Pennsylvania Game Commission looking for help from public on turkeys

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Keith Srakocic / AP Photo

Some of the wild turkeys in a flock flap their wings as they move through a yard after preening on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 in Zelienople, Pa.

Airdate: January 13, 2023

The Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to know more about the behavior and habits of the state’s wild turkeys. To assist in their research, the Game Commission is asking Pennsylvanians to report sightings of flocks of turkeys to include the date and location. The information will be used to trap the turkeys and put bands on their legs so they can be tracked.

According to the Game Commission,”The population and movement portion of that work is looking at how landscape and weather impact hen nest rates, nest success, poult survival, predation, habitat use and movement. The disease portion of the study is examining how disease prevalence varies based on landscape and impacts things like the survival and nesting rates of hens of different ages. This is accomplished by collecting blood, tracheal, feces and skin from turkeys that receive backpack-style transmitters at the time of capture.”

The Pennsylvania Commission’s Wild Turkey Wildlife Biologist Mary Jo Casalena talked about the project on The Spark Friday.