Thankful for Wild Turkeys

While families gather to give thanks this week most of them will be gathered at a table centered on what might be America's favorite bird, the turkey. Well, it's at least a strong competitor for the favorite bird to eat. However, there's much more to turkeys than a great meal. The wild turkey, in particular, has a rich history throughout our state and our nation as a whole. The story of the wild turkey serves as a great example of conservation practices that work.

This year, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) celebrated "The Year of the Wild Turkey" to commemorate 50 years of wild turkey hunting in Missouri. The wild turkey is native to North America and is believed to have originated in Mexico. During the 1800s, there were an estimated 10 million wild turkeys in North America, but habitat destruction and unregulated hunting reduced the continent's population to approximately 300,000 birds by 1950.

In Missouri, wild turkeys were found in large numbers throughout the state. According to the MDC, historians recorded "too many wild turkeys even to consider raising tame birds" and "turkeys so numerous and easily obtained as to be scarcely worthy of consideration" until the early 1900's. Sixty years later the Missouri turkey population had been reduced from 250,000 to approximately 3,000 birds and most were limited to remote Ozark regions.

But thanks to conservation efforts all 114 Missouri counties now have turkey populations sustainable to hunt. Our state has also made important contributions to restoration programs in other states, by swapping Missouri wild turkeys for other wildlife species. According to the MDC, Missouri has traded turkeys for ruffed grouse, otters, pheasants, prairie chickens and various kinds of fish.

So when you gather around "the bird" this Thanksgiving, take a moment to share this heritage of conservation with family -- particularly children. Our children are the ones who will continue conservation efforts and impact the future of wild turkeys -- and other wildlife -- in Missouri for generations.