How Many Wild Turkeys Are In Illinois? The Survey Says…

When a coworker came in this morning looking a little freaked out, I asked if everything was okay. She replied that she'd gotten out of her car in our parking lot and found herself somewhat surrounded by 17 wild turkeys, which she did not like at all.

"They just kind of give me the creeps, you know?" she said. How many of these things are running around this state (She's from elsewhere in the Midwest)?

Here in Northern Illinois, you don't have to look far or long to find wild turkeys. My neighborhood has dozens of them who've taken up residence, and they show up in force every single year. I'm willing to be that your neighborhood isn't that different.

That's why the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) recently posted this to their website:

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is looking for volunteer citizen scientists to assist with wild turkey brood surveys 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 Is Going To Need A Lot Of Help Because...Well, We've Got A Lot Of Wild Turkeys In This State That Need Counting

According to the University of Illinois Extension, there are over 150,000 turkeys in Illinois, with populations in every one of Illinois' 102 counties. And, those populations are growing.

The IDNR keeps track of these sorts of things because someone has to do it.

• 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.

The Next Time You Encounter A Few Wild Turkeys, Keep These Facts In Mind

Here are a few turkey facts that you can tuck away in your brain to pull out the next time you see a brood in your yard or blocking your way on the streets:

• WildlifeIllinois.org says that the eastern wild turkey is one of six recognized subspecies of turkey in the United States but is the only subspecies found in Illinois.
• Wild turkeys are large birds. The average adult male (gobbler or tom) stands 3 to 3½ feet tall and weighs 18 to 24 pounds. Females (hens) are smaller, typically 2½ to 3 feet tall and weighing 8 to 12 pounds.
• WorldAnimalProtection.us points out that turkeys spend most of their time on the ground but when it’s time to sleep, they fly up into trees. This is because turkeys can’t see well at night and to protect themselves from predators, they roost at dusk and fly down at dawn.
• You can tell a turkey’s emotions by the color of their heads. Colors can change from red to blue to white, depending on how excited or calm they are. The more intense the colors are, the more intense their emotions.

Of all the facts I dug up trying to learn about these birds, this one from Audubon.org is probably my favorite: Is it a male or female? Check its poop. A turkey’s gender can be determined from its droppings–a male’s will be shaped like the letter J, a female’s more spiral-shaped.