Conservation Corner: November 22, 1999

The Wild Turkey
by James L. Cummins

In 1928, Aldo Leopold, regarded as the father of game management in the United States, stated that, "Wild turkey (in Mississippi) were steadily decreasing. They have been cleared out of the open ranges, and there is barely a seed stock left in the larger swamps." Unfortunately, very little thought was given to turkey management until after World War I.

Because of concern by landowners and the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission in the 1950's, an intensive live trapping and transplanting program began in Mississippi. At first, pen-reared birds were stocked, but resulted in failure. Since then over 2,000 wild trapped turkeys have been stocked in all Mississippi counties. To understand the wild turkey, one must first understand its biology. In late winter, wild turkey flocks begin to break up and gobblers start searching for hens. Gobblers are very protective of their hens and fights between males occur. Sound familiar?

Once the hens have mated, they begin laying eggs (mid-April). One mating can result in the fertilization of an entire clutch of eggs. Approximately one egg is laid each day until a clutch size of 8 to 15 eggs is attained; incubation time is 28 days. However, research has shown that over 50% of all nests are abandoned or destroyed before incubation is complete.

The wild turkey gobbler has a chestnut brown-chipped set of tail feathers. Most of the birds have large bodies and measure up to 50 inches in length with a wing span of approximately 55 inches. Gobblers are noted for their bristle-like beards that extend from the breast and continue to grow throughout the turkey's life. Beards can reach up to 12 inches in length. Another characteristic of the gobbler is spurs on the inside of the legs near the feet. Spurs can reach a length of up to 3/4 inch.

Habitat for wild turkeys varies tremendously, but they do best in hardwoods with fairly open understories, small clearings, a water supply and little or no disturbances. One of the requirements of forested tracts of land is that they must consist of at least 1,500 acres. Once a landowner has an area of this size, he or she can have wild turkeys.

Turkey flocks must be given adequate protection from illegal and unethical hunting practices. Young poults are very vulnerable to poaching in the summer and fall months. Once the turkey population has been established, protection in the nesting season from free ranging dogs is a must. If the necessary precautions are not taken, increases in turkey numbers will be prevented.

Another important ingredient in the recipe for a good turkey population is food. Clover, winter wheat and bahiagrass can be grown in areas such as field borders, rights-of-way and roadsides. Borders around food plots can even be used for nesting.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.