STATE — The S.C. Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help with its annual Summer Turkey Survey.

Annually since 1982, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources has conducted a Summer Turkey Survey to estimate reproduction and recruitment of wild turkeys in South Carolina. The survey involves agency wildlife biologists, technicians and conservation officers, as well as many volunteers from other natural resource agencies and the general public. The survey is conducted in July and August each year.

“The Summer Turkey Survey is designed to monitor annual nesting success of hens and survival of their young, which has the greatest influence on wild turkey population dynamics,” according to Charles Ruth, Deer and Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. “The information allows biologists to calculate many factors essential for sound turkey management, including average brood size, percentage of hens with and without young, gobbler-to-hen ratio and overall numbers of turkeys seen. Combined with harvest data, this allows DNR to make scientifically based recommendations to the S.C. General Assembly in order to manage the wild turkey population now and in the future.”

If you are interested in participating in the annual Summer Turkey Survey, additional information including instructions and recording forms can be found on the DNR website at the following address: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/volunbroodsurvey.html.

Additional information on wild turkeys in South Carolina can be found on the DNR website at the following address: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/index.html.