FLORIDA, USA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is calling on Floridians to report all wild turkey sightings including hens with or without poults (young turkeys) and bearded turkeys through the end of August, the agency told First Coast News Tuesday in a news release.
FWC says its goal is to reach 5,000 observations by Aug. 31, as it is "about 80% of the way there."
"This survey is important for determining wild turkey nesting success, poult survival, and population distribution and abundance, and is used to manage Florida's wild turkey populations for future generations," FWC Wild Turkey and Furbearer Management Program Coordinator Juliana Ofalt said in the release.
The state's annual summer wild turkey survey is part of a broader multi-state initiative aimed at better understanding the reproductive success and abundance of wild turkeys, the release states. FWC says this information is crucial for its biologists to manage and sustain healthy wild turkey populations for years to come.
According to FWC's website, wild turkeys are powerful flyers, especially for short distances. To conserve energy, wild turkeys primarily walk.
Wild turkeys spend most of their time on the ground, where they search for acorns, seeds, fruits, insects, leaves, and small vertebrates, according to FWC; they can "easily cover several hundred acres in a day."
FWC's website also mentions that wild turkeys are social animals, typically flocking together in groups numbering just a few birds to as many as 20 or more. However, they are extremely wary and will run away or fly to a tree to escape danger.
Archery and crossbow season are both ongoing in 'Zone A' for gobblers and bearded turkeys only, FWC's website states. Zone A comprises of parts of DeSoto, parts of Charlotte, parts of Highlands, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Palm Beach, Collier, Broward, Monroe and Dade counties.
To report wild turkey sightings and for more information on them, click here.
