Turkey Brood Survey

Record data for the 2023 Wild Turkey Brood Survey

It is summer and that means it’s time for our annual turkey brood survey that is open to public participation. We know that the public sees turkeys frequently during the summer and those observations are important to our turkey management.

Why count turkeys?

Turkey brood surveys provide useful estimates about annual production by wild turkey hens and the survival of poults, or young turkeys, through the summer brood-rearing period. Nest success and summer brood survival is generally the primary factor influencing wild turkey population trends. Information on summer brood information is essential for sound turkey management. Information gathered through the brood survey includes:
• Average brood sizes (poults per documented brood).
• Percentage of adult hens with poults.
• Percentage of males in the adult portion of the population.
• Annual Production Index (PI) = total number of poults/total number of adult hens.

These indices are looked at on an annual basis and can be compared. Wild turkey production is an important driver of wild turkey populations; these survey results and comparisons between years help managers to understand if and why populations are succeeding or not.