Turkeys in Wisconsin
This was a paper I wrote for my Outdoor Writing (ENGL 358) class.
The United States has a long history with wild turkeys, or the meleagris gallopavo if you want to use the scientific name. The popular Thanksgiving meal centerpiece can be traced back to the time of settlers and Native Americans, when the birds were only seen as a starvation food and were thus not hunted that heavily (Jung). The upland ground bird was actually Benjamin Franklin’s preferred choice for the United States’ national bird. Franklin once wrote, “…For in Truth the Turk'y is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America.... He is, (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worse emblem for that,) a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards, who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.” Franklin made that statement after a seal of office was designed and the image looked more like a turkey than the intended bald eagle. (Gardner)
Turkeys are among of the most popular wild game animals in the entire world and can be broken down into six subspecies, including eastern, Osceola (Florida), Rio Grande, Merriam, Gould and Ocellated. The birds can be spotted across the United States, Mexico and in southeast Canada today (“Learn about…”). While a typical trip into town or a drive down a country backroad can produce turkey sightings nowadays, the fate of the birds was once very bleak. As the human population grew in the 19th century, wild turkeys became more and more sought after. Not only were the turkeys being chased by more hunters than ever, but what once served as a turkey’s habitat was being leveled to the ground to open up more land for homes and farms.
While the birds continued to decline, many individuals still thought turkey numbers were plentiful, so the dramatic decline continued. With the population of turkeys nearing dangerously low numbers, the wild birds were saved by The Great Depression; farmers elected to move to cities, which reopened farmland and helped the turkeys dodge extinction for at least a few more years. Many different projects were attempted to try and save the birds, including taking eggs and raising turkeys for release as adults and catching mature birds and then relocating them in areas where they could reproduce and increase the population again. Incredibly, the plans worked beyond anyone’s wildest imagination and today, there are estimated to be over seven million turkeys wandering the earth (Messenger).
The story was similar with the eastern wild turkeys in the state of Wisconsin. In 1881, finding a turkey in the state would have been impossible. That was in large part due to the state’s removal of timber in the mid-1800’s, which eliminated the bird’s living area. Also contributing to the disappearance was the fact that families started raising domestic birds, which spread diseases onto the eastern wild turkeys (EEK!). The outlook for the once bountiful bird seemed slim when a renowned Wisconsin conservationist, William Schorger, claimed the state might never be able to successfully reintroduce turkeys (“DNR Seeks…”). That outlook appeared pretty accurate as the 1980’s approached. However, in 1976, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made a deal with the Missouri DNR; Wisconsin traded ruffed grouse for Missouri eastern wild turkeys. The initial trade brought 29 turkeys into Wisconsin’s Vernon County (EEK!). Over the next nine years, a total of 334 turkeys were released into Buffalo, Iowa, Sauk, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse, Vernon, Dane and Lafayette counties. The result of the turkey introduction is arguably the state DNR’s best management move in its history. As the population started to grow, turkeys within the state began to move into new areas. The Wisconsin DNR then started to live-trap turkeys within the state and move them into different areas to grow the population. In a few years, the wild turkey population exploded beyond anyone’s expectations (Engberg). Wisconsin turkey hunting started just six years later, in 1983, and has only improved with each passing year. Wisconsin is now considered of the premiere turkey hunting states in the United States, with yearly harvests consistently reaching over 40,000 turkeys (“Wisconsin spring turkey…”).
So, what benefitted the turkeys transition into Wisconsin? The state offers ample cover for turkeys, with oak trees acting as one of the wild turkey’s personal favorites trees. Wisconsin’s diverse range of habitat also provides turkeys with ideal areas to live and find food in. Among a turkey’s most common nourishments are insects, seeds and plant foods (EEK!). When the DNR allowed hunting in 1983, turkeys instincts kicked in. Apart from being able to run at speeds of around 25 miles per hour, turkeys can surprisingly fly up to 55 miles per hour (Mayntz). Unlike deer, the more popular form of wildlife in the state, turkeys can see extremely well, including their ability to pick out some colors; that is why hunters must wear camouflaged clothing. What makes the turkey an ever-elusive bird is the fact that their eyes rest on the side of their head, allowing them to have a 360-degree view of their surroundings with a slight rotation of the head. A turkey’s lack of smell keeps the birds from always evading hunters (“Five Senses…”).
With the 2017 turkey season fast approaching, hunters across the state prepare for fun times out in the woods. Across from the turkey hunting lovers in the state are a smaller, but still prevalent, group of people who view the wild turkeys as a nuisance. The Wisconsin DNR released its ten-year turkey management plan back in March of 2015, which included complaints surrounding turkeys. The birds are known to partially damage agricultural crops when searching for food and have become an annoyance within suburban areas, citing specifically male turkeys, or toms, loud gobbles during spring breeding months. With the increase of turkeys in the state, dependable food sources are less attainable, forcing turkeys into residential areas; turkeys will eat out of family gardens, bird feeders and plant areas. The population increase also forced turkeys to spread out, making their homes in people’s backyards and leaving them more susceptible to being hit by vehicles or disrupting local traffic.
The objectives of the DNR’s report included trying to improve turkey habitat, improving efforts to minimize the impact the birds make in public areas and, of course, enhancing hunting opportunities. Among the factors of a suitable habitat for turkeys includes dependable food sources, ample cover and an area with trees that provide a place to roost at night. Among the actions proposed to limit turkey impact in public areas includes having people avoid feeding turkeys, not allowing the birds to become comfortable and trying to push the turkeys back into their natural habitat. The main way to satisfy the hunting opportunity goal is to have more turkeys around. To better assess population numbers, the DNR plans to analyze registration records that inform Wisconsin biologists of the turkey’s sex, age class, time of harvest and which of the six hunting zones it was harvested in (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources).
While the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources attempts to satisfy both hunters and non-hunting civilians, it can make decisions knowing that the turkey population in the state is as strong as ever. One has to wonder how concerned the DNR is with the nuisance turkeys have become, considering the once ominous history of the bird less than a half century ago. However the members of the DNR view the topic is up for debate, but what staff should always remember is the success it’s had in reintroducing the eastern wild turkey back into the state of Wisconsin.
Sources Cited
EEK! "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble." Critter Corner. Environmental Education for Kids, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <http://eekwi.org/critter/bird/wildturkey.htm>.
Engberg, Gary. "Poised for Another Turkey Season." Wiscnews.com, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. <http://www.wiscnews.com/saukprairieeagle/news/opinion/columnists/article_3b338d42-a2bd-11e2-a4c4-0019bb2963f4.html>.
Gardner, Andrew G. "A Much More Respectable Bird... a Bird of Courage." Colonial Williamsburg. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2006. Web. 08 Apr. 2017. <http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/holiday06/turkeys.cfm>.
Jung, Jim. "A Short Social History of the Wild Turkey." Wild Turkey - A Short Social History WHTC. The Waterman and Hill-Traveller's Companion, a Natural Events Almanac, Nov. 2003. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. <http://www.naturealmanac.com/archive/wild_turkey/wild_turkey.html>.
Mayntz, Melissa. "20 Fun Facts About Wild Turkeys." The Spruce. N.p., 4 Apr. 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017. <https://www.thespruce.com/fun-facts-about-wild-turkeys-387112>.
Messenger, Stephen. "Americans Once Almost Ate Wild Turkeys Into Extinction." The Dodo, 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2017. <https://www.thedodo.com/turkeys-saved-from-extinction-840746855.html>.
NWTF. "Five Senses of the Wild Turkey." National Wild Turkey Federation, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/five-senses-wild-turkey>.
NWTF. "Learn about the Wild Turkey Subspecies." National Wild Turkey Federation, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2017. <http://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/wild-turkey-subspecies>
Smith, Paul A. "DNR Seeks Input for Turkey Management Plan." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. USA TODAY NETWORK, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
Smith, Paul A. "Wisconsin Spring Turkey Hunting a Tradition 34 Years in the Making." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.<http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2017/03/18/smith-wisconsin-spring-turkey-hunting-tradition-34-years-making/99242892/>.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Ecology of Wild Turkeys in Wisconsin." A Plan for Their Management: 2015-2025 (n.d.): n. pag. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Mar. 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. <http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/WM/WM0585.pdf>.
