TRANSCRIPT:
Hello this is Dr. Tom Mullikin with SCDNR for Into the Wild.
South Carolina is home to the Eastern wild turkey, and thanks to decades of conservation and restoration work, turkeys are now found in every county in the state.
In the early 1900s, unregulated hunting and habitat loss had reduced their numbers dramatically. Careful management, habitat improvement, and regulated seasons brought them back.
But even if you're not a hunter, hearing that first gobble of the season means something. It signals longer days, warming soil, and an entire ecosystem waking up.