In a Pennsylvania State Game Commission report recently, the NWTF is working with Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York on a four year study of wild turkeys in the three states. Not only are they banding the birds for future information, but while banding them, they are also trying out a couple of new style bands. They have recently found out that the normal aluminum butt-end bands used in the past has about a 50% success rate of staying on the birds.
They have now come out with some new styles to try out. One of the most successful so far is the aluminum band with a stainless steel rivet. They have yet to loose one. In Pennsylvania the NWTF has banded some males with a $100 reward for the harvest information! Now that would make a turkey hunt pay off! So far the NWTF has given out $11,300 to Pennsylvania hunters! The information from this program is invaluable, it goes to help better manage the current turkey population and also to help study the birds, it is used much in the same way as banding waterfowl.
This banding study is now in its third year of the four year study, and so far they say is paying off. I know we have some birds here in Michigan that were banded in the past. What I would like to know is, have any of you readers out there ever shot a banded turkey in any state? Or have any of you ever shot any type of bird with leg jewelry? I haven’t yet!
