Public Invited to Comment March 6–April 4, 2025
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is seeking public review of the draft 2025–2034 Virginia Wild Turkey Management Plan through April 4, 2025. This is the second revision of the Wild Turkey Plan, with the first having been completed in 2014. The revised plan was completed through the involvement of public stakeholders and managers of turkeys in Virginia. Because DWR’s mission includes managing “wildlife populations and habitat for the benefit of present and future generations,” it is important that the process used to develop and revise the Wild Turkey Plan incorporates both public values (e.g., sociological, cultural) and biological considerations.
The revised Wild Turkey Plan will guide turkey management across the Commonwealth through 2034. This plan describes the history of wild turkey management, current status, and the future of turkey management in Virginia. The plan provides a framework of what needs to be done and how it should be done.
Guided by the DWR mission, the Wild Turkey Management Plan includes a mission statement and four goals that address the areas of populations, habitat, recreation, and conflicts. Specific objectives help guide the attainment of each goal. Potential strategies then clarify how each objective could be achieved, but without delving into the operational details. This plan will provide clarity and direction on the goals of turkey management in Virginia for the next decade to the DWR Board of Directors, DWR administrators and staff, agency partners, and the public.
Read the Draft Virginia Wild Turkey Management Plan