March 4, 2011 Swimming Gobblers?

I like being outdoors and I really like hunting but I LOVE turkey hunting.  If I had to give up all but one outdoor pursuit chasing spring gobblers would definitely be one of the finalists.  There's just something spectacular about the critter Benjamin Franklin wanted to be the national bird of the United States.
One question I've always wondered about turkeys is whether or not they can swim.  So when I saw the article below on the NWTF site my interested was peaked. 

Can turkeys swim? Turkeys and wetlands

So you don’t normally hear the words “turkey” and “wetlands” used together.  Usually when you hear wetlands you think duck hunting or fishing…normally I do too, but in this case I think turkeys!
Spending a majority of this week working with other partners on the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Georgia Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).  This is an easement program that aims to restore, enhance, and protect wetlands AND their associated uplands (aka turkey habitat).  This is done by limiting the amount of developement on the property, restoring any degraded or damaged wetlands and improving upland habitat.
There is a lot of competition for this program, so a ranking system has been developed to determine which sites are eligible and are good candidates for the program.  In GA the NWTF is a part of the ranking team that makes the decision on what properties will be considered for this program.  The team includes engineers, biologists, soil scientists and wetlands specialists from several agencies including:  US Fish and Wildlife Service, GA Department of Natural Resources, NRCS, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
We not only saw some awesome wetlands along the Ohoopee and Canoochee Rivers, but really unique longleaf sandhills habitat that is home to several endangered species. AND of course TURKEYS!  Saw lots of scratching and some feathers.  So not only is the NWTF helping protect wetlands, where turkeys frequently like to roost, but also the uplands where they feed and nest.  Another example of how turkey conservation comes from some unlikely places and partnerships.
And yes I think there is a picture out there somewhere of a turkey swimming…..

 By the way, here's a link to some of those swimming turkey pictures.