MISSOURI — “Where have all the turkeys gone?”  It’s a question a lot of hunters and wildlife watchers are asking.  While Missouri continues to have a healthy population of wild turkeys, there’s no denying that numbers are down from what they once were.

This phenomenon is occurring in many parts of the country.  The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is taking a deep dive into the issue with a free virtual program, Turkey Population Ecology, being held Friday, April 15 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.  The online presentation is free and open to ages 13 and up.

Turkey populations are decreasing in some areas of the country, including Missouri, causing concern among hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. The program will examine how individuals can help improve the turkey population.  To get to that answer, the educational presentation will explore the life cycle of wild turkeys and how certain ecological factors affect their survival.  Participants will gain insights from the most recent scientific data available on the subject.  Possible impacts of the new fur bearer trapping regulations will also be addressed.

“The goal is to educate landowners and citizens about the potential causes of the turkey population decline we are experiencing, and how they can make a difference for turkeys,” said MDC Naturalist, Rena Schmidt.

Participants will have the chance to ask questions at the end of the program using the chat feature.

Turkey Population Ecology is a free WebEx event, but advanced registration is required for each person attending. To sign up, participants should go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/43z.  Attendees will receive an invitation by email from the MDC Event Management System with a WebEx program link 24 hours before the program. It’s recommended to check junk mail folders if no email is received.

Program registrants should note that families now have the option to link their children’s accounts to their own which will streamline the program registration process.  Once a group account is set up, parents will be able to register their children to an event without having to logoff and login for each person.  This allows parents to register an entire family or select family members to an event at the same time.