Newspaper Page Text
February 25, 2009
^Reporter
PAGE 3C
Monroe County Outdoors
Time of change for turkeys
T he winds of change are
sweeping across the barren
Monroe County landscape.
Days are growing longer and
winter seems to be reluctantly
giving way to spring. This changing of the
seasons is having a profound effect on wild
turkeys. In the next few weeks these large
social birds will dramatically alter where
they live and with whom they associate.
Throughout the winter wild
turkeys have been spending most of
their time in the county’s woodlands
feeding on acorns and other energy-
rich foods putting on weight in
preparation for the rigors
of the impending breeding
and brood-rearing sea
sons. This has required
the birds to forage over
large territories. Adult
gobblers, for example,
may have had to range
over 4-square miles. If
food has been abundant,
they will enter this criti
cal time in their
lives weighing more
than they will at any
other time of the
year.
While living within
this forested habitat the birds have
been segregated into flocks based on
sex and age. Some of these flocks
have been together since this past
summer. Family flocks, consisting of
hens and their poults, formed groups
that numbered 40 or more birds.
However, even these flocks under
went changes. In autumn the young
male turkeys, called Jakes, broke
away from their families and formed
their own flocks. Accordingly, once
the mating season ended mature
gobblers banded together with other
adult males. Although some of these
flocks comprised 25 or more birds,
typically, no more than a dozen or so
gobblers will traveled together
throughout the winter. Other flocks
consisting of hens that were unsuc
cessful raising their own young last
spring.
As we move closer to the opening of
the 2009 Turkey Hunting Season,
these flocks will break up and the
birds will begin using habitats that
have more openings. These fields will
provide the birds with succulent
green grasses and insects.
Additionally, in the coming weeks
they will be used for courtship and
mating.
The late winter break-up of turkey
flocks is influenced more by increas
ing day length than temperatures.
Consequently, the 2008-2009 winter
weather pattern of a succession of
alternating periods of
warm and cold days should
have little effect on this
annual ritual.
Even now you may occa
sionally hear gobbling, in
spite of the fact that the
winter flocks are still pret
ty much intact. Young gob
blers are largely responsi
ble for these vocal out-
bursts.All of these will
change once the hens
begin separating
themselves from their
winter flocks and
begin spending more
time with adult gob
blers. At that time the gobbling of
adult gobblers will reverberate
across the countryside.
Some of the largest flocks of the
year will be seen during the next few
weeks. This is due to the fact that at
this time of the year both young and
adult gobblers will begin spending
time with flocks of hens.
As the flocks break up the Jakes
will often try to join flocks of adult
gobblers. As you might expect, their
efforts aren’t warmly received.
In as little as two to three weeks,
the large flocks that are now so com
mon will disband into mating flocks.
Such flocks are usuallly made up of
two to three gobblers and five to 15
hens. The hens will characteristically
only mate with the dominant male
in the group. This is usually the
largest gobbler in the flock.
Subordinate adult males and Jakes
have little chance of mating until
later in the spring.
After mating the hens will drift off
by themselves to locate a nesting
site. Consequently, as the breeding
season progresses, as their harems
dwindle, gobblers will spend more
and more time trying to find hens
that, for some reason, haven’t yet
mated or have had their nests
destroyed.
During the next few weeks, if you
happen to see a flock of turkeys, pull
off the road and watch the birds for a
few minutes. You will have a front
row seat from which you can watch
an age-old drama that was seen by
early settled and Native Americans
alike. This is one link with the past
I hope we never lose.
Terry Johnson is the retired
Program Manager of the Georgia
Nongame-Endangered Wildlife
Program. He is currently Executive
Director of TERN (The Nongame
Wildlife Section's Friends Group)
and conducts wildlife research and
survey projects, presents programs
and writes about wildlife. Email him
at TJWoodDuck@aol.com.
Dogs
continued from 1C
five goals. Also scoring
were Hogg's "Strika Crew"
partner, Lauren Perez, who
scored twice, along with
Samantha Buchanan.
On Feb. 12 the Lady
Dogs gave Westover
(Albany) a proper welcome
to the Cage at Lancaster
Field by beating the Lady
Patriots 9-3. Leading in
scoring was Perez, with
five goals, followed by
Hogg and Courtney Archer,
each with two.
On Feb. 17 the Lady
Dogs knocked in 10 goals
before the first half was
even over. The girls' 10-0
lead evoked the mercy
rule, thus ending the game
at the half against a rowdy
Rutland team.
On Feb. 19 the MP girls
blanked Baldwin 8-0.
Scoring opportunities were
shared by several ladies.
Knocking in two goals
were Rachel Davis, Perez
and Hogg. Freshman Anna
Fletcher and Rachel Clark
each scored one.
THE BULLDOGS are
also off to a perfect 4-0 to
start this season.
In the season opener
against Howard, the
Bulldogs rebounded from
an early deficit to put
away Howard 5-2. The first
half saw a very slow start
to the match for MP as the
Dogs tried to maintain
possession. Howard got on
the board first midway
through the first half.
After some personel
changes MP's freshman
class got them back rolling
again and a penalty kick
by Candler Proffitt with 12
minutes to go in the first
half tied it up, 1-1 The
second half saw new life in
the MP attack. Philip Lee
kicked in a goal to put MP
in the lead. Lee would
scored two more goals in te
second half. Later in the
half Erik Haygood’s corner
kick found the head of
James Brooks for the
match’s final tally.
On Feb. 13 the Bulldogs
won a hard-fought match
by a score of 2-1 over an
extremely athletic
Westover squad. MP
retained possession
throughout the first half,
but could not convert and
had very few scoring
opportunities. The match
was tied 0-0 at the half.
Proffitt tucked away a half
volley early in the second
half to give the Dogs a 1-0
lead. Westover struck a
first time volley from 40
yards away on a goalkeep
er clearance to even the
score, 1-1. Regulation
ended with the 1-1 score
line. A well-placed penalty
kick by Candler Proffitt in
overtime put the Dogs
ahead for good.
The first region match of
the season pitted MP and
Rutland on Feb. 17. MP
took an early lead on a
goal from Kevin Phelan.
The Dogs controlled most
of the attack in the first
half looking far more com
fortable on the ball.
Proffitt picked up his
fourth goal of the season
late in the first half to put
MP up 2-0 at the break.
There were still several
missed opportunities in
the first half as MP out-
shot Rutland 19 to 1.
Rutland pulled within 1
with a goal in the second
half to make it 2-1, but two
more goals from Proffitt
and Phelan gave the Dogs
a 6-1 win.
The Bulldogs edged past
Baldwin, 1-0, on Feb. 19.
MP’s only score came off a
penalty kick by Proffitt.
UP NEXT: MP will trav
el to Dublin Feb. 24. It’s
back home on Thurs, Feb.
26 to face Griffin, the girls
play at 5:30 and the boys
play at 7:30 p.m.
Beginning Saturday, MP
will face four region oppo
nents in a row as they get
to the meat of the sched
ule.
Monroe County Rec Basketball
This Week’s Games
9 am
10 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
6 pm
7 pm
Saturday, Feb. 28
Comets vs. Starzz (7-8)
Buylls vs. Wildcats (7-8)
Hawks vs. Hoyas (9-10)
Suns vs. Tarheels (9-10)
Sparks vs. Magic (9-14)
Monday, Mar. 2
Jayhawks vs. Blue Devils (11-12)
Kings vs. Celtics (11-12)
All games played In the Monroe County Youth Center gym
Scoreboard
Feb. 16
JayHawks 30, Kings 23
.Celtics 32, Blue Devils 20
Feb.21
Magic 28, Sparks 16
Comets 6, Starzz 4
Timberwolves 12, Bulls 0
Hoyas 19, Suns 17
Hawks 19, Tarheels 16
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