Help track Michigan's next generation of wild turkeys

If you spot a hen turkey leading a line of poults (baby turkeys) this summer, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to hear from you.

It's time for Michigan's wild turkey brood survey: a community science effort that helps wildlife biologists understand how well turkeys are reproducing across the state and provides valuable information about the health of Michigan's turkey population. The DNR is asking residents to report sightings of wild turkeys and turkey broods — family units consisting of at least one adult hen and her young — July 1 through Aug. 31. 

"Summer is one of the best times of year to see wild turkey families," said Adam Bump, the DNR's upland game bird specialist. "Every brood observation helps us better understand how many young turkeys are surviving and where reproduction is occurring across Michigan."

Wild turkeys are one of Michigan's greatest wildlife conservation success stories. Once extirpated (locally extinct) from the state, turkeys have rebounded and now are found in every Michigan county.

Building on three years of observations

Maintaining healthy turkey populations requires continued monitoring, and that's where residents can make a difference.

Now entering its fourth year, the turkey brood survey is part of a larger multistate effort supported by the National Wild Turkey Federation to monitor turkey populations using a standardized survey protocol.

Since the survey launched in 2023, Michigan residents have submitted more than 17,000 observations, documenting over 36,200 hens, 95,300 poults and 15,500 male turkeys.

Those observations will allow biologists to track annual changes in turkey reproduction and compare Michigan's turkey population trends with those in other states.

"Turkey populations are influenced by many factors, including weather, habitat conditions and poult survival," Bump said. "By collecting observations year after year, we're building a long-term dataset that helps us understand trends before they become problems."

What biologists learn from turkey broods

The survey focuses on turkey broods because they provide insight into reproductive success.

When participants report the number of hens and poults they observe, biologists can estimate average brood size and other indicators that help measure how successfully young turkeys are surviving through the summer months.

"Broods tell us a lot about what happened during nesting season and the weeks immediately after hatching," said Caitlin Ott-Conn, a laboratory scientist with the DNR Wildlife Division who oversees survey data collection and analysis. "When thousands of people share observations from across the state, we gain a much clearer picture of turkey reproduction than we could through traditional surveys alone."

How to participate

Anyone can contribute to the turkey brood survey. Between July 1 and Aug. 31, simply report any wild turkey sightings using the online survey form available on the turkey brood survey webpage.

Participants will be asked a few short questions about:

• The date of the observation.
• The location.
• The number of hens observed.
• The number of poults observed.
• The number of gobblers (adult males) or jakes (juvenile males, about a year old) observed.

Most reports take only a minute or two to complete. The survey uses an email login so observations can be associated with individual participants, helping biologists better analyze the data. Report turkey sightings.

Every observation matters

Whether you see a single hen with two poults or a large flock of turkeys feeding in a field, your observation can help improve understanding of Michigan's wild turkey population.

"Everyone can play a role in wildlife science,” Bump said. "If you see turkeys this summer, take a minute to report them. Together, we're creating one of the most comprehensive pictures of turkey reproduction in Michigan and helping ensure wild turkeys remain part of our state for generations to come."

Learn more and submit an observation at Michigan.gov/Turkey.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Wild turkey 1 and wild turkey 2: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources needs your help to tally wild turkeys this summer. Take just a few minutes to report any turkeys you see, July 1 through Aug. 31, and contribute valuable data to track the health of the state’s turkey population.