For the Eastern Wild Turkey history in Missouri started in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Around the year 1820 the estimated population of the wild turkey in Missouri was around 250,000 birds. 

Then started the whole sale cutting of timber clearing large tracks of land. Clear-cutting and burning thousand’s of acres to allow open range to occur and introducing the feeding of livestock in these areas along feeding in wood lots.

80 years later the year 1900 rolled around the estimated wild turkey population had decline to 50,000 birds. But, the decline was far from over. During this time open market hunting was taking place and was also had a big impact on the wild turkey population.

An additional 52 years had now passed we enter 1952 with the estimated wild turkey population at 2,500 birds in the state of Missouri existing only in small concentrated areas. But, Missouri was lucky; we still had a small turkey population. Some the other states did not.

So the restoration of the turkey begins with the Missouri Department of Conservation. It started with crude box trapping of wild turkeys with on a good day catching maybe one. Finally they had enough wild turkey to breed and the MDC started raising the young for release. But it would not take long for the MDC to figure out that this was a wasted effort. When raising young wild turkey the wild instinct is lost. So when they took them to the release sites. They would stay around for days in the same spot they had been released and the predators would just start picking them off. The survival instinct was lost.

Not all was lost a new invention that was used with waterfowl came to be the key for the restoration success of the Missouri wild turkey. The Canon Rocket Net was successfully used in 1954, with three trapping sites in Missouri and Peck Ranch Wildlife Area the main location. The birds where then checked out and place in small wooded crates and transfer to release sites in Missouri. With 25 birds or less release at one time with 5 to 10 of the gobblers and the rest hens.

The Missouri Department of Conservation had site release selection criteria. The area had to have public support and 15,000 wooded acres. Later in the restoration process they found out that the 15,000-wooded acre requirement could be less. Also the site had to have adequate habitat. These are mast, forage and water. The final requirement was protection from being hunted.

1954 to 1960 Missouri had 9 release sites. 1960 to 1970 the release site increase to 43. 1970 to 1980 release sites became statewide. From 1954 to 1984 after 30 years of restoration the number break down to Birds Trapped 5,340: Restocked 2,642: Release Sites 213 and Counties 91. Also, the success was so great that Turkey Trade was taking place with Missouri trading 11 surrounding states for other game animals.

The two biologists that can be recognized for Missouri great success in eastern wild turkey restoration are John B. Lewis and Dr. Larry Vanglider. Today’s turkey population is estimated to be between 500,000 to 600,000 birds. Which could possibly be the largest population for any state.

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF MISSOURI WILD TURKEY – BIOLOGY

The life of a wild turkey in Missouri has four events in a year, that we need to be aware of. Breeding, Nesting, Brood Rearing, and Winter Survival. Having full understanding of these four events will make us better managers of our land.

Breeding Season

This is the time of year that as a hunter that we all take advantage of. The wild turkey gobbler is a very displaying bird at this time of year.But, that is not the right sex we should be worried about this time of year. The hen at this time is taking in as much protein as possible to prepare for egg laying. She does this by finding new and early green growth. So small opening such a food plots in the big timber can greatly help the hens this time of year with winter wheat still short, clover and other small grasses. When you look at an aerial photo of your land the picture should look like a mosaic picture with woods, large and small opening, and water. One sustained water source, pond or flowing stream per 40 acres is a great rule of thumb.

Nesting – Most important thing you can learn to help manage your land for any game bird.

One of the things the wild turkey hen has done to help its survival that it does not key on one area to nest each year. She may nest in many different locations in her life. But, this makes it hard for us to manage our land. So we can not create one certain habitat that the hen will use each year but we can provide quality-nesting cover available to use when she decides to use it. It has also been found that not only the know predators take out nest like the fox, coyote, skunk, opossum, but snakes, ground squirrels, gray and red squirrels also contribute to the mortality rate. But, even year round trapping and hunting can only help a small confined area. Also if you do disturbed a hen on a nest most of the time the hen will abandon the nest. The type of cover will be discussed in the habitat management section.

Brood Rearing – The second most important thing you can learn about.

The main thing the hen will do as soon as the eggs have hatched is to move her brood. The poults have to have food immediately because they have not food reserves built up. But, when they have to move it has to be dry and easy to move through. Bare ground helps keep moisture off the poults for 2 to 3 weeks. But, the cover also has to help keep the watchful eyes of predators and also those first 3 weeks of life the poults will eat mainly bugs. So a diverse habitat can greatly increase the survival rate of the poults. The type of cover will be discussed in the habitat management section also.

Winter Survival

For winter survival a winter food source must be available, like hard mast - acorns. Which in the south most of the time does not have a problem with this. The wild turkey is a very hearty bird and is a generalist when it comes to food. The type of food that can benefit the wild turkey will be discussed in the habitat management section also.

Since the wild turkey is habitat generalist they will eat almost anything. The key management goal is high production and survival rates. We will cover Pasture Management, Hayfield Management, Crop Land Management, Idle Area Management, and Forest Management. With money tied up in cattle or crops little things that you can do can help out extensively with the ultimate goal is to better the wild life population in your area.

PASTURE MANAGEMENT

Fescue when it first comes up helps the hen with her protein intake, but this is short lived by the time the brood arrives. The fescue is to tall, hard for the poults to travel through and more than like contains enough moisture in the mornings to make the mortality rate higher than normal. Two things that can be done are. Grass Land Diversity and Grass Management.

Grass Land Diversity

You need to have a forage selection if possible. This will help the wild turkey through the different stages of life.

Cool Season Grasses are great for first sprout the hen will take advantage of this for the protein levels before it warms up. Grasses like fescue, bluegrass and orchard grass are great to start the breeding season of with. The NRCS office has a list of wildlife friendly cool season grasses that you can get. So try to use multiple grasses and minimize the use of one grass only like fescue. This way you benefit your cattle and wildlife.

Warm Season Grasses like switchgrass, big and little bluestem, and indiangrass. These native grasses will take off when the season gets warmer and will benefit you cattle when the fescue and other cool season grasses start to die off. Also makes great nesting and brood rearing habitat because of the clumpy vertical growth. The birds don’t eat the grass but it provide the 3 foot vertical growth the hen needs for nesting and also provide bare ground for the poults to travel through and eat the insect they live in the grass for that so important first 5 weeks of growth. Also a rule of thumb is to have 10 to 20 percent of total pasture for summer graze not wildlife purposes.

Warning – Avoid sod framing grasses like Bermuda and also Old World bluestem that is coming the market. It may be great for cattle but are bad for the wildlife due to the fact they don’t get to the height needed for nesting and they also cover the ground completely which the broods needs bare ground to travel through.

Annuals like sudangrass, rye, foxtail, and crabgrass. Great seed producer and like foxtail is super high in protein when it first comes out. All of these are great seed producer if they are let go to seed and that is great for the birds.

Legumes great protein items like clover, lespedeza, and alfalfa. Most time are over seeded into the grassland. Make great diversity into the grassland. This is good for the turkeys for the high protein.

Grass Management

Be sure to fertilize and lime according to soil test. This will increase the productivity and the wildlife use of these grasses.

Rotate pastures by having fenced areas to allow cattle to graze in one area and have undisturbed nesting areas in another. Be sure and maintain the forage and legumes in the pasture. Don’t allow over grazing and this can be accomplished by have fenced paddocks.

HAY FIELD MANAGEMENT

Instead of cutting the entire field leave an UN-mowed border along the edge of the field. Most time the hen will make nest within 30 feet of the edge of the woods. Makes for great nesting sites since it has that great vertical growth for cover for the next year. If you do have to cut the edge then wait till last or after June 15^th when the nesting season is over. Or another option is to add warm season grass in that first 30 feet and typically it does not get cut until later in the summer anyway after the nesting season is over.

If at all possible delay cutting until after June 15^th. After the nesting season is over. When cutting instead of cutting from the edge working in. Start at the center and work out that way the poults and other wildlife have a chance and don’t have to cover open ground to avoid predators.

CROP LAND MANAGEMENT

Typical cropland will benefit wild turkeys in a 1 to 2 mile radius; they will travel great distance to get to croplands. If you can have an area for crop it eliminates the need for food plots. Also crops can add diversity if all you have is pastureland or wooded areas.

A part of cropland is conservation tillage. Leave the stubble and waste grain for the wildlife to feed on. Make great winter food sources. Also reduces the soil erosion on your land, which can take away fertile soil. Also reduce your production costs.

Also consider UN-harvested borders at crops. Typically they are the poorest grounds anyway because of the sapping of the trees. Don’t fall till either. If you do, consider leaving a 30ft border cover from predators along the edges of the crops.

Field borders are great to leave in warm season grasses a lot of times it is to hard to get equipment in to plant anyway. Now you created great nesting sites.Also consider tilling every 3 years to promote new grass growth. Also consider rotating area from one side of the field to the other to give the hens diversity in nesting areas.

IDLE AREA MANAGEMENT

Don’t tear out old fence rows they make great travel routes for the wild turkey. Most times they areas too narrow to provide nesting area. The predators can just run the length looking for them. But you may consider making them wider with warm season grasses.

Drainage area into from fields can be left wooded make great access deeper into the fields for the wild turkey to access.

Fence pond areas if you have cattle. If the cattle have access to other water then these areas can be kept cleaner and also provide great nesting areas also.

Stream or Corridor areas make great travel lanes for turkey also provides water and nesting and brooding areas along the edges.

Also slope on the side of hills can be great nesting area if you can till that area every 3 years.

FOREST MANAGEMENT – Active Forest Management

Fencing wood lots if you have cattle on the ground may be the single highest priority for both the timber and wildlife management in the area. Cattle destroy the seedlings and the under story of the woods. Cattle in wood lots also make for competition for hard mast that the wildlife must have for a winter food supply. Also cause soil erosion which can cause the damage to roots and create poor health of the trees and eliminates all diversity in plant life that wood lot.

Timber harvest and timber stand management by removing poor quality trees can create a better forest health. Allowing oaks to grow faster and improving the quality and quantity of hard mast production and allowing sunlight on the forest floor make a diversity in plant growth allowing some soft mast plants to grow also and creating new nesting and brooding areas. Also can provide economic return from the timber while providing better wildlife habitats. 

Also cutting along the edges of wood lots can improve the edge habitat allowing young small growth allowing new nesting and brooding areas while also provide new travel lanes and food supplies.

Cutting undesirable trees and having temporary opening in wood lots will provide a new diversity for nesting and brooding areas. Property is 80 percent wooded you should have at minimum of 1/4 acre opening to a maximum of 3 area opening in the woods. A good rule of thumb is one opening for every 40 acres.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – Dr. Micheal Hubbard

An extensive survey that went out to turkey hunters several years ago came up with a few numbers you might find interesting.

A.Only 4% of the hunter’s question felt that check-in stations was a bad idea.

B.77% of the hunter’s question felt that having no check in stations was a bad idea.

C.55% of the birds taken in 1995 had longer than 1” spurs.

D.In 1994 over 15 million dollars was the spent by turkey hunter’s.

E.The majority of hunter’s want quality adult birds to hunt. Instead of a liberal season.

The season opens Monday closest to April 21^st. This corresponds to the historical records of the second peak Missouri Ozark Gobbling. This is the biological reason for the opening day. Which may lead to the great successes in turkey population because the hens get to breed with the dominate birds with the first peak gobbling.

The Missouri Department No.1 goal for Missouri Wild Turkey is Quality Turkey Hunting.

Lots of adult gobbling birds.

The seminars that the Missouri Department of Conservation is not for their benefit it is for the public. I recommend every chance you get to go to one. I wish they had more. You may try to manage your land and you may be successful but I will bet it will take years of trial and error.

You can benefit from all their programs and concentrated experience that they have for wildlife, and timber management. Call your local Private Land Conservationist today before you start. They can tell you what is available and how to improve you land and wildlife. If you don’t now who to call contact the Missouri Department of Conservation and they will get them in contact with you.

Also available at the seminar were handouts from the NWTF that you can benefit from.

Eastern Wild Turkey – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No.1

Planting Legumes for Wildlife – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 9

Planting Bareroot Tree & Shrub Seedlings – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 12

Regional Recommendation for Planting for Wild Turkeys – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 13

Managing for Timber and Wildlife Diversity – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 16

Managing Streamside Zones for Wildlife – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 18

Right-Of-Way for Wildlife – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 20

Roads & Wildlife – NWTF Wildlife Bulletin No. 24

Contact them today for the these bulletins and contact your local chapter and get involved. 

Special thanks to Dr. Michael Hubbard, Larry Heggemann, Missouri Department of Conservation, Bootheel Boss Gobblers for giving the seminar and the National Guard Armory in Cape Girardeau, Mo. for the room. horntagger@charter.net