The Wild Turkey Population Is Dwindling, Except in Massachusetts

What is happening to the wild turkey population?

According to the New York Times, "Researchers estimate that the population has fallen by at least 30 percent from peak levels in several states, even as turkey numbers appear stable or growing elsewhere, including parts of the West and Northeast."

The Washington Post reported that, "In many parts of the country, turkeys are on the decline in the wild – but scientists aren't sure why."

The Post said scientists believe the wild turkey population "may have gone down by one million, or nearly 15 percent, between 2004 and 2014."

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Much of the decline is in the South and Midwest. The turkey population may have decreased by another three percent between 2014 and 2019.

OutdoorLife.com says some experts believe "habitat loss and degradation, an increase in predators," and "hunting pressure" are partly responsible for the population decline. Some also blame climate change.

While Western New York has watched its wild turkey population shrink, the birds continue to thrive in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, "The future looks bright for wild turkeys," with a population estimated at more than 30,000 birds.

After becoming extinct in Massachusetts, wild turkeys were reintroduced in the 1970s, and in the 1990s the state transferred the birds to locations around the state, including here on the SouthCoast. The wild turkeys have thrived ever since.

While officials in other states try to figure out why the wild turkey population is declining, Mass.gov has tips for folks here who might want to make their property a bit less attractive to the birds.