Wild Turkey
Description: The largest of the upland game birds, the wild turkey is slightly smaller and more slender than domesticated turkeys. The tom is brown and black with an iridescent sheen. The wings have black, white, and occasionally reddish barring. It has a long, wide tail with a black bar. The tip of the tail varies in color. The bare-skinned head is blue and pink with folds of skin known as a wattle under the chin, wart-like carbuncles on the neck, and a fleshy, fingerlike snood hanging beside the bill. Wild turkeys also have a four to ten-inch group of hairlike feathers called a beard hanging from the chest. The legs of both hens and toms are flesh-colored. Toms have spurred legs. Average size of toms: 36-44 inches. Average weight of toms: 17-28 pounds. Hens are mottled brown with a plain, partially bare-skinned head. The hen is smaller than the tom. Average size of hens: 26-34 inches. Average weight of hens: 8-12 pounds.
Science: Wild turkeys have at least five important subspecies:
• The Eastern Wild Turkey (M. g. silvestris) is the most abundant and most hunted of the subspecies. It’s found throughout most of the Midwest and the eastern states. Its body has a copper-bronze hue, while the tail has a deep brown tip. It’s generally found in dense, hardwood forests, often near rivers and farms. The population is increasing through conservation and stocking, i.e. the introduction of new birds into the wild.
• Merriam’s Wild Turkey (M. g. merriami) is a very adaptable subspecies found in pine and oak forests near water sources throughout the west. It has a purple sheen and a cream-tipped tail. The population is increasing due to its natural adaptability, conservation, and stocking.
• The Rio Grande Wild Turkey (M. g. intermedia) is generally found on the open range or in lightly wooded areas in the south central United States and into Mexico. Its body has an overall copper sheen, and the tip of its tail is a dull yellow. The population is increasing due to conservation and stocking.
• The Florida Wild Turkey (M. g. Osceola) is thought to be found only in Florida. It’s similar to the eastern wild turkey, although it’s slightly darker and has a green-gold iridescent hue. It’s found in pine and oak forests, palm flats, and swampy cypress groves. The population is small but stable.
• Gould’s Wild Turkey (M. g. Mexicana) is found in the southernmost parts of Arizona and New Mexico and down into Mexico. It looks similar to Merriam’s turkey apart from its blue-green hue and its white-tipped tail. It likes pine and oak forests near water sources. The population is stable.
Wild turkeys generally like large, wooded areas. They require trees for roosting, a consistent water source, and a large, open feeding area. They move seasonally between nesting and wintering areas, which are usually within a few miles of each other. Birds at high elevations will travel much further to lower elevations in the winter. They generally eat whatever they can find, which consists mostly of plant material such as fruit, nuts, grains, seeds, roots, and grasses, though they will also eat insects, small lizards, and amphibians. They roost in trees at night and fly down to feed during the day. In the winter, they may be found in flocks ranging from a dozen to several hundred birds. Wild turkeys are highly vocal: the sound of a male turkey’s gobble can be heard for miles.
Hunting: These birds are very wary and have excellent sight and hearing, which makes them challenging to hunt. Hunters use full camouflage and special calls to lure toms into shooting range. Shotguns are set up for aiming, as head and neck shots are almost mandatory. The eating quality is excellent: the meat is considered by some to be better than domestic turkey.
