Enormous Number Of Turkeys Have Overpopulated Illinois
If you've traveled around Rockford lately, it definitely seems like the Forest City has been taken over by literally thousands of wild turkeys.
The Turkey Invasion Of Rockford, Illinois
I can't really remember when I first started seeing wild turkeys in and around the Rockford community but I know it's been for several years now. Back in the day, it was just a random bird here and there. Nowadays, it seems like I see them everywhere in town. Plus, they travel in packs like a gang or something. Those animals aren't afraid of anything.
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How Many Wild Turkeys Live In Illinois?
I was trying to find out how many wild turkeys actually live in the Rockford area. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out that answer. I did discover that the population in the whole state is over 150,000. That number equals the size of our city. Could you imagine a town the size of our community but made up entirely of those birds? Talk about Thanksgiving revenge. That sounds like a horror movie.
According to reconnectwithnature.org,
More Info About Wild Turkeys In Illinois
For many years, turkeys were all over Illinois but in the early 1900s they were all gone. In the 1960s, a program was started to relocate the birds to the Land of Lincoln. Now, they are living in every county in our state. Even though there's a huge population, we only have one type here. That's the eastern wild turkey. Can you say the whole deal was way too successful?
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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger