Ohio and 3 other states are doing first wild turkey study in nearly 20 years

Wild turkey in Ohio are thought to have been doing well since being reintroduced into the state in the 1950s and '60s. However, scientists and wild turkey aficionados concerned about population declines want an updated status assessment.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio State University are partnering on the first wide-scale study of hen survival in nearly 20 years. The work is funded, in part, by a local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, a nonprofit focused on wild turkey conservation and hunting. The data will be shared and aggregated with researchers conducting similar studies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

"This study is essentially an examination of wild turkey hen reproductive success and survival," explains Mark Wiley, ODNR forest game bird biologist.

Beginning this month, ODNR staff will capture and band turkeys in two regions. They'll then collect GPS and other data to track nesting activity and movements. They're specifically focusing on female turkeys (hens) and when they begin incubating during the spring nesting seasons.