News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 1999

SOME UNFORGOTTEN OHIO LANDMARKS WERE NAMED AFTER THE WILD TURKEY

COLUMBUS, OH - The significance of place names diminishes over time, except for history buffs and tourists. But drive far enough down any country road in America, and, invariably, a traveler will cross a Turkey Creek or pass by a Gobbler's Knob, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).

The names given to such landmarks by early Americans told of the abundance of wild turkeys within a local area and those names remained unchanged even when the birds disappeared. The recent comeback of wild turkeys, however, is bringing new meaning to some of these old landmarks.

In Ohio, turkey landmarks include a number of Gobbler's knobs, hills, and ridges, as well as Turkey Creek Lake in Scioto County, Turkeyfoot Reservoir in Summit County and the Turkeyfoot Creek Access near Napoleon in Henry County.

Native Americans during the Mississippi Period of 800 to 1400 A.D. and the Woodlands Period of 3000 to 800 B.C. hunted wild turkeys for sustenance and ceremony. Additionally, Indians east of the Mississippi River used turkey feathers and bones for decoration and tools. They also adorned pottery with wild turkey effigies and even made air-operated turkey calls from wild turkey wingbones, according to the NWTF.

The history of the wild turkey in North America is told through a visit to the NWTF Winchester Museum in Edgefield, South Carolina. It is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to wild turkey restoration, management, and hunting.

In pre-colonial America, wild turkeys were highly abundant. Inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin had even suggested that the wild turkey be adopted as the national symbol of the newly formed United States of America. The bald eagle instead was selected as the nation's symbol.

Like many parts of the nation, Ohio had at one time been home to an abundance of wild turkeys, as well as other forest wildlife such as elk, deer, black bears, and timber wolves. However, the wild turkey fell victim to widespread deforestation during the period of settlement throughout the 19th century and were absent from Ohio by 1904.

In 1956, the Ohio Division of Wildlife began to reintroduce wild turkeys to the state with releases at selected sites in Athens, Hocking, and Vinton counties. These wild birds were obtained from sources outside Ohio.

Now during the final Thanksgiving Day celebration of the 20th century, Ohio is home to an estimated 145,000 wild turkeys, with distribution occurring in all but a small number of northwest Ohio counties.

Hunters last spring killed a record 14,634 wild turkeys in Ohio during a three-week season open in 57 counties and a record 3,036 turkeys during a one-week fall season that was open last month in 25 counties.

"This past year saw excellent reproductive success for Ohio's wild turkey population," said Pat Ruble, executive administrator of wildlife management and research for the wildlife agency. "The ratio of turkey poults to hens was 5.6 to 1, a 60 percent increase over last year's ration of 3.5 to 1. Wild turkeys have made a tremendous comeback in Ohio over the past half-century and provide us with one of the best wildlife management success stories in our agency's 128-year history."

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For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, Division of Wildlife
(614) 265-6539