Outdoor Guide
Page 2
November-December 2020
Missouri almost had no wild turkeys
Those of us who get to enjoy the great outdoors – hunting, hiking, fishing or just having fun in the woods and on the water – have much to be thankful for. While our country and our planet have plenty of environmental concerns, there are also many success stories of conservation and preservation. One of those great achievements is the restoration of wild turkeys in Missouri. Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the history of turkeys in the United States and in Missouri in particular. While they may have been plentiful in the country when the pilgrims and native Americans were celebrating the first harvest feast, it is not likely that the big bird was on the menu. The same goes for candied yams, pumpkin pie and that jiggly cranberry thing. Researchers believe that by the 1800s, 10 million turkeys called North America home. By 1950 their population was reduced to about 300,000 throughout the continent. BIG LOSS IN MISSOURI In Missouri the decimation was similarly significant, from about 250,000 birds in the late 1800s to an estimated population of 3,000 only 60 years later. Those survivors were isolated in the most remote regions of the Ozarks. Unregulated market hunting put the biggest hurt on the populations, but habitat destruction took its toll. Timber was clear-cut, open grazing mowed through remote forests, and people staked their claims to land that had previously been
mostly unmolested. As early as 1925, efforts were made to limit the decline in Missouri by restocking the population with farm-raised birds. Those efforts were not successful, and it was determined that only true wild turkeys would survive and thrive. In 1937 voters approved establishing the Conservation Commission, and turkey hunting was prohibited in the state. Trapping and relocating began in the 1950s after the Department of Conservation purchased large tracts of land for collecting birds and provided protection for them to survive in different parts of the state. By the spring of 1979, turkeys had been moved to 142 areas in 87 counties. Since then Missouri has provided turkeys for restoration efforts in other states. HUNTING RETURNS Turkey hunting season returned in the April 1960 for three days in 14 counties. By 1985, restoration efforts allowed hunting in all 114 counties in the state. Firearms hunting seasons are held for three weeks in the spring, with hunters permitted to take two male turkeys, and the entire month of October in the fall with a limit of two birds. Archers can harvest two turkeys of either sex throughout the bowhunting season between Sept. 15 and Jan. 15. There are six subspecies of wild turkeys across North America, and Missouri is home to the Eastern subspecies. Related to pheasants, grouse and quail, turkeys are the largest wild birds on the continent, with adult males weighing up to 30 pounds and hens closer to 10 pounds. Male turkeys are called toms in general, but further classified at gobblers as adults and jakes as juveniles. This time of year the gobblers group together while the jakes hang mostly with the flocks of hens. During the spring, winter flocks disperse and gobblers battle each other for breeding opportunities. Hens make nests and lay clutches of up to a dozen eggs that they incubate for about 28 days. After they hatch, the hen provides all the protection she can from predators and poor weather. DOMESTIC VS. WILD The turkeys that most people will enjoy for their Thanksgiving Day feasts will only slightly resemble the wild birds
The restoration of wild turkeys in Missouri and across the country is one of many reasons to be thankful throughout the holiday season. – National Wild Turkey Federation photo
in Missouri. While the grocery store variety are bred and raised for incredible size and roundness, wild turkeys are more slim and streamlined. The feathers on wild turkeys are often bright and colorful. Domestic birds look significantly less appealing on the outside. Wild turkeys are susceptible to disease transmission from domestic fowl, but fortunately wild and domestic birds rarely come in contact with each other. Releasing domestic birds into the wild is illegal, in part to protect the wild turkeys from disease. The opportunites to enjoy the great outdoors and spend time among our natural resources are certainly good reasons to be thankful this time of year and always. Happy Thanksgiving! John J. Winkelman is manager of marketing and sales at Liguori Publications. If you have news for Outdoor Guide Magazine, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.
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