Hunting Pressure Drives Female Turkeys to Produce More Daughters, Study Suggests

Hunting pressure drives female turkeys to produce more daughters, study suggests

Female turkeys could be running the roost for years to come. New research from the University of Georgia published in the Journal of Avian Biology found that the gender of turkey offspring may depend on whether the birds are living in an area full of hunters. And that trend could have big implications for the future of turkey populations.

UGA study says turkey genders ‘may depend’ on how close hunters live to birds

Analyzing hundreds of male and female turkeys, their offspring and nests across three states, researchers from the University of Georgia said hunters have more of an impact on turkey genders than previously realized.

Finding the Turkey to Poultry Reproduction

New research from the University of Georgia found that the gender of turkey offspring may depend on if the birds are living in an area full of hunters. And that trend could have big implications for the future of turkey populations.

Hunting may be influencing the sex of new turkeys

Female turkeys are less likely to mate in hunted areas. But when they do, the likelihood their offspring are female increases.