Turkey
- The wild turkey was hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s, when the population reached a low of around 30,000 birds. But restoration programs across North America have brought the numbers up to seven million today.
- There are six subspecies of wild turkey, all native to North America. Texas has 3 species of turkeys the Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Eastern wild turkeys. The Rio Grande wild turkey has the largest population and the widest range of the three.