Let's Talk Turkey

The wild turkey is probably the shyest creature in the Missouri woods. He avoids people like the plague. Even so, under the pressure of modern agriculture, grazing and other range disturbances he needs a helping hand to survive. Given this help, turkeys not only survive but can multiply rapidly.

Once this noble bird roamed over the entire state in large numbers. From 1840 until about 1900, historians recorded "Too many wild turkeys even to consider raising tame birds," and "Turkeys so numerous and easily obtained as to be scarcely worth of consideration." But, it took only about 60 years to reduce the turkey population in Missouri to about 3,000 birds, mainly in the more remote Ozark regions.

There were several causes for this decline. The main ones were the destruction of timber by fire and axe, and increased agriculture and grazing. These, plus continuous hunting, were destructive foes the turkeys couldn't overcome.

Various methods were tried to halt the decline. From 1925 to 1943, 14,000 game farm turkeys were released over the state to supply more breeding stock. Also, the season was completely closed in 1937. However, turkey numbers still decreased.

Investigations were started almost 40 years ago to find out why the game farm turkeys failed, and how our native wild turkeys could be increased. This study was interrupted during World War II, but was resumed in 1951. It was quickly learned that game farm birds, even of the wildest stock obtainable, weren't the answer -- that only a truly wild bird would survive. Thus finding a source of native wild turkeys to restock unoccupied range was the first problem. The second problem was to catch them. And last, but certainly very important, was finding suitable places where the trapped birds could be released with fair assurance that they'd take hold.

To build up a source of wild birds, the Department of Conservation bought a large tract in the southern Ozarks where there were a few native wild turkeys. By 1952, the Commission had 23,000 acres under its control for this purpose. Food and cover restoration and protection paid off, and by 1954 the population had increased from 9 turkeys to 32 on this tract, known as the Peck Ranch Wildlife Area. By 1957, when trapping began, the 11,000 acre intensively managed portion supported about 100 birds, and turkeys had also increased in the surrounding range.

Management practices on the Peck Ranch Area demonstrated that there was a way back to turkey abundance.

Before turkey number on Peck Ranch reached a population level sufficient to support trapping, birds were trapped on other state management areas and on private lands. A few turkeys were taken during deer trapping, but deer traps weren't very productive. A new trap had to be developed, and an adaptation of the cannon net trap used for capturing waterfowl finally proved the answer. Two sizes of nest are presently used - 75' x 25' and 60' x 30'. These are all nylon with a 2" mesh. Three breech loading cannons firing a 12- gauge shotgun shell loaded with 2 1/2 to 3 drams of black powder propel the net over the turkeys. The charges are wired in series and are detonated by either battery of electric detonator.

There is just one drawback in using this type of trap: you must be able to get turkeys in the right spot near the net before you can catch them. This is done by baiting.

Finding a suitable release site involves many problems also. One of the most important needs is a favorable attitude. One of the most important needs is a favorable attitude of the people living there. After a request is submitted to the Department of Conservation for an area to be restocked, a meeting is held within the community, the program is explained and the respective responsibilities are outlined. Department personnel inspect and give consideration to each restocking request. Before the community meeting, the area is inspected for general habitat conditions. A ration of 70% timber to 30% open land over a large area appears to be very close to the optimum for turkeys in Missouri.

Of course, turkeys will wander where they please, but we feel that 15,000 acres is the smallest workable release site. This means that most of the people living inside the area must agree to protect the birds before a release is made. This is only a "gentlemen's agreement" between the State of Missouri and the people living in the neighborhood that the turkeys will be protected.

The restoration program was begun in 1954. By the spring of 1979 when the restoration program was terminated, turkeys had been move to 142 areas in 87 counties. A total of 2611 turkeys have been trapped and released in Missouri. The normal stocking rate has been two hens to each adult gobbler, with 12 to 24 (usually 18) birds released on each site.

Dispersal of turkeys from the release site may be an important factor in determining the success or failure of the restoration effort. To keep this at a minimum, the first release in a new area is made with several turkeys captured from the same flock, if at all possible. These birds are much more likely to stay in the general release area than to wander aimlessly off for several miles.

Most releases have been successful in re-establishing turkeys. Perhaps the best measure of the success of the program is the fact that all but 13 counties open to hunting in 1980 have huntable turkey populations directly as a result of restocking. None of these counties had any wild turkeys prior to restocking. Several (Warren, Ste. Genevieve, Adair) are now among the top counties in the state in numbers of turkeys bagged during the open season.

Prospects for the continued increase and spread of wild turkeys in Missouri are good. We've learned what turkeys need in the way of food, cover and protection, and how to provide them. And with better timber management and fire protection, effective law enforcement, and strong support from sportsmen and landowners, conditions for turkeys continue to improve. We must not forget that the wild turkey is a bird of the woods, and that it can be reestablished in substantial numbers only where there are woodlands of good size. With that one qualification, however, restoration of the wild turkey over much of Missouri seems assured.

Some Life History Notes

Wild turkeys differ from domestic ones in color and body form, being slimmer and more streamlined. The tips of the tail feathers of wild turkeys are deep chocolate brown while the tips on domestic birds are white. Another very striking difference is that the legs of a wild turkey are a bright pink, while those of the tame turkey are gray or black.

Wild turkeys probably are susceptible to all the diseases of domestic turkeys and chickens: fowl dipper, fowl typhoid, cholera, blackhead, trichomoniasis, and coccidiosis. But the diseases of domestic poultry are rarely very serious to wild turkeys, because they tend to shy away from farm dwellings and are usually widely dispersed. This reduces the opportunity for disease to spread.

Sexes of turkeys are fairly easy to distinguish. The adult males, generally called gobblers or toms, are nearly twice the size of the females or hens. An adult gobbler may weigh from 17 to 22 lbs., while an adult hen will weigh from eight to ten. Gobblers have a hair-like appendage called a beard. A few hens have beards, but they are not as large as the gobbler's.

Mating activity begins in late March or early April, depending on the weather. If the weather is warm during the latter part of March, the flocks will begin to break up and the hens will nest.

Peak of gobbling, most years, is during the middle of April. By this time most of the hens have been mated and are either laying or incubating. The average clutch of eggs for a wild turkey is about 11 and the incubation period is 28 days. In Missouri, most young hatch in late May and early June.

During the first three weeks of their life, young turkeys may be preyed on, principally by foxes, coyotes, bobcats or great horned owls. They depend on their ability to hide to escape. At approximately two weeks, the poults can fly short distances and are soon roosting in trees. They are then fairly safe from predators, except man.

In the early stages of life, young turkeys are susceptible to cold, rainy weather and must depend upon the older hen for protection and warmth. Turkey nests are usually located around the edges of old fields, along woods roads and, as a rule, not far from water. As soon as the last young turkey has hatched, the hen leads her brood away from the nest. The young turkeys depend largely upon insects for food. As they become older their diet broadens to include grass seed, fruit of dogwood, wild grape, acorns, and practically all domestic grains such as corn, oats and wheat.

The young turkeys grow rapidly and by the time they are 16 weeks old they are hard to distinguish from adults at a distance. However, closer at hand you can detect a definite color variation between the young and older birds. The young birds appear darker, while the older hens have a brownish appearance.

Hunting

Wild turkeys would have qualified as a "rare and endangered species" in Missouri 30 years ago. The state's turkey population reached its lowest level in 1952 when fewer than 2,500 birds were present in 31 southern counties. The dramatic turn around in wild turkey populations was climaxed by the most recent harvest of over 23,000 turkeys in 1979.

Missouri's first turkey season in 23 years was conducted in April, 1960. That year hunting was permitted in just 14 counties for 3 days. Due to restoration efforts the turkey population and range expanded to the point that 93 counties were opened for the spring season in 1980. A corresponding increase in the length of the season occurred as the turkey population grew. Missouri turkey hunters now have the opportunity to pursue turkey for a month with a gun, two weeks in the spring and two weeks during the fall. And, if you are an archer, you can add almost another three months during the fall archery season.

One out of eight turkey hunters (12 percent) was successful in Missouri's first spring season. However, success rates improved as hunters gained experience and additional opportunity was provided with longer seasons and higher turkey populations. From 1960-1970 hunting success averaged 16 percent (one out of seven), however, since 1970, one in five hunters (20 percent) have been successful.

Hunting success on opening day has been consistently higher than for any other day of the season, although daily success rates during the remainder of the season were similar.

The percent of sub-adult gobblers in the harvest averaged about 25 percent from 1960-1970, however, since then the percentage of sub-adults has increased to about 35 percent. Sub-adult gobblers will average about 15 pounds while adults have averaged approximately 21 pounds.