Wild Turkey Re-introduction

Posted Saturday May 27, 2017 by wf_admin

Gould’s wild turkey has returned to its historical native range in Arizona thanks in part to your support. The Gould’s wild turkeys were wiped out by 1920 after settlement in the region. Fortunately, turkey populations remained stable in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Wildlife Forever’s $5,000 grant was used to capture fifty Gould’s turkeys from this area in Mexico and air transport them to a quarantine facility in Arizona. The birds were then released in the Chiricahua, Pinaleno and Huachuca mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona. Each of the birds is being monitored by radio telemetry to determine their home range and preferred habitat. Additional re-introductions are planned based on the information gathered. Partners on this project included the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation.