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By
TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI.org News staff
If
you’re seeing wild turkeys in unusual places you’re not alone. This time of
year, turkeys are stopping traffic and cutting through backyards as they strut
and gobble for the attention of mates and search for food.
According
to the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM), eastern wild turkey
restoration is a rare success story in Rhode Island and much of the eastern
portion of the United States. The birds were nearly hunted to extinction by the
early 1900s.
Between 1980 and 1996, 137 were reintroduced on public land in Rhode Island. Today, more than 3,500 reside in the state, down from a high of 5,000. Predators, such as coyotes and foxes, and abnormal weather are suspected of lowering the population. Despite the decline, the population is considered healthy.
Wild
turkeys reside primarily in wooded areas but are adaptable and growing in urban
and suburban neighborhoods where bird food is common. The average weight for
adult males is 20 pounds. They can fly for short bursts and they roost in trees
at night. Thanksgiving turkeys can't fly, however.
Wildlife
biologist Brian Tefft studies wild turkeys for the DEM. He said the turkeys are
not aggressive, but recommends that residents refrain from feeding them, so the
gobblers (males) and hens (females) don’t develop a dependency on humans for
food. Turkey sightings in residential areas have been reported in East
Providence, Providence and Portsmouth.
“There’s
no rhyme or reason how they got there,” Tefft said. “We let nature take its
course.”
Turkey
hunting began in 1986 is now open for two seasons in Rhode Island: late April
to late May and bow-hunting only in October and November. A turkey calling
devise must be used to hunt. Stalking or sneaking up on wild turkeys is
prohibited.
Much
of the hunting occurs on private land in Exeter, Richmond, Coventry, Foster and
Hopkinton. Arcadia and Big River wild management areas are the top public
hunting areas.
Click here for an array of wild turkey sounds.
