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Game Survey of the North Central States 



In Jennings, Tipton, and possibly Ripley Counties, Indiana, however, the 

 deer lasted longer than the turkeys. This exceptional persistence may reflect some 

 peculiarly favorable property in the Indiana deer range. Bogardus, too, saw a 

 few deer on the Sangamon in Illinois, apparently after the turkeys had dis- 

 appeared. In short, when measured by whole States, the turkey usually lasted 

 longest, but in county-size units the contrary was sometimes the case. 



Turkey Populations; Present Distribution. The early literature con- 

 tains hundreds of allusions to the abundance of turkeys, but few which furnish any 

 basis for estimating population density. Thus, Sweeney (1908) says that "great 

 numbers were seen" in Marshall County, Illinois, on the east side of the Illinois 

 River, in November, 1864. Bogardus found "turkeys and deer in large numbers" 

 in Buchanan County, Missouri, about 1866. Such statements sometimes yield 

 interesting dates, but seldom more. They can be found by the dozen. 



Cockrum says of Indiana that in the days of early settlement in Gibson 

 County, turkeys "were in such numbers that in one day's hunt there would be seen 

 many flocks of . . . 50 to 75 each." This is a sample of extra specific 

 description, but even it can hardly be reduced to population density figures. 



I am so far unable to give even an estimate of what density the original 

 turkey populations attained. In so mobile a bird, a rather large area would of 

 course have to be enumerated to furnish a fair sample. 



With the exception of a few replanted birds in Indiana and Wisconsin, and 

 the possible survival of a single flock in southern Illinois, Missouri contains the 

 only remaining turkey range in the north central region. The trend in Missouri 

 as a whole is believed to be slightly upward, the lowest ebb having been reached 

 about 1920. 



Present populations are as yet entirely too sparse to furnish evidence of maxi- 

 mum density. 



Census and Kill ; Idle Range. The recent estimates of wild turkeys, in- 

 cluding plants, in the region are as follows: 



TABLE 37. Turkey census 



