The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteer citizens to assist with scientific surveys of wild turkey broods, in order to aid biologists in monitoring turkey population trends and reproductive success.
Summertime is when young turkeys are hatching, and by counting them and adult females, biologists can assess trends in reproductive success and survival of young turkeys. Biologists also count male turkeys to estimate total wild turkey abundance, male-to-female ratios, and adult survival.
Participants are asked to report young turkeys, adult females, and adult males with every observation, as well as the county and date of the observation during the months of June, July and Aug.
The IDNR recommends that turkey sightings be submitted online through the department’s electronic wild turkey survey. The survey can be accessed on both desktop computers and mobile devices through any internet browser or the Survey123 app. Participants who cannot use the electronic survey can have postcards mailed to them.
IDNR has been able to track meaningful trends in Illinois’ wild turkey population. Observations over the past five years include:
- Increased reproductive success with poults per hen (PPH) rising from 1.62 in 2019 to over 3.0 in 2023 and 2024.
- Improved poult survival with poults per brood (PPB) climbing from 3.69 to 4.23 during the same period.
- Higher nesting success with hens observed with broods increasing from 53% in 2019-2020, to over 75% in 2023-2024.
- The male-to-female ratio hovered around 0.46 to 0.48, suggesting consistent male carryover from spring hunting seasons and stable winter survival.
These results provide encouraging signs for the health of Illinois’ wild turkey population and underscore the importance of continuing this survey. Further information can be requested via email: DNR.Turkey@illinois.gov
