Notavegetarian - Buckeye is right, they were darn near wiped completely out during the great depression. I think the number was at 30,000 or so. Compare that to today, where we are able to hunt large healthy flocks in every state except AK and I think you have one to the greatest unreported comeback stories of all time. There are even nice population in Canada now.

The great thing about hunting turkey, is though they are not too smart, their survival instincts are amazing. They have great vision and hearing, and unlike a deer, that will look for something that doesn't seem right and throw a fit, the turkey won't think twice - it'll be gone.

Also, turkey hunting saftey is WAY up there. Especially considering you hunt them in full camo - accidental shootings are way down thanks to educating hunters on respectful hunting. (Don't stalk a gobble).

Here are some other interesting facts -

There are only 2 species of turkey in the world; the North American wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), divided into 5 distinct subspecies - Eastern Wild Turkey, Florida Wild Turkey, Merriam's Wild Turkey, Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Gould's Wild Turkey - and the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata). The ocellated turkey is known by several different names that vary by Central American locale: pavo, pavo ocelado, or its Mayan Indian name, ucutz il chican

The best time to see a turkey is on a warm clear day or in a light rain.

Turkeys spend the night in trees. They fly to their roosts around sunset.

Turkeys fly to the ground at first light and feed until mid-morning. Feeding resumes in mid-afternoon.

Gobbling starts before sunrise and can continue through most of the morning.

A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.

The wild turkey was almost wiped out by the early 1900s following a century of habitat destruction and commercial slaughter. By the Great Depression, only 30,000 wild turkeys remained. Today, thanks to our nation's hunters, game agencies and wildlife conservation organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, there are more than 5.4 million wild turkeys roaming the continent in huntable populations in every state of the U.S. except Alaska and are even hunted in Ontario, Canada, and Mexico.

Turkeys are social birds and in winter often separate into three distinct groups: adult males (toms), young males (jakes), and females (hens) of all ages. These flocks begin to disperse in late winter or early spring when courtship and mating rituals begin. Toms set up territories and begin gobbling, strutting, and displaying in hopes of attracting a harem of hens. Most hens, regardless of age, will breed with a gobbler each spring.

Turkeys originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that they have been around for over 10 million years.

The American Indians hunted wild turkey for its sweet, juicy meat as early as 1000 AD. Turkey feathers were used to stabilize arrows and adorn ceremonial dress, and the spurs on the legs of wild tom turkeys were used as projectiles on arrowheads. They also shared a place in their folklore. The Navajos tell of an enormous hen turkey that flew over their fields bringing them corn and teaching them how to cultivate their crops. The Apache Indians considered the turkey timid and wouldn't eat it or use its feathers on their arrows.

In Mexico, the turkey was considered a sacrificial bird. As an article of tribute Montezuma received 365,000 turkeys per year from his subjects.

Benjamin Franklin was displeased when the bald eagle was chosen over his proposed "original native" turkey as a national symbol. He said the turkey is a more respectable bird and a true original native of America.

Until 1863, Thanksgiving day had not been celebrated annually since the first feast in 1621. This changed in 1863 when Sarah Josepha Hale encouraged Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November "as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer."

Turkey eggs are pale creamy tan with brown speckles, and twice as large as chicken eggs. They hatch in 28 days. A baby turkey is called a poult and is tan and brown.

Domesticated turkeys (farm raised) cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at up to 55 miles per hour. Wild turkeys are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.

A large group of turkeys is called a flock.

Only male turkeys (toms) gobble; females (hens) make a clicking noise and yelp. The gobble is a seasonal call during the Spring and Fall. Hens are attracted for mating when a tom gobbles. Wild toms love to gobble when they hear loud sounds or settle in for the night.

Turkeys have great hearing, a poor sense of smell, but an excellent sense of taste. They can also see in color, and have excellent visual acuity and a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees), which makes sneaking up on them difficult.

Domestic turkeys are fed mainly a balanced diet of corn and soybean meal mixed with a supplement of vitamins and minerals. On average, it takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30-pound tom turkey.

Mature turkeys have 3,500 or so feathers at maturity.

The Guiness Book of Records states that the largest dressed weight (cooked, with dressing) recorded for a turkey is 39.09 kg (86 lb.) on December 12, 1989.

In 1999, about 273 million turkeys were raised in the United States. An estimated 276 million turkeys will be raised in 2000.

More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten during Thanksgiving.

The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds. A 15-pound turkey typically has about 70% white meat and 30% dark meat.

Americans feast on approximately 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving.

Last year 2.74 billion pounds of turkey were processed in the United States.

Californians are the biggest turkey eaters in the country. They eat three pounds more turkey than the average American consumer.

Ninety percent of American homes eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Fifty percent eat turkey on Christmas.

The good old-fashioned turkey sandwich is the most popular way for Americans to prepare the fowl, accounting for 44 percent of consumption.

North Carolina produces 61 million turkeys annually, more than any other state. Minnesota and Arkansas are number two and three.

When U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin sat down to eat their first meal on the moon in their historic 1969 voyage, their foil food packets contained roasted turkey and all the trimmings.

In the last twenty years, Americans' love of turkey has soared. Consumption based upon USDA data indicates.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunters spent more than $21 billion in 1996, money that provides revenue for wildlife and creates important jobs, helping fuel our economy. Since the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was passed in 1937 placing an 11-percent excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment, more than $4 billion has been raised for wildlife restoration and hunter education. This doesn't even begin to include the funds raised and spent by conservation organizations such as the NWTF.
More than 45 million acres of land have been protected for wildlife through the Wildlife Restoration Act.


http://www.wanwtf.org