New Hampshire Residents Asked To Help Count Turkeys

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — It's time to count the turkeys again.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys through March 31 for its annual winter flock survey.

Last year, the department got 486 reports totaling 9,833 birds. Officials say that was fewer than the previous year, likely because turkeys were on the move. With relatively little snow, turkeys were able to move around more and weren't staying in one place to be counted.

Participants are asked to report the number of turkeys in the flock, their location, the type of habitat the birds were observed in, and what the turkeys were feeding on. Officials also are interested in any signs of two viruses that have appeared in turkeys in recent years, with symptoms including warty protuberances in the head and eye area.

Wild turkeys had disappeared from the state after over-hunting and habitat loss in the 1800s but have rebounded to an estimated population of 40,000.

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