Fifty years after wild turkeys were reintroduced to Wisconsin, conservationists, hunters and volunteers gathered on Bascom Hill at UW–Madison to celebrate one of the state’s greatest wildlife comeback stories. The National Wild Turkey Federation hosted its “Flock the Lawn” event on May 17, covering the hill with turkey decoys in a tribute to the restoration effort that began in 1976.
Wild turkeys had disappeared from Wisconsin by the early 1900s because of overhunting and habitat loss. After several failed attempts to restore the species, the Wisconsin DNR partnered with Missouri conservation officials to release 29 wild Eastern turkeys in Vernon County. Wisconsin traded ruffed grouse in exchange for the birds.
Today, wild turkeys thrive across nearly all suitable habitat in the state, and Wisconsin hunters now harvest more than 50,000 birds each spring season.
Event organizers say the celebration honored not only the success of the past 50 years, but also the partnerships and conservation work that continue to support wildlife and outdoor traditions across Wisconsin.