Wild Turkey

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an upland ground bird native to North America and is the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey (not the related ocellated turkey). Although native to North America, the turkey probably got its name from the domesticated variety being imported to Britain in ships coming from the Levant via Spain. The British at the time therefore associated the wild turkey with the country Turkey and the name prevails.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Wild_turkey

Tough times for turkeys, and don’t expect that to change anytime soon

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Tough times for turkeys, and don’t expect that to change anytime soon

"It’s pretty common knowledge among the turkey-hunting fraternity that in New York, as well as several other states, the “good old days” are no longer."

"And those days, when turkey numbers were at their zenith and it seemed like we always had gobbling longboards to play with, weren’t really so long ago. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, turkey numbers were at their highest, and it was a rare spring morning when we didn’t have some talkative toms to keep our adrenaline running."

"Not so these days. Last spring’s harvest in New York was the lowest since the early 1990s, and with back-to-back years of poor turkey production (a product of lousy weather during the nesting and brood-rearing periods), things aren’t likely to get better any time soon. Sure, we’ll still be out there, and about 20,000 toms will be tagged this spring – maybe fewer. But it’s clear turkey hunting isn’t nearly what it once was in New York state."