Protect & Conserve Florida’s Osceola Wild Turkey

Protect Florida’s Osceola Wild Turkey—Secure Funding for UF/IFAS Research

What’s Happening

  • The 2024 Legislature jump-started a UF/IFAS Wild Turkey Statewide Initiative to study genetics, habitat use, and management of Florida’s unique Osceola turkey.

  • Recurring money vanished from the draft 2025 budget. Without it, cutting-edge research, landowner outreach, and habitat improvements will stall.

  • The ask: $1.59 million—less than one-tenth of one percent of last year’s $116 billion state budget.

Why It Matters

  • Conservation wins: Science-based management keeps turkey populations—and the ecosystems they anchor—healthy.

  • Economic boost: Turkey season injects millions into rural towns through lodging, fuel, guides, and gear.

  • Private-land stewardship: Research gives landowners practical tools that expand conservation acreage and keep working lands productive.

  • Legacy & access: Protecting Osceola's safeguards a one-of-a-kind hunting heritage found nowhere else on Earth.

Your Voice Counts

  1. Send an email—Use our pre‑loaded form to deliver a personalized message to your senator and representative.

  2. Record a 60‑second video (optional)—Put a face and passion behind your support.

  3. Share the action—Tag friends, outfitters, and fellow conservationists to amplify the call.

Suggested Talking Points (feel free to mix & match)

  • “A science‑backed turkey program is a smart investment—healthy turkeys signal healthy Florida ecosystems.”

  • “Seasonal turkey hunters sustain small-town economies; research keeps that engine running.”

  • “$1.6 million is pocket change in a $116 billion budget, but it means everything for Florida’s wild heritage.”

  • “Recurring funding ensures today’s data drives tomorrow’s management—don’t let the momentum die.”

Take Action Below and help secure long‑term funding for Florida’s wild turkeys and the places they call home. 

Send an email, video testimony, or both below!

 

 

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