Have you seen a flock of wild turkeys crossing the road? Or did you spot them on your hike in a Pittsburgh park? You can help the Pennsylvania Game Commission by reporting these sightings in the state’s annual sighting survey through Sept. 6. The state is tracking population trends and long-term reproductive success (survival rates), as well as developing hunting regulations.
Wild turkeys are rooted in Pennsylvania’s heritage — a dependable food source for Native Americans until European colonizers over-hunted and their habitat declined. When the Game Commission was created in 1895, it was a positive step toward protection.
Fun fact: Wild turkeys were so admired by colonial statesmen that Benjamin Franklin proposed it as our national symbol. Of course, it lost out to another beloved Pittsburgh-area bird, the bald eagle.
