Wild Turkey—History and Life History

by Kathy Andrews Wright | May 3, 2021 | Wildlife

Two turkeys standing on the crest of a grassy hill. In the background are evergreen trees. The turkey on the left has its tail in a fan strutting in full mating display.

Photo by Mohan Nannapaneni.

Film Date:

February 10, 2021

Speaker:

Luke Garver from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Produced by:

Laura Kammin

Kathy Andrews Wright

Edited by:

Sarah Marjanovic

Questions received in advance of the conversation are listed below, with the time noted should you desire to fast-forward to a topic of interest.

00:25 Luke Garver Introduction

01:58 The wild turkey is one of the greatest conservation success stories in the Nation and Illinois. What actions allowed this species to recover to huntable numbers today?

05:31 How you can tell a male, or tom turkey, from a female, or hen?

08:38 Life history of the wild turkey including overview on their preferred habitats, food preferences and feeding habits.

12:41 Summary of wild turkey reproductive cycle.

17:32 Wild turkey vocalizations.

23:50 Wild turkey predators and impacts on the local populations.

28:27 Resources for wild turkey enthusiasts—National Wild Turkey Federation and Illinois Learn to Hunt program.

If you are interested in viewing the text alternative for the video click the CC option at the lower margin of the video.

Kathy Andrews Wright retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of OutdoorIllinois magazine. She is currently the editor of OutdoorIllinois Journal.