Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality of Merriam's Wild Turkeys in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

Merriam's Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) is a species of interest for managers and is considered economically valuable through wildlife viewing and hunting. We captured, radio-marked, and monitored 49 turkeys (27 males, 22 females) over a 3-year period (2008–2011) in the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. Annual Kaplan-Meier survival estimates varied among years (range 0.33–0.80). Lowest seasonal survival of 0.42 (SE 0.14) occurred during winter 2010 (1 Dec 2009–31 Mar 2010). We observed 20 fatalities of the 49 monitored turkeys. Predation by bobcats (Lynx rufus) and pumas (Puma concolor) accounted for 60% (n = 12) of losses. Hunter harvest (20%), vehicle collision (5%), disease (5%), and unknown causes (10%) accounted for the remaining losses.