Wild turkeys recovered from near-extirpation but face new suburban expansion pressures.
Wild turkeys were nearly extirpated in the US by the early 20th century and have made a remarkable recovery through reintroduction programs. Their expanding range into suburban areas creates new human-wildlife conflict dynamics. Spring hunting seasons target breeding males during peak reproductive activity. Suburban turkeys become habituated to humans and sometimes become aggressive during breeding season, leading to lethal control that could be avoided with better public education about turkey behavior and seasonal conflict management.