Wild Turkey flock doing very well in Colorado

Wild Turkey flock doing very well in Colorado

Nov. 23, 2000

BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

DENVER — As one biologist put it, "They have a face that only a mother could love." A wild turkey that is. It’s that time of year again, when families venture to the grocery store in search of the perfect frozen bird of the ‘non-flight’ species to adorn the Thanksgiving table. While most of these turkeys are domestic, some decorated tables this season may see a bird of another kind – the wild turkey.

North America’s largest game bird is booming in Colorado thanks to transplant efforts and protection through game laws and habitat improvement projects throughout the state. Rick Hoffman, Colorado Division of Wildlife’s lead biologist for turkeys, said the wild turkey population in Colorado is doing very well and in fact "there are more turkeys in the state than we ever had historically."

"There have been a lot of transplants, both reintroducing the bird into areas where it formally occurred and reintroducing in areas where it didn’t originally occur," Hoffman said. Despite its prominent place in colonial legend and holiday feast, the wild turkey was in serious decline until a few decades ago.

During Colorado’s early settlement years, poachers who were after meat and feathers slaughtered turkeys in huge numbers. Habitat destruction also was a reason for the declining number of birds.

In the 1920s, the statewide population was estimated at only 250-500 birds, prompting public concern for the turkey. Increased law enforcement, designed to protect the birds from poachers, helped the turkey population to more than double in the state.

Nationwide, support for the wild turkey also increased with the National Wild Turkey Federation forming in 1973 to help with the conservation efforts for the wild turkey.

Colorado is home to two subspecies of wild turkeys. The Merriam’s wild turkey, a Colorado native, inhabits areas where ponderosa pine, oakbrush and pinon/juniper woodlands habitat is found. The Rio Grand wild turkey, native to the central plains states and was introduced into eastern Colorado in 1980, inhabits cottonwood and riparian areas adjacent to agricultural lands.

"One of the main reasons the turkey population has been doing so well in the state is that we have had a series of normal to mild winters," Hoffman said. "When we get a bad winter, we can expect significant losses."

Mark Elkins, senior terrestrial biologist in Colorado Springs, said the birds handle the snow and cold very well, but when the snows are deep, it is more difficult for them to find food. The turkey’s main predators are bobcats and coyotes. Sometimes the birds die from disease or accidents, but basically snow depth is the worst single factor in winter mortality.

Despite some question as to whether the bird is intelligent, Elkins said they do have excellent senses. "As far as calling the birds smart, that is difficult to say," he said. "While they may not be the smartest bird in the tree, their sense of hearing and sight is excellent."

Because of these keen senses, the turkey can be a challenge to hunt. State terrestrial biologist in Montrose, Bruce Watkins, said turkey hunting use to be a specialized sport. But, in recent years it has become more popular due to more specialized gear and instruction on hunting the bird. Colorado has two hunting seasons for turkey, one in the spring and one in the fall. Watkins said hunters utilize the fall season less because the number of other seasons that occur at the same time.

During the spring turkey hunt, hunters are more likely to hear a turkey before they see one. The familiar "gobble-gobble" can be heard throughout the state in early spring because the flocks of adult males begin to break up. With territorial squabbles ensuing and the calling and strutting meant to attract female hens begins, the males are easy to hear in the field.

During the spring hunt, hunters can harvest a bearded turkey using a variety of methods of take. A turkey taken in the spring must have a beard to be legal. During the fall turkey season, hunters can harvest either sex.