NWTF
A Gobbling Genetic Frontier
How the Wild Turkey DNA Project Is Rewriting the Story of America’s Bird
For generations, the story of the wild turkey has been told in feathers, tracks, and the thunder of a gobble rolling through hardwood ridges. Today, a new chapter is being written in code, genetic code, and it may reshape everything we know about the bird that has become a symbol of both all things wild and a grand conservation recovery story.
The WildTurkeyDNA project, launched in 2025, is an ambitious genetic study undertaken for the wild turkey genome. It is a collaboration between the Wild Turkey Lab, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, the University of Texas El Paso, and the Low Country Game Bird Foundation. Its mission is bold and far-reaching: Build the first continent-wide genetic map of wild turkeys using hunter-submitted DNA samples.
Hunters at the Center of the Story
- One of the most compelling aspects of the WildTurkeyDNA project is its reliance on hunters. The 2025 program asked turkey hunters to submit samples from birds with unusual plumage to help researchers understand the origins of these traits.
- For 2026, Hunters who harvest a bird with normal, or unusual plummage, typical or non-typical can request a kit, collect a small tissue sample, and mail it in. There is no cost to participate, thanks to funding from NWTF, DU, and other partners. NY NWTF has provided funding to cover up to 100 New York hunters that will be selected to participate, with some receiving kits and others mailed vials to put a sample in. Due to limited funds and resources, there is a selection process.
- This study connects turkey hunters in contributing directly to the science that will guide future management. It also strengthens the bond between hunters and the resource they care about, a flashback of hunters helping‑science tradition that helped restore wild turkeys in the first place.
How It Works (source:wildturkeyDNA) click here download
- Go to wildturkeyDNA.com and register to participate or use the QR code below.
- Those that register will get an email asking them which county/counties they hunt in
- Hunters who are selected will be mailed kits and asked to collect a sample from birds they harvest.
- For each sample, hunters will upload an image of the bird and other information through their online wildturkeyDNA account.
- Samples will be sent to UTEP via pre-paid mail for genetic analysis.
- Hunters that don’t receive kits but want to participate will be sent a vial to put a sample in and asked to mail it to UTEP.Hunters receive a certificate of pedigree for their harvested turkey
Use your smart phone camera to capture QR code below to access the signup directly!
This work is powered and funded in part by state chapters like the New York State NWTF, whose funding helps keep the program free for hunters and ensures researchers can analyze thousands of samples from across the country.
Wild turkeys have roamed North America for thousands of years, shaped by geography, climate, and isolation. Each subspecies carries its own genetic fingerprint, from the white-tipped tail fans of the Gould’s to the deep chestnut hues of the Eastern. Understanding how these genetic signatures vary, overlap, or blend is central to the project’s mission.
Researchers are using DNA to answer the following questions that field biologists have debated for decades:
- Are rare color phases: smoke, white, or mixed plumage, natural mutations, or signs of domestic ancestry?
Early results show many are fully wild, though some birds do show hybridization with domestic or heritage turkeys. - How genetically diverse are today’s populations?
Restoration efforts in the 20th century often moved small, related flocks into new areas. Scientists want to know whether history left some regions with narrower genetic baselines. What level of diversity exists, and what are the implications of determinations? - How distinct are the five subspecies at the DNA level?
The project’s next phase will analyze samples from across the entire range to map subspecies boundaries and identify areas of overlap.
This work builds on the model of DU’s DuckDNA program, which revealed widespread hybridization and genetic drift in waterfowl, findings that reshaped how wildlife managers think about long‑term species resilience.
The New York State Chapter of the NWTF is among the organizations helping fund the WildTurkeyDNA project. Their support ensures that the program remains free for hunters and that researchers can expand sampling, increase lab capacity, and accelerate analysis. The state chapter has a long history of supporting wild turkey research, habitat projects, and the restoration of the American Chestnut, which was once a primary food source for wildlife
For New York, where turkey populations have fluctuated in many counties across the state in a downward trend in recent decades, this investment is both pragmatic and symbolic. It reinforces the state’s long‑standing commitment to science-based management, wild turkey research, and positions New York hunters as key contributors to a national conservation effort.
This funding aligns with NWTF’s broader research strategy. In 2025 alone, the NWTF and its partners allocated more than $4.5 million to wild turkey research nationwide, bringing total investments since 2022 to over $22 million a scale of support unmatched in the organization’s history.
What Early Results Reveal
Although the project is still in its early stages, several patterns are emerging:
- Odd-colored birds are often 100% wild, confirming evidence that rare plumage variants do occur naturally.
- Hybridization with domestic turkeys does happen.
- Genetic diversity varies by region, prompting new questions about long-term population resilience.
- A continental genetic baseline is forming, something wildlife managers have never had before. A unified map of wild turkey DNA across North America that reveals how subspecies, regions, and restoration histories connect.
This emerging foundation gives wildlife scientists a powerful new tool to track genetic diversity, identify hidden vulnerabilities, and guide future management with unprecedented precision. As the dataset grows, researchers expect to uncover deeper insights into subspecies boundaries, historical movements, and the genetic health of local populations.
Why This Research Work Matters
Wild turkey restoration is one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. But success is not the end of the story. We cannot rest on our laurels as the wildlife ecosystem is ever-changing. Populations in some regions are declining, and managers need better tools to understand why.
Genetics offers answers that traditional field methods cannot:
- It reveals hidden patterns of ancestry and diversity.
- It identifies hybridization that is not easily identified in plumage.
- It helps managers make informed decisions about trap and transfer and habitat priorities.
- It provides a long-term roadmap for sustaining healthy, resilient turkey populations.
In short, genetics is becoming the next frontier in turkey conservation—and hunters are helping lead the way.
© 2026 Joyner Outdoor Media
Final Week Of CNY 2025 Spring Turkey season
Those with turkey tags still in their wallets may have a tall order to fill in the Central New York area. Being one of the wettest and coolest months of May I can remember makes it much more difficult. News reports indicate temperatures 20 degrees lower than average norms, and so far, the rainiest in the past 20 years. In the past week around Cortland County, it appears that hens have come off their nests and are looking to re-nest again. The lack of gobbling is another indicator. There will be exceptions, and like many things, it’s all about location, location, and location. Like many of you, I see the smiling pics with gobblers with the obvious results of a great hunt on social media, texts, and emails, and there are hot spots to be had. Should you wake up to a bird that is gobbling his fool head off, you are a fortunate person in our area. I cover a lot of ground, so far I can’t buy a gobble.
The first nesting is thought to be the most successful for brooding, and has the best chances for poult survival. I believe we are looking at a second and possibly a third attempt at it. The cool, wet weather makes it easier for predators to find the eggs and will also increase the chances of nabbing a hen that may be trying to protect the nest. Second and third time around, the predators have figured out what to look for. Gobblers with well-stocked harems and hens out and about early and late in the day are not what you want to see in the last week of the season. If your areas, honey holes, are way down in turkey sightings, it might be good to let it rest, or hunt more fruitful hunting grounds. My scouting from last fall to the present so far has me checking all my spots to keep track, but declining to hunt them there. My personal choice is not to be that one hunter who takes the last gobbler left in an area. I have always thought it best to leave plenty for the next season and not overhunt great parcels of turkey woods.
Having started turkey hunting in 1993, I have memories of many spots I hunted with dozens upon dozens of gobblers targeted to hunt and pursue. Fast forward 33 seasons, I foresee a one-tag only in the spring coming or possibly a temporary hold for several seasons to improve and protect the populations, but that, of course, is decided on much more than my single anecdotal data point by the wildlife biologists and managers at NYSDEC. With much more research underway, the results and determinations are highly anticipated for what comes next in the great Empire State.
I have a few spots in the county and several invites in other areas of the state that I may still hunt before our Viking Diva makes a curtain call. With decent-sized flocks at hunting grounds that I do spend time at, it might be a very quiet and patient style of hunting. With another week of rain predicted, I’m not at all concerned about having a tag left in my pocket. Not my first rodeo.
As difficult as it may appear, where you hunt, all is not lost. Time for old school tactics. Without much gobbling, patience, and scouting are your tools. Roosting in our area has not produced much this season, but a chance sighting or a shock gobble jerked out of a gobbler at the last slivers of daylight may be the key to putting you on a long beard the following morning. After three weeks of being hunted, the birds are going to be coy and very cautious. More so than normal. The foliage and cover are thick and as green as we have ever had. With the grass in the fields getting very tall, plowed fields and open ridge tops are likely spots to find them.
Not likely you will get second chances on sloppy hunting. This means quiet walking, no unnatural noises or lids of box calls squeaking, etc. You may get a bird to gobble or only cluck at you one time. It may take an hour before they appear. Spit and drumming while they strut may be the only thing you hear. Again, you need to be focused and ready. When it does happen, it will likely be fast, with the gobbler departing if he does not see what he came for. You will likely have better success by toning down the calling or at least testing the waters before getting aggressive with your calls. Remember, by now they have heard it all, and will be suspect of a mouthy ‘hen’ that doesn’t shut up. Even the jakes will be three weeks wiser, and be just as hard to call to the gun. Soft clucks, whines, and purrs will get the job done.
Like many of you, I got into turkey hunting for the heart-pounding action and thundering gobbles. Not much of that this year. This season, I experienced mornings of hard gobbling in Texas and Maine, but not the case here in my spots in NY. So far, I have not had those periods of three and four days of excited gobbling that we usually get. Weather, reduced populations, and hen availability have a big role in that. I filled my first tag on a morning with a single gobble by revisiting a known roost and good positioning of the gobbler with five hens in tow. He was a good bird, and glad to have got him, but I do love to hear them gobble.
From here until the last day, you may only hear a cluck, a fly down, or a fly up, and that may be as much as you will hear. The rewards for sticking it out and being patient may be a big old gobbler. Some of the oldest and most difficult gobblers are tagged near the very end of May, and are well worth the effort.
BTW, much of this is repeated from a post made in 2011, and bits of commentary from other wet cool springs in Central New York.
Good luck on the final days of the season!
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
NWTF, UGA Establish First-Ever Endowed Wild Turkey Professorship
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Taking its support of wild turkey research into new territory, the NWTF recently established the first-ever National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor position with the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
A prominent professor and researcher will be appointed as the school’s National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor later this year. That individual will be the recipient of a $500,000 endowment to facilitate wild turkey research endorsed and supported by state wildlife agencies in the years ahead.
“While we will always continue to allocate funds to critical wild turkey research projects through our National Wild Turkey RFP program, we need to also channel the momentum we’ve built around research into something a step further,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “This new endowed professorship with UGA will ensure that wild turkey research is funded and remains an area of focus into perpetuity.”
Once endowments are established, they are self-sustaining and create a dedicated funding stream to support and expand research with existing faculty or directly fund research faculty positions. As the $500,000 endowment grows, so too will its annual return, increasing its impact on the wild turkey throughout time.
The UGA endowment was financed by a $250,000 contribution from the NWTF and a $250,000 match grant from the UGA Foundation. NWTF’s staff leadership, the National Board of Directors and state chapter leaders endorsed this opportunity at the 48th annual Convention and Sport Show in Nashville in February.
The NWTF seeks to create similar positions at key universities across the country; this network of endowed professorships will promote future wild turkey researchers and ensure the study of the wild turkey remains an area of emphasis, during times of decline and during times of stability.
Similar university positions exist for waterfowl, quail, ungulates (deer) and other species, but the NWTF Distinguished Professor is the first of its kind for the wild turkey.
“As the first endowment of its kind in the country, this collaboration exemplifies our commitment to conserving wild turkeys and hunting heritage for future generations,” said Bridget Harden, senior director of development at UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “The addition of this new distinguished professorship allows the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources to elevate wild turkey research to a higher level of excellence, achieving results that enhance our understanding of wild turkey management and ecology while honoring the vision and mission of the NWTF.”
The NWTF is working with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to appoint an individual to the position in August.
“The creation of these endowed professors and programs was the natural progression to ensure wild turkeys remain a focus in the future,” said Mark Hatfield, NWTF national director of science and planning. “In addition to our support through the Request for Proposals [research investment] program, we felt it was important to also invest in programs and opportunities that will create the next generation of wild turkey biologists.”
Importantly, any NWTF endowed professorships or programs will not be guaranteed additional funding each year through the RFP program. Endowed professors will still have to apply for research funding through the NWTF’s competitive RFP process, which includes evaluation and scoring of projects by the NWTF Wild Turkey Technical Committee.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $9 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
National Wild Turkey Federation
PO Box 530
Edgefield South Carolina 29824
United States
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