This spring, you can learn more about wild turkey abundance, distribution and the quality of available habitat where you plan to hunt by using updated resources from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). We recently launched a new map that shows the predicted quality of habitat – good, fair or poor – based on the location, amount and arrangement of habitat needed throughout a wild turkey’s home range and life cycle.
This new information, based on a model developed for Virginia and adapted for Florida, is a powerful management tool. It allows FWC biologists to assess habitat suitability at the level of the wild turkey’s home range. This habitat assessment, combined with wild turkey sightings reported by the public during the 2020 Wild Turkey Summer Survey, enabled biologists to predict the distribution of wild turkeys across the state. This information is vital for helping FWC wild turkey biologists meet conservation objectives and provide sustainable hunting opportunities.
This new map is also valuable for wild turkey hunters who want more information about where they hunt or plan to hunt. You can drill down to an area smaller than two basketball courts to get a better understanding of habitat quality and the likelihood of wild turkeys occurring in a particular area. Because the habitat suitability model is unable to determine the condition of the understory, that layer of shrubs and small trees beneath the main forest canopy, the prediction may not be accurate in all areas, especially at smaller scales.
Find this new map at MyFWC.com/Turkey and click on “Wild Turkey Distribution Map.”
How to Hunt Wild Turkeys
Another resource new and experienced hunters can use is the online guide about how to hunt wild turkeys in Florida. This resource provides tips on what license and
