turkey

Turkey

Turkeys make about 27 different calls.  The cluck, yelp, purr and gobble are the ones we think of the most

A turkey can see about seven times better than humans and can hear about 10 times better, with no external ear flaps.

A turkey has 18 tail feathers.

In Iowa we have the eastern subspecies of turkeys that can reach up to 30 pounds in weight.

Around 1910, the last known wild Iowa turkey was seen in Lucas County. In the 1960s, the bird was reintroduced successfully with birds transplanted from Missouri.  Originally, officials thought that they would only be located in the major forest areas of Iowa, but the turkeys quickly adapted to Iowa’s diverse landscape. The first modern turkey season in Iowa was held in 1974. While most parts of the country, especially the east, have a fall turkey hunting tradition, Iowa hunters tend to prefer the spring season.

Wild-Turkeys

Photo: Iowa Sportsmen & Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/DNR-News-Releases/ArticleID/154/Cool-Things-You-Didn%E2%80%99t-Know-About-Wild-Turkey#:~:text=In%20Iowa%2C%20we%20have%20the,get%20up%20to%2030%20pounds.&text=Around%201910%2C%20the%20last%20known,with%20birds%20transplanted%20from%20Missouri.