Officials asking public to report wild turkey sightings
By News Staff
news@abc6.com
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is asking for the public’s help in tracking the state’s wild turkey population.
DEM biologists need the information to evaluate this year’s production of wild turkeys, asking Rhode Islanders to report sightings of wild turkey hens and young turkeys, known as poults.
The state says there were 142 brood sightings last year, which is about half the number reported in 2013. Weather, poor habitat, and predators have led to the drop in turkey population over the past five years, with is now estimated at 3,000 birds.
The wild turkey restorations project began in 1980 with the release of birds in
To report wild turkey sightings—hens with or without broods—participants should record the date, location, and the total number of hens and poults seen. The report forms can be downloaded from DEM’s website at: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/turkysee.pdf
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