Report Your Sightings of Wild Turkeys

Volunteers Asked to Report Wild Turkey Flock Sightings

CONCORD, N.H. -- If you see a flock of wild turkeys in New Hampshire this winter, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department would like to hear about it. For the fourth consecutive year, citizens are being asked to report sightings of turkey flocks seen from January 1 through March 31, 2012, by filling out a simple electronic survey form posted on the Fish and Game website at http://www.wildnh.com/turkeysurvey. After January 1, you can also reach the survey by going to http://www.wildnh.com and clicking on “2012 Winter Turkey Flock Survey.” Please do not report multiple sightings of the same flock.

The Winter Flock Survey bolsters Fish and Game’s understanding of the abundance and distribution of turkeys during New Hampshire’s challenging winter months. The survey asks participants to report the number of turkeys in the flock; the location where they were seen; the type of habitat the birds were observed in; and what the turkeys were feeding on, such as acorns, beechnuts, seed at birdfeeders, or corn silage.

The survey is designed to fill gaps in Fish and Game’s existing winter flock data collection efforts. “For parts of the state, especially eastern and northern New Hampshire, we could benefit by additional sighting reports,” said Ted Walski, Turkey Project Leader at Fish and Game. “This reporting system will allow the public to contribute important information to our understanding of winter turkey status in an inexpensive, efficient and, hopefully, enjoyable way.”