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Are wild turkey’s acting bonkers in your neighborhood? It might have something to do with mating season, which officials from the California Department of Fish and Game say has begun in earnest. They are advising residents not to feed the wild and randy birds under any circumstances.
“You’re going to see more of them this time of year,” said Fish and Game Warden Darren Walther. “The mild winter we had will also cause the birds to become more active than usual.” The males are particularly more responsive to calls at this time of year and become more vocal during mating season, Walther said. Turkeys tend to mate in spring from February to April, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. The game bird was on the verge of extinction in the early 1930s. Today, thanks to hunting restrictions and wildlife restoration programs, there are approximately 7 million wild turkeys in the United States, the foundation said. During mating season, turkey courtship usually begins while they are still flocked together in wintering areas. The tom, or male turkey, is more colorful, while the hen is a brownish or lighter color to camouflage her with surroundings. Roughly 6,000 feathers cover the body of an adult turkey in patterns called feather tracts. The feathers provide a variety of survival functions including keeping the turkey warm and dry, and allowing it to fly. Toms also have beards, or tufts of filaments or feathers, growing out from the chest. Hens lay a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs during a two-week period, usually about one egg per day. She will incubate her eggs for about 28 days, occasionally turning and rearranging them until they are ready to hatch. A newly-hatched rafter must be ready to leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours to feed. Baby turkeys, or poults, eat insects, berries and seeds, while adults will eat anything from acorns and berries to insects and small reptiles. It’s important to not feed wild turkeys or other wild animals, Walther said. “It’s against the law to feed wildlife,” he said. And for good reason, he said. “The animals, when they become dependent on humans, they don’t get a balanced diet and they lack nutrition and minerals. Turkeys are grazers. They get nutritional value from numerous food sources,” Walther said. Turkeys fed by humans can become unhealthy and it can cause reproductive problems. “You just don’t want to do it,” Walther advised. Feeding wildlife creates many problems and increases the nuisance the animals can become in residential areas. “You want wildlife to be afraid of humans,” Walther said. “Turkey populations throughout Tuolumne County are rapidly increasing, especially in residential areas.” For those who wish to go turkey hunting, the season opens the last Saturday in March — March 31. Hunters must have a valid hunting license and an Upland Game stamp. The firearm season extends 37 days to May 6 and until May 20 for archery. Hunters are allowed one bearded turkey per day and no more than three turkeys per season, Walther said. Walther urged area residents to observe all state and county guidelines on hunting and safety. |