Wild Turkey

Since the reintroduction of the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the 1980’s, OFAH has remained a keystone partner in one of the most successful wildlife recovery stories in Ontario. Wild turkeys were extirpated (locally extinct) from Ontario for nearly a century due to habitat loss and unregulated market hunting. Thanks to hunters and other conservationists who pressed for their return, efforts to restore wild turkeys to most of their former range in Ontario have been extremely successful. As a result, an important part of Ontario’s biodiversity has been restored while still providing regulated hunting opportunities over the years. The first regulated spring hunt began in 1987 in only two wildlife management units (WMU). Since then, wild turkey populations have been stabilizing, allowing fall hunting opportunities and additional WMU’s being opened to spring hunting.