Wildlife Facts
from the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Turkey
��� By the time of the colonial settlement, there was a strong turkey population in the
Massachusetts area. They became virtually nonexistent by 1851 due to land clearing for
settlement and agriculture.
��� In 1972 through 1973, 37 turkeys were captured from New York and released in the
Berkshires. By 1978, this effort was considered a success.
��� They eat insects and plants.
��� Predators really impact the poult��� or infant���population, not adults. The mortality rate
during the first two weeks of life for poults is up to 70 percent.
Fisher Cat
��� By the 19th century, fisher cats were eliminated in the state due to agricultural land
clearing. They made a comeback in the 1960s.
PHOTOS BY GEORGE JONES / DREAMSTIME.COM (TURKEYS), GSAGI13/ DREAMSTIME.COM (BEAR)
��� Their key source of prey is squirrels, but they will prey on other small rodents or cats.
��� They tend to exhibit crepuscular (dawn and dusk) and nocturnal activity in the summer
and diurnal (daytime) activity in the winter.
Coyote
��� The eastern coyote expanded into central and western Massachusetts in the 1950s and can
be found in every town, with the exception of those on Martha���s Vineyard and Nantucket.
��� Coyotes are opportunistic feeders���they will eat what is readily available including fruits,
berries, rodents, insects, and snakes.
��� Coyotes can play a beneficial role in the Massachusetts ecosystem by managing the rodent
population, a fact that is sometimes overlooked.
Black Bear
��� The state���s bear population has grown from approximately
100 in the 1970s to over 3,000 in 2005.
��� They are typically active during daytime in the spring
and fall and nocturnal during the summer.
��� Females have home ranges between nine and ten miles.
Males have ranges that may exceed 120 miles.
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
���
north bridge magazine
���
27