Are turkeys moving to urban areas?

Editor's note: The following is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Question of the Week:

Q: It seems like you see more and more wild turkeys these days near urban areas. Is this just cyclical, or has their population shifted?

A: Turkeys are another species of wildlife that have adapted to living in close proximity to people. Prohibitions on hunting, the relative lack of predators, and the abundant food sources found in urban and suburban landscapes contribute to high reproductive success and low mortality for turkeys and other wildlife in urban areas.

The preservation of natural areas, including river corridors, wetlands, parks and backyards provide habitat for many wildlife species that many people feel contribute to a higher urban quality of life.

--Bryan Lueth, DNR forest wildlife habitat team supervisor

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