In 2024, Idaho Fish and Game launched its very own Turkey Tracker, an online platform to report wild turkey sightings.
In a press release Monday, the department said people across the state have since reported 2,157 sightings of more than 15,000 turkeys. Fish and Game called the tracker “hugely successful.”
“Prior to this citizen science effort, there hasn’t really been a way to track turkey populations, not just in Idaho but across the country,” Jeff Kettner, Upland Game and Migratory Game Bird Coordinator was quoted saying, “Now, thanks to the public’s observations, we have a lot of great data on how turkeys are distributed across the Gem State, which can and has helped us set turkey seasons.”
Most sightings were reported in the Southwest and Panhandle regions.
The tracker, now entering its third summer online, still relies on the public’s help. Fish and Game is asking people to continue looking out for July to August broods and report them here.
Original story published July 9, 2024.
