Idaho Fish and Game’s hugely successful project — dubbed Turkey Tracker — launched in the summer of 2024. During its inaugural two years, the project has racked up 2,157 reports of over 15,000 turkeys, all thanks to the public.
Citizen science is the key to F&G’s hugely successful program, Turkey Tracker
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Citizen scientists have submitted over 2,100 turkey sightings since the program debuted in 2024.
This is a remarkable feat, one that has not only thrilled biologists but also public land hunters.
“Prior to this citizen science effort, there hasn’t really been a way to track turkey populations, not just in Idaho but across the country,” said Jeff Knetter, Fish and Game Upland Game and Migratory Game Bird Coordinator. “Now, thanks to the public’s observations, we have a lot of great data on how turkeys are distributed across the Gem State, which can and has helped us set turkey seasons.”
As Jeff mentioned, Fish and Game staff used the 2024–25 observations to help inform hunting season proposals during the January 2026 Commission meeting. You can rewatch that presentation here.
Idaho among the top states for turkey population data
Of the 36 states monitoring poult-per-hen (PPH) and poult-per-brood (PPB) ratios, Idaho ranks among the top five for these reproduction metrics; PPH is an index of overall productivity and PPB is an index of poult survival. (If you yourself have used our Turkey Tracker to report turkey sightings, give yourself a pat on the back).
Despite being a relatively new player in the turkey-tracking game (now in its third year), Idaho has punched above its weight and provided an average of 665 useable turkey observations in both 2024 and 2025.
But where Idaho truly sets itself apart is the accuracy of its data. Note the second map of the United States below.
That tiny dot on Idaho? The dot’s size represents the margin of error for the state’s poult-per-hen observations. In other words, Idaho’s reporting and data isn’t as varied as other participating states, spread out across most of central and eastern U.S.
“We’re proud of how successful this program has been so far, and really appreciate the work Idahoans have done to provide valuable data and contribute to the overall understanding of how wild turkeys are faring nationally,” Knetter said. “Turkey productivity in Idaho is top tier.”
But the quest continues
Now, as we head into July and August, tracking turkeys is more important than ever. That’s where you come in!
Turkey Tracker relies solely on folks like you reporting their turkey sightings. Because we are interested in tracking nesting success and reproduction, observations of broods during July and August are especially important. So, next time you’re out and about and see some wild turkeys, pull out your smartphone and document your sightings. Think of it as Pokémon Go meets birding.
Right now is an important as ever to get spottin’ turkeys! There are 2 ways to report your observations. The first way is to go online and fill out a report. Alternatively, turkey trackers can download a free app called Survey 123 to report their sightings.
Those who report have the option of submitting photos of the birds, but photos are not required.
Head on over to Idaho Fish and Game’s Wild Turkey webpage to learn more.