Wild Turkey Habitat

As Thanksgiving approaches, many people begin thinking about turkeys – and it’s hard not to, given how often they appear in seasonal displays, menus, and media. This cultural centerpiece has been a prominent part of Thanksgiving tradition for centuries. If you’re more interested in the wild side of things, you might be curious about how to manage wild turkey populations in the field.

In general, wild turkeys need a range of forested and open habitat. They typically thrive in a mix of open forests, but require areas with diverse vegetation structure for different life stages. For example, adult turkeys have a broad diet that includes soft mast (e.g., berries), insects, and other plant material. These food sources are more abundant in open areas where sunlight can penetrate the canopy and reach the forest floor. Hard mast (e.g., acorns) also makes up an important part of their diet, especially in the fall. As a result, areas with masting trees are particularly valuable, not only for foraging but also because these trees often serve as important roosting sites. Hens prefer nesting cover that tends to be denser, providing protection from predators. These nesting areas are tall enough to conceal the nest and hen, but low enough to allow her to scan for predators. In contrast, young chicks (poults) rely on more open areas with sparse vegetation and exposed ground so they can move quickly and easily and forage for insects. Because they’re small and can’t move very well in thick cover, open space is essential during their first few weeks. Around two weeks old, poults begin roosting in trees, so access to suitable trees also becomes important. In general, maintaining quality turkey habitat requires active management. Without it, vegetation can become overgrown, forests can become too dense, and the habitat quality quickly declines. Prescribed fire is one tool often used to manage and reset habitat conditions. For instance, poult rearing habitat is usually very high quality within one year since prescribed fire is applied, while nesting habitat quality usually peaks between one to three years after a prescribed burn, depending on site characteristics.

If you want to learn more about managing wild turkey habitat, consider enrolling in the online turkey habitat management training program. Led by the UF/IFAS Game Lab and the Wildlife Ecology and Land Management Lab and this program will lead you through field, forest, and grassland management strategies for wild turkeys and more (https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManager).