Kansas funds research to protect declining wild turkey population

EMPORIA (KSNT) - Local researchers are hoping to stop declines in the wild turkey population.

According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), the wild turkey population in the Midwest has decreased in the past two decades, and hunters' success in Kansas has declined substantially too. To combat this issue, KDWP is partnering with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to fund wild turkey research by Kansas State University.

A research team will study the wild turkey populations across Kansas by marking the birds with transmitters and leg bands to monitor the movements by Eastern and Rio Grande turkeys on public and private land, according to the KDWP press release. Researchers will use this data on nesting, habitat use, reproduction and survival to make informed population models and decisions on harvest and habitat management.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to improve our understanding of wild turkeys in Kansas,” Kent Fricke, KDWP small game coordinator said. “KDWP staff are committed to learning and to informing our habitat and harvest management decisions. We look forward to working with the research team and NWTF to make this project successful.”

Fieldwork for this project will begin in January 2024.