Lets talk Turkey

The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) was an important component of the biodiversity of the pre-settlement forests of southern Ontario. It was reported north to Lake Simcoe and eastward between Toronto and Trenton. The species was extirpated from Ontario by 1909 resulting from unregulated hunting and the loss of native forests that were cleared for agriculture.

Efforts to restore the eastern wild turkey to Ontario, which began in 1984, have been extremely successful and resulted in a rapid expansion of the number and range of the birds. The contributions of wild turkeys from Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, and Tennessee were critical to initiate and later accelerate the

program. Trap and transfer of established Ontario wild turkeys into new areas was initiated in the winter of 1986-87. In total, approximately 4,400 wild turkeys were released at 275 sites across the province as part of the release program.

Due to the influences of forestry, agriculture, and milder climatic conditions, the occupied range of wild turkeys in Ontario is now considerably larger than it was thought to be historically. Conversely, the intensification of agriculture (i.e., removal of natural habitat, large field size, etc.) in some parts of southern Ontario has prevented the birds from uniformly filling the entire landscape of their former range.

The first legal hunt for wild turkeys in Ontario occurred during the spring of 1987 in

WMUs 68 and 71. Hunting opportunities have increased and regulations have become less restrictive with increasing wild turkey populations.

The objectives for the wild turkey program in Ontario have changed somewhat over time. Previous efforts have focused on the restoration program while increasing the sustainable recreational and economic benefits from the birds. The next phase of the turkey program will focus on sustainable management of populations and harvest in southern Ontario while providing hunting opportunities where they exist in areas farther north.

The eastern wild turkey has been restored as an important component of the biodiversity of southern Ontario and in 2018 the provincial population is estimated at over 70,000 birds and growing.