TPW TV—GAME OF GOBBLERS: The story of the wild turkey 
in Texas has been one of feast and famine...We explain 
ahead on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

[Turkey gobble] When European settlers started coming 
to East Texas, turkeys were thriving. [Gunshot]  But those 
settlers quickly changed the landscape.

15— Around 1925, a hunter could harvest up to 25 turkeys a 
year. By the 1940s there were less than 100 eastern wild turkeys 
throughout East Texas. Over-harvest as well as habitat decline 
really led to the demise of the population.

Kyle Hand is a TPW Natural Resource Specialist. In the 
1970s, the agency started a program of bringing wild 
trapped turkeys from other states to Texas. The program 
looked promising. Over the next 20 years, more than 
7000 eastern wild turkeys were stocked in East Texas.

09— Now we’re using a super stocking strategy where we release 
80 turkeys onto one area of good habitat in hopes that the 
population will grow from there.

Thanks to the success of these stockings, hunters like 
Terrence Jackson of Houston have an opportunity to 
enjoy spring turkey hunting in parts of East Texas. 

11— When I’m on these turkey hunts, basically I love to get away 
from the busyness of Houston and work and the crowdedness. The 
sound of the birds, the quiet in the morning and walking through 
the woods. It’s something that pulls at you.

Experience an East Texas turkey hunt the week of 
September 23 on the TPW TV series on PBS. 

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.





Total sound bite time:			0.35.0
Maximum Script time:			0:50.0	         	          Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25