None of these counties had any wild turkeys prior to restocking. Prospects for the continued increase and spread of wild turkeys in Missouri are good. We've learned what turkeys need in the way of food, cover and protection, and how to provide them. And with better timber management and fire protection, effective law enforcement, and strong support from sportsmen and landowners, conditions for turkeys continue to improve. With that one qualification, however, restoration of the wild turkey over much of Missouri seems assured.
Wild turkeys differ from domestic ones in color and body form, being slimmer and more streamlined.
The tips of the tail feathers of wild turkeys are deep chocolate brown while the tips on domestic birds are white. Another very striking difference is that the legs of a wild turkey are a bright pink, while those of the tame turkey are grey or black. But the diseases of domestic poultry are rarely very serious to wild turkeys, because they tend to shy away from farm dwellings and are usually widely dispersed. This reduces the opportunity for disease to spread. Sexes of turkeys are fairly easy to distinguish.