Vermonters asked to help count turkeys for state survey
August 6, 2020 | Waterbury RoundaboutWild turkeys are plentiful throughout most of Vermont and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department with help from “citizen scientists” monitors turkeys’ reproductive success each year.
During the month of August, the public is asked to help with the annual turkey survey by reporting the number and size of turkey families they see.
People can provide information for the turkey brood survey which is on the department’s website. Participants are asked to record where and when they observe the birds and the number of adult and young turkeys, or poults.
“When combined with annual harvest data, information gathered from this survey helps to establish long-term trends in Vermont’s wild turkey population,” said state wild turkey biologist Chris Bernier. “It also helps us assess the impacts of spring and winter weather on the survival of poults and adult turkeys which is an important consideration in the management of turkeys.”
State wildlife officials monitor and manage the wild turkey population through hunting. Bernier called wild turkeys “iconic and ecologically significant birds” that are a source of protein and a connection to the environment. Data from the August reports help wildlife biologists plan for maintaining a sustainable population, he said.