Citizen science is the key to F&G’s hugely successful program, Turkey Tracker

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.