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Wild Turkey Populations Rebound as a Result of Years of

Wild Turkey Populations Rebound as a Result of Years of Conservation Efforts Wild Turkey Population Decline The wild turkey is native to north America, and as pioneers settled the United States, wild turkeys were hunted year-round for food. Habitat loss and hunting caused populations to dwindle and, in some areas, disappear. In Louisiana, prior to 1880, the wild turkey population was estimated to be as high as one million birds. By 1946, Louisiana’s wild turkey population was estimated to be only 1,463 turkeys.1 Population Recovery Conservation and wildlife organizations joined ranks in the 1950s to reverse the steady decline in wild turkey population. Implementation of conservation practices, habitat improvement and development, hunting regulations, and landowner and hunter education has resulted in wild turkey populations increasing substantially across the United States. Today, organizations and agencies such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries work together educate landowners on best management practices to manage, restore, and monitor populations of the wild turkey in Louisiana. If you are interested in learning more about improving wildlife habitat on your land for wild turkey, contact your local office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. A conservationist will visit with you, determine your goals, work with you to develop a conservation plan for your land, and identify technical and financial assistance that may be available to you. 1Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wild Turkey Program, http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/program/turkey, viewed 10/28/2019.