Turkey Feeding Studies have revealed these birds are extremely opportunistic feeders. On one particular survey, Researchers found that turkeys had used 354 species of plants and 313 species species of invertebrates. Knowing what Wild Turkeys eat in the region you intend to hunt them is very helpful. The following charts provide information obtained in Wildlife Management surveys on Wild Turkey fare by region. Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, West.
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Spring & Fall
Buckwheat, alfalfa, big bluestem*, clover (white, red), annual ryegrass, crabgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, bird foot trefoil, deer tongue, perennialrye grass, corn, foxtail, ladino clover, hairy vetch, millet, indian grass*, oats, latcho flatpea, orchard grass, little bluestem*, red fescue, red top, timothy, sorghum, wheat, soybeans, winter rye, sudan grass, swit grass*
SHRUBS
Autumn olive, bittersweet*, blackberry*, crabapple*, rugosa rose, bluebeech*, dogwood* (flowering, silky, grey, red osier), elderberry*, hazelnut*, hawthorn*, honeysuckle*, japanese barberry, hophornbeam*, staghorn sumac*, jet bead, Viburnum species* (highbush cranberry, multiflora rose blackhaw, maple-leaf), juniper*, spicebush*, wild grape*, winterberry*, witch hazel*
TREES
Oaks* (white, red, pin), beech*, basswood*, black cherry*, black gum*, white ash*, black locust*, chinese chestnut, hemlock*, hickory*, mountainash*, norway spruce, white pine*, white spruce*, wild apple*
* Native species
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Spring & Fall
Alfalfa, browntop, millet, annual ryegrass, birdsfoot trefoil, canadawildrye*, barley, bluestem* (big, little), Kentucky bluegrass, bergamot*,buckwheat, lespedeza, black-eyed susan*, clover (alsike, red, ladino, white),milo, broom sedge*, perennial ryegrass, junegrass*, corn, sand dropseed*,ox-eye daisy*, indiangrass*, smooth brome, panicgrass*, oats, soybeans,sideoats grama*, orchardgrass, sunflower, sorghum, switchgrass*, timothy,wheat
SHRUBS
crabapple*, chokeberry*, autumn olive, dogwood*, russian olive, bearberry*,hawthorn*, serviceberry*, bittersweet*, hazelnut*, wild rose*, buckthorn*,mountain ash*, elderberry*, Rubus*, greenbrier*, sumac*, honeysuckle (bush),Viburnum*, ninebark*, wild grape*, pin cherry*, wild plum*, sand cherry*,snowberry*, spicebush*, Vaccinium*, winterberry*
TREES
beech*, black walnut*, black ash*, black cherry*, red cedar*, blackgum*, hickory*, red pine, black locust*, oaks*, white pine*, chinese chestnut,cottonwood*, hackberry*, norway spruce, sassafrass*, sugar maple*, whiteash*, white cedar*, white spruce, wild apple*
* Native species
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Spring
Chufa, buckwheat, alfalfa, bahiagrass, clover (alyce,ladino), beggerweed*,browntop, millet, corn, bermuda grass, cowpeas, birdsfoot trefoil, lespedeza,blackberry*, millet (cattail, dove proso,foxtail, japanese), clover (red,white), dallisgrass, partridge pea, deer tongue*, sorghum, egyptian wheat,soybeans, hairy vetch, sunflower, ironclay peas, milo, orchardgrass, Paspalum*,peanuts, switchgrass*
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Fall
Clover (ladino, crimson), birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, wheat, clover(red, white), austrian winterpea, oats, hairy vetch, clover (Louisianarye subterranean, arrow leaf), ryegrass, orchardgrass, cowpeas, deer tongue,elbon rye, lespedeza, sorghum, sweet clover, wrens abruzzi rye
SHRUBS
Autumn olive, blackberry*, american beau berry*, dogwood*(flowering,silky,grey), chinquapin*, american holly*, rabapple*, bittersweet*, hawthorn*(parsley,engleman,warner),japanese barberry, choke cherry*, lespedeza, deciduous holly*, Vaccinium*(huckleberry, gallberry, deerberry, sparkleberry), sumac*(staghorn, smooth,wingrib), dwarf live oak*, Eieagnus, Virburnum*(arrowood, blackhaw,cranberrybush), greenbrier*, honeysuckle, mountain ash*, wild grape*, mulberry*,wild plum*, myrtle oak*, privet, redbud*, running oak*, spicebush*, yaupon*
TREES
Black gum*, beech*, american elm*, oaks*(white, red, water,willow,laurel,cherrybark, live, pin,shumard, nuttall), black cherry*, ash*, persimmon*,bald cypress*, black locust*, sawtooth oak, cabbage palm*, chinese chestnut,hackberry*, hickory*, longleaf pine*, magnolia*, red maple*, sweet pecan*,tupelo*
* Native species
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Spring
Alfalfa, bee plant*, brome (meadow, smooth), bluestem* (big), orchardgrass,buffaloberry*, vetch*, candytuft*, watercress*, dropseed*, hea grass*,geranium*, wildrye (basin, Russian), giant ragweed*, yellow sweet clover,mexican hat*, mountain mahogany*, needlegrass*, perennial wheat, smallburnett*, stickseed*, western yarrow*, wild buckwheat*, wild flax*, wildsunflower*
HERBACEOUS SPECIES - Fall
Barley, bluegrass*, dandelion*, bluestem* (big, silver), oats, buckwheat,yellow sweet clover*, california poppy*, clover (red, white dutch), filgree,foxtail fescue, lewis flax*, milk thistle*, milkvetch, mountain rye, orchardgrass, panic grass*, popcorn flower*, quaking grass*, sleepy-grass*, smoothbrome*, soft chess*, timothy*, wheat*
SHRUBS
Buffaloberry*, autumn olive, bladdersenna, choke cherry*, currant*,california buckwheat*, hawthorn*, elderberry*, carayna, russian olive,kinnikinnik*, dogwood*, serviceberry*, mounatin ash*, fourwing, saltbush*,wild rose*, nanking cherry, gooseberry*, snowberry*, indian squawbush*,sumac*, japanese barberry, wild plum*, lilac, oregon grape*, poison oak*,quail bush*, Rubus*, sandberry, thimble berry*, toyon*
TREES
Oak*, blue spruce*, austrian pine, ponderosa pine*, cottonwood*, douglasfir*, juniper*(Rocky mtn., Utah), green ash*, hybrid poplar, pinyon pine*,red cedar*, scotch pine, siberian elm, wild apple*, willow*
* Native species
