Tennessee’s Wild Turkey
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Largest game bird in North
America
Excellent eyesight, 8 times
more powerful than a
humans
Slight turn of the head gives
a turkey a 360 degree field
of vision
Hearing is extremely acute!!
Poor sense of smell
PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
 Powerful legs allow
turkey to run up to 12
mph
 Legs are red in color
(domestic turkey
brown, black, silver, or
white)
 Legs covered with
scales
PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
 Turkeys can swim
 Turkeys can fly at
speeds up to 55
mph.
 Adult males average
17 to 21 pounds
 Adult females
average 8 to 11
pounds
 Record 31.1 pounds
Spur
 Both sexes born
with small button
spur
 Starts growing soon
after hatching in
males.
 Adult spur has bony
core
 Grows gradually
 Record - 2”
Beard
 Tuft of stiff
keratinous filaments
 Beard never
undergoes a molt
 Male beards become
visible at 6-7 months
of age
 Approximately 10%
of hens in
Tennessee have
beards
 Record - 16.9”
Turkey Feathers
Turkeys typically have ten
primary feathers and 18-19
secondary feathers
Turkeys have 18 tail feathers
Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers
cover the body of the adult
wild turkey
Turkey Feathers
 Functions
 Cover the body
 Insulate
 Waterproofing
 Flight
 Ornamentation for
display and
recognition
Gobbler chest and back feathers are black tipped
(domestic turkeys white tipped)
Gobbler feathers are metallic in color with hints of red,
green, copper, bronze and gold
Turkey Feathers
 Hen’s plumage is
much duller than
gobblers
 Appears more
brownish in color
due to brown tips on
contour feathers of
the breast and back
Turkey Feathers
 4 different molts
resulting in different
plumages
 Natal (plumage at
birth)
 Juvenal
 First basic
 Alternate (first winter)
 Basic (adult)
Melanistic, erythritic, albinotic
Smoke gray (incomplete albino) is the most common reported color
abnormality
Complete albinos have never been documented in wild flocks.
Color
Phases
Skeletal Structure
• Functional
Morphology
Turkey
Skull
Physical
characteristics
that distinguish
gobblers from
hens
GOBBLER
General Habitat Needs
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
Mature forest
needed for
roosting and
feeding. Need
open
understory.
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
Forest
Openings
needed for
brood
rearing and
feeding
 Nest is nothing
more than
shallow
depression on
ground
 Lay 1 egg per
day
 Lay 10 to 12
eggs
 Peak hatch is
first week of
June.
 35% of nest are
successful
 Wild turkey
eggs are larger
than chicken
eggs, smaller
than domestic
turkey eggs
(2.5 oz.)
 More pointed
than domestic
turkey eggs
Select area with knee-high brush that
provides some cover. Most nest are located
near a forest opening, logging road, pasture,
etc…Nest often located at base of tree or
shrub (overhead protection). Nesting habitat
generally not a limiting factor.
Clearcuts and fields
common areas for
turkeys to nest
Reproduction drives
turkey populations
7 to 10 days of age poults area
able to fly up into low
bushes. At two weeks of age
they can fly up and roost in
trees.
Grow rapidly, by end of August they are as big as
their mother.
Insects are critical food
for young poults
Wildlife openings are
insect factories
Food? Where?
FALL FOOD
• Ever wonder
where the turkeys
go in the fall?
• When the acorns
drop, the turkeys
move into the
forest to feed on
them
Persimmon
Autumn Olive
Don’t forget soft mast
FALL FOOD
Annual grains,
such as millet,
corn, and
sunflower
provides good
fall and winter
food.
WINTER FOOD
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Common winter food:
Acorns
Waste Grain
Green Vegetation
Grass seed heads
Soft mast
Almost ANYTHING
is potential food
source!
Turkeys will feed on clover and other green plants
frequently during the winter and early spring months
Turkey Gold Chufa
Turkeys will feed on
chufa from fall into the
spring months
PLEISTOCENE
California Turkey
 Low
temperatures
 Tundra like
habitat
 Very little water
available
California Turkey
 Disappeared
10,000 years ago
 Second most
common bird
species found in
tar seeps
 Quickly became
extinct
 Very similar to
modern turkey.
Same genus
different species.
Native American Wild Turkey
uses
 Food source (bones
found in midden piles)
 Domestic animal
(anasazi 200 AD –
1300 AD)
 Clothing (feather
capes, blankets)
Native American Wild Turkey
uses
 Decorations (pipes,
gorgets, and religious
items)
Native American Wild Turkey
uses
 Tools (arrows, awls,
needles, turkey calls,
whistles)
 Ornamentation
(headdresses and
hair)
Native American Wild Turkey uses
 Religious
ceremonies (Maya,
Zapotec, and Zuni)
 Trade items (Anasazi
and Chickasaw)
 Tribute (Aztecs of
Mexico)
 Names (Standing
Turkey)
Aztec Indians
 DOMESTICATION – Only N American Indian
tribe to domestic the wild turkey
 TAX- Montezuma required one turkey per
person every 20 days, One state provided
56,000 birds annually
 RAPTOR COLLECTION - 500 turkeys per day
were used to feed the collection hawks and
eagles
 PALACE - Used another 500 turkeys per day
 AFTER DEATH- Spanish continued to exact a
tribute of 30,000 turkeys a year from the N
American Indians
Aztec Indians
 Only Nobles and ruling classes were allowed to eat
turkey. Some exceptions were made at some
religious feasts.
Early Explorers
 Hernando Cortez - 1517 1521
 Hernando Desoto - 1540
 John Lawson & Santee
John - 1700
 Dr. Thomas Walker - 1750
 Longhunters - 1760
 Mrs. John Donaldson - 1779
 Andre Michaux - 1796 and
1802
 William Murrey and John
Buchanan - 1800
FACTORS THAT LED TO THE
DECLINE OF THE WILD TURKEY
POPULATION
 Un-Regulated Hunting
 Year round hunting
 Subsistence Hunting
 Market Hunting
 Baiting and Trapping
 Roost Shooting
FACTORS THAT LED TO THE
DECLINE OF THE WILD TURKEY
POPULATION
Habitat Changes
Clearing of Land
Loss of Important Food Sources
Domestic Poultry Brought in
by Settlers
Diseases and Genetic Pollution of Wild
Flocks
DOMESTIC POULTRY
Mixing of domestic turkeys
with wild turkeys may
result in:
Introduction of domestic poultry
diseases that can negatively effect:
Reproduction ( Poult Production )
Survival of Adults and Poults
Genetic pollution of wild flocks
Hybrids poorly adapted for survival in the wild
Lower survival rates of poults produced
WILDLIFE LAWS
• Lacey Act enacted in
1905 prohibited interstate
sale of taken wildlife.
• Pittman-Robertson Act of
1937 put an excise tax on
sporting goods and
ammunition.
State Status
Wild turkey flocks had been steadily
declining throughout Tennessee during the
last half of the 18th century
War on northern aggression
Still no control of harvest
By 1900 it was quite evident that the wild
turkey was in serious trouble throughout
the state of Tennessee
1920 - 1930
 Wild turkey season
was closed for a short
period in the mid 20’s
because of concern
over the declining
turkey flocks
 The wild turkey
population continued
to decline even more
1920 - 1930
The chestnut
blight
removed a
very
important
food source
for the wild
turkey
1930 - 1940
In the mid 30’s wild turkey hunting was
closed for three years out of concern for
he low wild turkey populations
throughout the state
Game farms were established in 1935 at
Buffalo Springs & Cheatham WMA by the
Department of Conservation
Pen-reared turkeys were purchased from
out-of-state sources
GAME FARM TURKEYS
 From 1936 to 1939 the Tennessee Department of
Conservation raised a total of about 2,000 pen-reared
wild turkeys on the two game farms
 These birds were released at various release sites
across the state
1940 - 1950
 The hunting
seasons for wild
turkey were closed
completely Jan.
31,1940 until April
1951
1940 - 1950
 During that time a
total of 3,719 penreared wild turkeys
were released
across the state
 Some releases of
over 200 birds per
release site were
made
RESULTS OF STOCKING OF
PEN-REARED TURKEYS
Native wild flocks continued to decline
and disappear
Not a single self-sustaining wild flock
was established using pen-reared wild
turkeys
The stocking of pen-reared birds was
discontinued in 1951
STATEWIDE WILD TURKEY
SURVEY - 1952
Wild turkeys reported in only 18 of
Tennessee’s 95 counties
Wild flocks continued to decline in the
wake of massive releases of pen-reared
birds from 1936 thru 1950
Many counties that had received large
releases of pen-reared birds reported
no recent wild turkey sightings
MODERN RESTORATION
• FEB. 25, 1949
Legislation was
passed creating a
Tennessee Game
and Fish
Commission that
was separate from
the Department of
Conservation
MODERN RESTORATION
 1951
A new deer and
turkey
restoration
project was
initiated using
live-trapped wild
turkey and deer
TURKEY RESTORATION
1951 - 1960
 The major
emphasis was
placed on the deer
restoration program
 Early attempts at
live trapping wild
turkey involved
drop nets, log crib
type traps, and
walk-in pens
TURKEY RESTORATION
1951 - 1960
 Very little success
was achieved - after
3 years of effort, the
first two wild birds
were caught in 1954
 A total of 119 livetrapped wild birds
were moved from
1951-1960
TURKEY RESTORATON
1961 - 1970
 The development of
the cannon net
system for
capturing waterfowl
was adapted for use
in capturing wild
turkeys
TURKEY RESTORATON
1961 - 1970
 Started stocking
live-trapped wild
birds on private
lands in 1970
 A total of 271 wild
birds were trapped
and relocated from
1961 to 1970,
bringing the total
moved since 1951 to
390
TURKEY RESTORATION
1971 - 1980
Made
improvements in
the cannon net
system – began
using rockets
(powered with
Howitzer powder)
instead of
cannons
TURKEY RESTORATION
1971 - 1980
 More emphasis put
on wild turkey
 1974 Game and
Fish re-organized
into TWRA
 Total of 1,242 wild
birds were relocated
from 1971 to 1980,
bringing total
moved since 1951 to
1,632
TURKEY RESTORATION
1981 - 1990
 Deer restoration
was completed and
the deer program
was separated from
the wild turkey
restoration program
 Development of the
rocket net box
system improved
wild turkey trapping
success
TURKEY RESTORATION
1981 - 1990
 More personnel
became involved in
the wild turkey
trapping program
 A total of 3,194 wild
birds were relocated
from 1981 to 1990.
The total moved
from 1951 thru 1990
was 4,826
TURKEY RESTORATION
1991 - 2000
Wildlife Officers
trapping and
moving birds
locally greatly
supplements the
restoration efforts
statewide
More personnel
became involved
TURKEY RESTORATION
1991 - 2000
7,303 birds moved
from Jan 1,1991
thru Feb 2000.
Bringing the total
moved since 1951
to 13,761.
Wild turkeys are
now found in all 95
counties and all 95
counties are open
to hunting
Wild Turkey Restoration and Distribution
WILD TURKEY
RESTORATION SUMMARY
• YEAR
•
•
•
•
•
•
1951-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001- present
TOTAL NUMBER MOVED
119
271
1,242
3,194
7,303
2,195
Number of birds moved
7000
6000
5000
4000
total number of birds
moved
3000
2000
1000
0
1951-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001present
Average number of birds moved
per year
800
700
600
500
400
AVERAGE
NUMBER
OF BIRDS
MOVED
PER YEAR
300
200
100
00
-2
0
90
19
91
-1
9
80
19
81
-1
9
70
71
-1
9
19
61
19
51
-1
9
60
0
19
 Total
number of
birds
moved to
date is
13,761
WILD TURKEY RESTORATION
 69% of the total 13,761 live-trapped wild
turkeys released for turkey restoration have
been moved since Jan. 1, 1988
 57% have been moved since Jan. 1, 1991
 We will have essentially completed all our
major restoration efforts by the turn of the
century
SUCCESS
WILD TURKEY HARVEST
 1951- TOTAL OF
14 IN 2 COUNTIES
 1961- TOTAL OF 133 IN 8 COUNTIES
 1971- TOTAL OF 209 IN 16 COUNTIES
 1981- TOTAL OF 695 IN 32 COUNTIES
 1991- TOTAL OF 4,375 IN 75 COUNTIES
 1994- TOTAL OF 7,574 IN 88 COUNTIES
 1995- TOTAL OF 11,530 IN 92 COUNTIES
 1996- TOTAL OF 12,861 IN 94 45
COUNTIES
years to open
 1997- TOTAL OF 16,156 IN 94 COUNTIES
most of the
counties
 2000- TOTAL OF 22,145 IN 95Tennessee
COUNTIES
 2002- TOTAL OF 32,337 IN 95 COUNTIES
WILD TURKEY
HARVEST MILESTONES
1980 - Exceeded 500 birds
for the first time
1984 - Exceeded 1,000
1988 - Exceeded 2,000
1990 - Exceeded 3,000
1991 - Exceeded 4,000
Took ten years to gain 3,500 birds
WILD TURKEY
HARVEST MILESTONES
•
•
•
•
•
•
1992 - Exceeded
1994 - Exceeded
1995 - Exceeded
1996 - Exceeded
1997 - Exceeded
1998 - Exceeded
plus 447
5,000
7,580
11,550
12,860
16,150
16,180 Spring
Fall
WILD TURKEY HARVEST
MILESTONES
• 2000 - Exceeded 20,000
• 2002 - Exceeded 30,000
Total wild turkey harvest
40000
35000
30000
25000
fall harvest
20000
spring harvest
15000
10000
5000
0
81 9 82 9 83 9 84 9 85 9 86 9 87 9 88 9 89 9 90 9 91 9 92 9 93 9 94 9 95 9 96 9 97 9 98 9 99 0 00 0 01 0 02 0 03 0 04
9
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2
PROGRESS
Re-opened 108 portions of 62 different
counties since 1991
Now we have viable wild turkey populations in
all 95 counties in Tennessee
Set new harvest records every year for last 23
years
Increased the wild turkey population from
1,000 birds in the mid-60’s to over 300,000
birds today
Poults per hen
Population Indices
Brood survey
Number of hens and poults seen
during routine duties by field
personnel or cooperators.
Used to determine poult to hen
ratio
Provides reliable indices to
annual reproduction
Poults per hen
poults per hen
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
80 982 984 986 988 990 992 994 996 998 000 002 004
9
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
Ecology of the Wild Turkey
5 subspecies -- Eastern, Merriam’s,
Gould’s, Rio Grande, and Florida
Each have subtle plumage and
behavioral differences
The End