Special to The Bedford Citizen
MassWildlife conducts a Brood Survey from June 1 through August 31 each year to estimate the number of wild turkeys in the state.
The brood survey helps our biologists determine productivity and compare long-term reproductive success while providing an estimate of fall harvest potential. Turkey nesting success can vary annually in response to weather conditions, predator populations, and habitat characteristics.
Citizen involvement in this survey is a cost-effective means of gathering useful data and can be a fun way for people to connect with nature.
Record sightings of hens, poults (newly-hatched turkeys), and males (both juvenile and adult).
For help identifying male and female turkeys and determining if a male is a juvenile (jake) or an adult (tom), please click here. Be sure to look carefully when counting turkey broods, the very small poults may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush.
MassWildlife is interested in turkey brood observations from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas.
2 ways to participate:
or
- Download and print a Turkey Brood Survey form to complete over the course of the summer. Mail completed forms to Brood Survey, MassWildlife Field Headquarters,1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. If you’ve submitted your observations online, please do not mail in duplicate observations.
Editor’s Note: The Citizen often hears about clutches of wild turkeys roaming through Bedford’s neighborhoods, and we learned this morning that not only is there a turkey count but there are two official turkey hunting seasons in Massachusetts. And, there is a lot of turkey-related information on the MassWildlife website:
- Learn about turkeys pages: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-turkeys
- Turkey hunting regulations (includes the hunting season dates)– https://www.mass.gov/service-details/wild-turkey-hunting-regulations
- Turkey hunting harvest numbers: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/wild-turkey-harvest-data
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