Maine is now participating in a wild turkey survey being conducted in many states in which the birds reside and are hunted. The idea is to help state biologists understand better annual turkey reproduction, which contributes to better wildlife management. They want to know how many male Toms, female Janes, and young poults you see during August of 2025. A link is below.
We’ve been seeing a fair number of groups of mom and aunt turkeys shepherding their collected poults on the trails and in the fields, not to mention crossing roads and creating traffic hazards.
One trick for you bird photographers to play on the older females when they see you and herd their poults into the high field grasses and hunker down unseeable: Step into the area where they had entered the fields and silently wait with camera poised. Soon the jowly head of the leader of the pack will slowly rise like a periscope in enemy waters and swivel around. Click!
(Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on August 22, 2025.) To participate in the Maine Wild Turkey Survey, use this link:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/3fbc73751cea40618e305faf01c05abe