spend time in the loafingareas of the roost sites before ascending tothe trees for the night.

WaterAvailability of surface water is a require-ment of good turkey range. Turkeydistribution is frequently associated withstreams and river bottoms. This isthought to be not only a function of

Well situated surface water availabilityis important to good turkey habitatmanagement.

standing water but the more plentiful foodsupply associated with the deeper soiltypes normally found along these drainagesystems. However, the increase inwatering sites associated with windmillsand earthen livestock waterings haveexpanded turkey distribution. Severalstudies indicate that standing water isimportant to nesting turkeys with mostnests located within one mile of water;however, nests are often located as closeas 1/4 mile of water.

Watering sites located not more than2 miles apart appear to be advantageousfor the wild turkey. Research studies havereported significant increases in turkeypopulations as a result of an increase inwatering sites that were constructed forlivestock operations. This may be in theform of dirt tanks or troughs at windmills.

Habitat AssessmentWhen attempting to enhance existinghabitat or to provide adequate habitatrequirements, a land manager must assessexisting food, cover, and water conditions,or lack thereof.

The location and protection of allwinter roost sites is of extreme impor-tance. These sites must be preserved! Thetaking or shooting of turkey from a roostis unlawful. Location of hunting blindsadjacent to roost sites should not bepermitted. Any human disturbance ofroost sites during late evening or atnighttime can cause the birds to move,sometimes permanently.

The manager needs to be aware ofthe types of use turkey are making ofgiven areas. Which areas provide heavyuse and why? Are certain areas beingused primarily for nesting? Do otherareas provide no use because woodyvegetation such as cedar, shinoak, orwhitebrush is too dense to providesuitable habitat; if so, selective clearingmay be desired.

The manager must also make amental inventory of food producing plantsand seasonal food availability. If year-round food supplies are not available,artificial food plots or supplementalfeeders may be helpful.

Water availability is an importanthabitat consideration. Many turkeypopulations have become established inclose proximity to permanent waterprovided by creek and river drainages.Standing, drinking water is important butthe abundance and diversity of plant andinsect foods as well as cover which isfound in association with permanentwater is also desirable.

Management RecommendationsManagement ofthe Food SupplyBasic goals to provide an adequate foodsupply for a turkey population throughoutthe year are to increase the variety,quantity, and quality of vegetationutilized by this species. Techniques forimproving the habitat include the grazingof livestock in light to moderate rates andin a rotational grazing system, control ofnative deer and exotic big game, pre-scribed burns, and mechanical control andmanagement of noxious brush species.

Rangeland must be lightly to moder-ately stocked with domestic animals toinsure an adequate year-round foodsupply. Overstocking rangelands tends toeliminate high quality plants and reducevolume as well as diversity of vegetation.Maintaining cattle, sheep, and goatnumbers within the food supply producedby the range is essential. Recommendedstocking rates within the range of the RioGrande turkey vary markedly. Some ofthe environmental factors affectingstocking rates are rainfall, soil andvegetation types, length of the growing

season as governed by temperature,topography of the land, and the previouslivestock operation and land clearingactivities.

The use of a deferred rotation systemof grazing, in addition to the stockingrate, is essential for increasing foodavailability for turkeys and other wildlifespecies. The particular grazing systemutilized should permit pastures to berested during different seasons over aseveral year period. This helps preventoveruse of preferred grasses, forbs, andbrowse plants. Continuous grazing, evenwith a light stocking rate, can result inoveruse of key plants.

Control of white-tailed deer numbersis important. Native deer consume largequantities of forbs and browse plantswhich turkey utilize. Rangeland over-populated with deer can detrimentallyaffect vegetation quantity, quality, anddiversity.

Besides maintaining native deerwithin the food supply of the habitat, theharvest of exotic big game is necessary insome areas. Axis, fallow, and sika deer, aswell as aoudad and mouflon sheep, arecommon exotic big game animals in

The class of livestock, the stocking rate,and the use of a rotational grazingsystem are instrumental in providingcover and forage for turkeys.

portions of the Rio Grande turkey range.Excessive numbers of these animals havethe same adverse effects on food availabil-ity as do any other grazing animal.

Prescribe burns can help improve therangeland for deer, turkey, and otherspecies of wildlife. It is a techniqueutilized to control the spread of regrowthjuniper trees and increase plant diversityin the Edwards Plateau ecological area.Ashe juniper, or cedar, is an invader thatdecreases production of preferred grasses,forbs, and browse plants for livestock aswell as wildlife.

Prescribe burning during the winterperiod increases vegetation diversity aswell as increasing the nutritional value ofthe vegetation. Additionally, as the warmseason progresses, there is frequently anincreased number of species and volumeof insects available in the burned areas.

In some instances, the mechanicalmanipulation of noxious brush species bythe use of a bulldozer may be necessary.An example of this situation might bedense thickets of brush that contain treestoo large to be controlled by prescribedburns. The use of a bulldozer should be

avoided in areas of very shallow top soilswhere large rocks may be uncovered orwhen desirable trees may be removed.Also, the needs and requirements of otherwildlife species must be taken intoconsideration.

Food PlotsAlthough supportive research data maynot be available, the presence of agricul-tural food crops can be of vital importanceto existing turkey populations. Water andcover may be at minimal levels butwithout adequate, year-round foodsupplies, wild turkey cannot exist.

Prescribe burning can be used to controlinvading juniper while increasing rangeplant and insect diversity.

Food plots, both summer and winter, canbe used to supplement natural forage aswell as providing an attractant forinsects in the spring and summer.

In areas where native plants oragricultural crops do not provide adequateturkey food, food plots may be necessary.These plots will require fencing to excludelivestock. In areas of high deer populations,food plots need to be large enough orfenced to prevent destruction of the crop bythe deer herd. The green, leafy material ofwinter wheat, rye, and oats is readily takenby turkey during the winter period. Birdshave been observed feeding on thesecultivated crops daily. The crops from birdsharvested during the winter period havebeen found to be full of the leaves of thesegreen plants. Ripened seed of manycultivated crops are actively sought out byturkey. Some of these are wheat, oats, rye,milo, peas, peanuts, baled hay (when seedheads are included), sorghum almum, corn,and millet. Also, food plots tend to attractinsects during the spring and summer,which furnish an essential or preferred foodsource. Again, special emphasis should beplaced on providing additional food sourcesduring the late fall, winter, and early springperiods. Research studies have indicatedthat by providing adequate nutrition priorto and during the nesting season, fertilityand subsequent poult production can beincreased significantly.

Supplemental FeedingIn addition to cultivated crops, artificialfeeders can provide a supplemental foodsupply. The Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment, when stocking wild-trappedbirds in unoccupied turkey habitat,recommends the placement of supplemen-tal feeders to aid in holding the birds in agiven area and to give them the opportu-nity to establish themselves. The morecommon foods utilized in feeders areshelled corn, milo, wheat, oats, rye, andhigh-protein pellets.

Basically, any type of feeder whichallows the birds “free-choice” accessibilityto the feed is acceptable. Feeders shouldbe fenced to exclude livestock, deer, andexotics. A 4-or 5-wire, barbed wire fenceplaced relatively close to a feeder willdeter deer use. Platform feeders arehelpful to limit use by deer and“varmints”. If high protein pelleted feedis used, it is often necessary to mix miloor corn with the pellets until the birdsbecome accustomed to the pelleted feed.In several documented instances turkeyhave become established, with a conse-quent increase in numbers, where highprotein pelleted feeds were available.

These pictures depict two different typesof turkey feeders, plans for which areincluded in this bulletin. Many differentmodifications can be made to fit yourparticular situation.

Cover ManagementIdentification of roosting sites is essentialto the preservation of this key limitingfactor. Roost sites will vary greatlyaccording to vegetation types andtopography; however, frequently theroosting areas are associated with largetimber near creeks, rivers, and intermit-tent or dry drainages. In some instances,large oak motts in a savannah habitattype are utilized. Canyons or draws withsteep bluffs that have tall timber are alsofavorite roosting areas.

Some of the species of trees thatturkey utilize for roost sites includepecan, sycamore, cottonwood, willow,cypress, hackberry, elm, mesquite, liveoak, Spanish oak, and chinkapin oak. Ifyou want to locate a roost site, begin bylooking under tall timber along drainagesystems. A well used roost will haveabundant droppings, feathers, and signsof scratching. Roosts may also be locatedby looking and listening for birds going toor leaving the roost at dusk and dawn.

Preservation of sites utilized byturkeys for roosting is essential formaintaining the population. At times,this may become a problem as a result oflarge trees being located in fertile and

the form of grasses, forbs, shrubs, or man-made brush piles. Moderate stocking ofrangelands with domestic livestock andthe use of a deferred rotation grazingsystem are essential for producingadequate ground cover and nesting coverfor turkeys. Leaving brush along fencerows will increase cover. Also, shrubs,weeds, and grasses growing under thelimbs of downed trees will furnishprotected nesting sites. However, this issecondary to proper rangeland manage-ment with respect to grazing by livestock.

Screening type cover leading to oraround and under a roosting site isessential. The left side of the picturedepicts good mesquite screening coverleading to a pecan bottom roost site inthe background.

Nesting cover 18" in height is necessaryto protect turkey nests from predationand weather. Brush piles can be used tofurnish turkeys with nesting cover byprotecting grasses of adequate heightfrom grazing.

deep soils of the bottomland habitat.These sites are frequently converted toimproved pastures or croplands.

Screening type cover leading to oraround and under a roost site is essential.Total removal of brush along or adjacentto the taller roost trees will make the siteunacceptable to the birds and it will nolonger be used.

Nesting cover is a requirement forprotection from predators and weather.Nests are most frequently located in cover18 inches in height. This may be found in

Brush ManagementBrush management is an importantcomponent of habitat management.Clearing practices can either destroy orimprove rangeland for turkeys. Solidblock clearing on a large basis caneliminate both cover and a food sourcerequired to maintain a turkey population.On the other hand, rangeland consistingof a dense cedar brake is very poorhabitat. Some researchers have reportedthat high concentrations of turkey werefound in areas where 20% to 75% of thebrush had been removed. Additionally,there are instances where removal of anybrush species may be detrimental such asa grassland savannah when scatteredmotts of liveoak and other trees are theonly available cover. Some basic guide-lines for brush clearing are as follows:

1. Brush cover must be left along watercourses. Brush should also be left alongdrainages that run into water courses.

2. Roosting sites and travel lanes tothese sites should be preserved.Clearing activities near roosting sitescan result in the birds permanentlyleaving the area.

3. Strips can be established on f latterrain and cleared at a 1 to 1 ratio.Remove 150 yards of brush and leave150 yards. This is a rough guidelineto prevent unreasonable clearing. Toprevent excessive clearing, avoidremoving over 50% of the brush in apasture.

4. Brush islands or strips can be left asescape cover and travel ways whenlarge areas are cleared.

5. Block clearing can produce good resultsif done in a checkerboard pattern.

6. Irregular patterns of cleared landproduce the greatest amount of edgeeffect. Where possible, clearingpatterns should follow the contour ofthe terrain.

7. It is important to recognize that manybrush species furnish escape cover,nesting cover, and roost sites. Theimportance of many woody or brushspecies as key food plants must beevaluated before clearing.

8. As a general rule, the use of chemicalsfor brush control should be avoidedsince desirable vegetation may also bekilled in the process.

Water ManagementAs previously stated, watering sites locatednot more than 2 miles apart are generallysufficient; however, watering sites locatedat closer proximity would be better.Overflow ponds at windmill locations willfurnish turkeys with needed surface water,and the construction of dams alongdrainages will also increase wateravailability. Remember, water sourcesmust be available throughout the year.

HarvestRegulations set by the Texas Parks andWildlife Department, which concern theRio Grande turkey, are established toprevent waste or depletion of this gamespecies while attempting to furnishrecreation on a sustained basis. The keytools of regulations concern bag limits andseason time and length. An example ofbag limits is the gobbler only versus theeither sex bag. The gobbler only limitduring the fall is a conservative bag that isutilized in areas with moderate to heavyhunting pressure. This is usually gov-erned by landownership size. Areas orcounties with small ranches generally havehigher concentrations of hunters asopposed to large ranches. The either sexbag, which allows a hunter to take either agobbler or hen is utilized in westerncounties that have high concentrations of

Surface water, in the form of stock tanks,overf low from windmills and wateringtroughs, is an important element of goodturkey habitat.

turkeys and limited hunting pressure asthe result of larger ranches. The lengthyfall season extending from November toJanuary is an example of a liberalregulation as compared to the shortergobbler only spring season.

Hunting gobblers with a call duringthe spring mating season is truly a uniqueand exciting hunting experience. Thiswidely distributed and numerous gamebird can be hunted during this seasonwithout harm to the population. However,to more closely set the dates of the springseason so that the majority of thebreeding has taken place, the Texas Parksand Wildlife Department conducted a 3-year turkey breeding chronology study.The study, conducted from 1991 through1993, indicated that mating in centralTexas was largely completed by April 16,with approximately 66.7% of the hensbeing bred by this time. The springgobbler season is set to occur after themajority of the hens are bred and havestarted nesting. At this point, most of thegobblers become surplus and can beharvested without impact to the turkeypopulation.

Establishing specific harvest quotason a ranch is a management art that an

owner or operator can develop. Theannual quota should be f lexible enough toadapt to changing environmental condi-tions such as drought or above normalrainfall. The quota should take intoconsideration long term population trends,production, and sex ratios. The managershould determine if the population isincreasing, decreasing, or static, and thenutilize this information to adjust hisharvest recommendations.

The annual trend of turkey numberscan frequently be determined from winterroosting counts. These are areas whereturkeys congregate in large numbersduring the winter to roost. They can becounted when the birds leave the roostsite at daybreak or when they return inthe evening.

An evaluation of production and sexratio can be obtained from turkeyobservations made during the summermonths of July and August. A ratio ofthree poults per hen is considered good toexcellent reproductive success, while aratio of two poults per hen is classified asfair production. Productivity below theselevels is considered to be poor. Anoptimum sex ratio would be 2 to 3 hens

per gobbler. This range should beadequate for reproductive needs andfurnish an adequate volume of gobblersfor hunting recreation.

The manager uses the long termpopulation trend, production success, andsex ratio to make judgements concerningincreasing or decreasing the harvestquota. Harvesting 10% to 20% of thegobblers annually would be a conservativeapproach. Increasing the quota to 30% ofthe estimated gobbler population may bepractical only after several years of aboveaverage production. Within countieswhere there is an either sex bag, thehunting of hens is practical on rancheswith high turkey numbers and limited orlight hunting pressure.

On any given area, a turkey popula-tion is usually very cyclic. The numberstend to increase with high nesting successduring years of normal rainfall anddecrease during periods of prolongeddrought conditions. It is not unusual tohave 2 to 3 years of poor productionfollowed by high production when rangeconditions are favorable. In short, themanager must be flexible to adjust tochanging conditions.

Turkey hunting furnishes high qualityrecreation for hunters and increasedrevenue for landowners.

Suggested Reading ListBreeding Chronology in Rio Grande Turkey Hens

By Billy Don Davis, Federal Aid Final Report, Job 7.07, TPWD. 192 pp.

Food Habits of the Rio Grande Turkey in the Permian Basin of TexasBy George W. Litton, Technical Series No. 18. TPWD

The Wild Turkey: Its History and DomesticationBy A. W. Schorger, University of Oklahoma Press. 625 pp.

The Wild Turkey: Biology and ManagementCompiled and edited by James G. Dickson, National Wild Turkey Federation Book.463 pp.

The Wild Turkey and Its ManagementEdited by Oliver H. Hewitt, The Wildlife Society, 1967. 589 pp.

The Wild Turkey: Biology and ManagementEdited by James G. Dickson, Stackpole Books, 1992. 462 pp.

Turkey Feeder500 pound capacityThis type of feeder is being used onseveral wildlife management areas and onprivate ranches. The inset legs and valleytin around the platform practicallyeliminates the tremendous waste thatusually accompanies the use of turkeyfeeders by ever-hungry raccoons.

Care should be taken not to place thefeeder directly under a tree or theraccoons will soon learn to climb the treeand drop down on the feeder. While ittakes a little longer for turkeys to learn toutilize this type of feeder, the savings arewell worthwhile. Turkey will normallyaccept this feeder more readily if a fewpounds of grain such as milo are scatteredon the ground around the feeder atweekly intervals until turkey locate thefeed in the hopper.

General Notes

1. Platform covering and exterior ofhopper of 1" x 6" tongue and groove.

2. ‘Weldwire’ mesh used over feed opening.3. Top of hopper secured by hook and eye

at each side.4. Tongue and groove siding on hopper

installed with tongue edge up.5. Posts set in from edge of platform to

deny access to predators.

1.SIDE VIEW

3.SIDE VIEW

SECTION "A – A"

4.SECTION "B – B"

5.TOP VIEW

6.top view

PLATFORM FRAME

2.FRONT VIEW

TurkeyFeederPlatform

PWD RP W7000–263 (10/95)In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available atthe Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.