The eastern wild turkey has staged a remarkable recovery in North Carolina. Driven by decades of statewide conservation initiatives, the population has rebounded from a historic low of just 2,000 birds in the 1970s to more than 265,000 birds, establishing a thriving presence across all 100 counties.

However, the species’ success could now be at risk. Eastern wild turkey populations have declined across the southeastern United States in recent decades, including in South Carolina and Georgia. North Carolina State University researchers are now conducting research to help bolster local populations.

Christopher Moorman and Krishna Pacifici, both professors in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State, have partnered with researchers from the National Wild Turkey Federation and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to study nesting success.

Moorman, whose research focuses on understanding the effects of land use changes and other disturbances on wildlife, said there has been a decrease in young turkeys, or poults, that hatch and survive to adulthood. This measurement is called the poult-per-hen ratio.

North Carolina’s wild turkey productivity is currently stable with an estimated 2.2 poults per hen in 2019, the last year data is available. Still, poults are particularly vulnerable to predators, including snakes, hawks, owls, raccoons, coyotes and bobcats.

“Poults are able to run around and forage for themselves immediately after hatching,” Moorman said. “But they aren’t able to fly for the first 14 days. That’s when they’re most vulnerable to predation.”  

As part of the study, Moorman and his collaborators will spend the next three years capturing turkeys in each of North Carolina’s three regions and fitting them with radio-transmitters, tracking daily turkey movements and locating nests.

The researchers aim to determine the success of turkey nests in each region and the potential causes of nest failure, document vegetation conditions where turkeys nest, estimate survival rates of female and male turkeys, identify the primary causes of mortality and examine disease prevalence.

Moorman said the results will ultimately support future management decisions for the state’s wild turkey populations. That includes helping the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission identify the best timing for the spring hunting season to ensure that it doesn’t negatively impact breeding and nesting activities.

North Carolina’s spring wild turkey season typically runs from mid-April to early May and draws roughly 70,000 to 76,000 hunters. While it generates millions of dollars in tax revenue through license purchases, gear sales and more, it must be balanced with sound wildlife management practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of the population.

“If hunting is allowed before each of these activities, it may negatively impact productivity,” Moorman said.