One population is thriving in New Mexico—wild turkeys. Matt Miller of the Nature Conservancy has written that the restoration of the American wild turkey may be "the greatest wildlife conservation story ever." The birds were on the brink of collapse with a population of just 30,000 about a century ago. Today there are 7 million wild turkeys in the U.S.The NM Department of Game and Fish told Jenna Marshall that its conservation and habitat restoration budget derives in large part from issuing of hunting licenses to those who want to bag their thanksgiving bird for themselves.