Happy Thanksgiving​… turkey tid bits.

Gobble Gobble Everyone! Did you know that the wild turkeys that roam Massachusetts these days are actually descendants of New York state? Wild turkeys were plentiful throughout the state when Europeans first settled in MA. BUT the last Mass native wild turkey was killed back in 1851 after deforestation and over-hunting contributed to the demise their habitat and population. 37 turkeys were live-trapped in NY and released in Mass between 1972-1973. In-state transplants of the birds, conducted until 1996, continued to expand their range into the central, northeastern, and southeastern parts of Massachusetts. In 1991, the wild turkey was named the state’s official game bird. The estimated population now exceeds 25,000 birds!