Sacramento Distr., near Sun Spot, E of Alamogordo NM March 4, 1979 Spent the whole day on a field trip in the Sacramento District where Ken Jones is about to undertake a wild turkey study. On the way over we saw two groups of antelope (3 and 1) in the Jolmose Basin near White Sands National Monument. In Alamogordo met Lou Woltering USFS wildlife biologist attached to the Lincoln Nat.Scr. On the mountains we happened to encounter Alan Suttle of NM Game and Fish who is preparing a trap for collared turkeys. Drove down a muddy road to baited trap sites and saw three bunches of turkeys, all hanging around deep areas in valley that are clear of snow. Upper slopes are heavy in snow. Saw turkey probes near here (3,18) (with 1 banded gobbler), the third was a big gobbler. They are not gobbling yet but probably will break up soon when the snow melts. No deer or elk this high in the district (8000'+). They winter at lower elevation than the turkeys. Many Steller jays and junco robbing turkey bait (boiled oats + corn). Vegetation is rather dense, young pine/white fir -- very little oak this high (5 slopes only). Would not appear to me to be good turkey range but they apparently are quite numerous. En route home we cruised White Sands National Monument and nibbled some of the "sand" (gypsum). Two ponds full of ducks - widson, gadwall, shailin mostly.