Wild turkeys came back from fewer than 30,000 birds to millions, one of the great wildlife restoration stories. These are the key dated moments.
1500s: About 10 million wild turkeys are estimated to live in what is now the United States.
Early 1900s: Unregulated hunting and habitat loss leave fewer than 30,000 wild turkeys.
1920: Wild turkeys are down to 21 states.
1951 to 1974: Trap-and-transfer programs help turkeys grow from about 320,000 to 1.4 million.
March 28, 1973: The National Wild Turkey Federation is founded in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Only 39 states have a turkey season.
2002: Hunt4 Turkey.com is part of the original Hunt4 family of hunting sites.
2012: More than 7 million wild turkeys live in North America, with hunting seasons in 49 states.
Since the early 2000s: Numbers dip to just over 6 million as some regions see declines.