TWRA Encouraging Wild Turkey Observation, Data Needed
TWRA encouraging residents to report on wild turkeys they see across the Upper Cumberland as part of the 2025 Summer Wild Turkey Observation. TWRA Wild Turkey Programming Coordinator Roger Shields said the surveys are used to monitor the population of wild turkeys. Shields said that TWRA has been doing observations since the 1980s, but in […]
Turkey Numbers Declining, What’s the Issue?
The population decline of wild turkeys within Tennessee has been recently visible due to hunting and reproduction issues. TWRA’s Wild Turkey Program Coordinator Roger Shields said the main cause of the decline seems to be a lack of reproduction among the species. “That’s what drives turkey populations by large, is their ability to successfully reproduce,” […]
UC Turkey Numbers Could See Future Decrease Based On Reproduction
The Upper Cumberland region is expected to have a drop in its future turkey population based on local reproduction numbers. That is according to TWRA Biologist Ben Layton. While the current population is healthy, Layton said brood surveys show a decrease in chicks. “You really need to have two or three poults per hen to […]
