Wild Turkeys Struggle To Survive Harsh Winter

Wisconsin’s wild turkeys are struggling to survive this year’s harsh winter, and the Department of Natural Resources says their numbers are likely to be down during the spring hunting season.

Turkeys get most of their food – things like small seeds, acorns, and young plants – off the ground. But in parts of northern Wisconsin, that food is now buried under more than two feet of snow. Heavy snowfalls can also prevent turkeys from moving where food is available.

Laura Erickson, a nationally recognized bird expert and author, said this winter is making life tough for turkeys: “They’re having horrible stress this winter, with individual birds’ weights being extremely low.”

Scott Walter, an upland wildlife ecologist for the DNR, said they’re seeing isolated pockets of dead turkeys, likely trapped and starved by deep snow.

“I certainly think that there’s probably mortality taking place in the north, but it’s going to be localized,” said Walter. “It’s not going to result in a population collapse, I don’t think by any means, but certainly a downtick in turkey numbers is to be expected going into the next year.”

The wild turkeys in Wisconsin are all bred from transplants moved from Missouri in the 1970s. During the early 2000s, said Walter, birds were moved to far northern counties and their population exploded.

“We went along for a number of years with fairly mild winters and turkeys doing very well,” said Walter. “So, this winter may just be a dose of reality.”

Total turkey harvests have declined overall in recent years. In 2008 more than 63,000 were shot by hunters. Last year, hunters took just more than 40,000.