Uncle Jesse,
I hear you! I know I spent a small fortune on black-oiled sunflower seeds and thistle seeds when I lived in the U.P. of Michigan. The wild turkey program has been a phenomenal success across the nation. They're like bugs on the bumper now here in Pa. In the mountains of Utah where I used to camp through a good part of 1986-89, you could not buy a turkey feather let alone a turkey. When I returned in 2002, turkeys were seen every day during my daily jaunts, thanks to sportsmen & women. There is an great book written by John F. Reiger titled, American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation, dated - 1975, which tells you everything you ever wanted to know about who is and was responsible for the success of this nations wildlife and park systems. SPOILER ALERT: It wasn't PETA. You may be mildly surprised by who the main person was and maybe not. I won't spoil it for you. If you want to look for the book and can't find it, I'll send you my copy. Just let me know.
Best regards, Dave S.