7/11/2021 Rhode Islanders encouraged to report sightings of wild turkey broods PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkey hens – both with a brood of baby turkeys and without – and tom turkeys to help with research efforts. Information gathered from the public is helpful in determining the number of young birds that survive after common causes of mortality such as predators, weather, and roadkill are considered. To align DEM’s survey methods with those developed by the National Wild Turkey Federation, the survey has been modified from previous years. The survey window runs now through Aug. 31 and includes observations of tom turkeys to get an idea of the male to female ratio in Rhode Island’s turkey population. This survey traditionally provides the division with hundreds of brood reports annually and could not be completed without the help of citizen scientists.