75th Celebration: Wild Turkeys & Other Introduced Species

Though wild turkeys can be found across Idaho, they are not native. Turkeys arrived in 1961 courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game when the first Merriam's turkeys were released near Whitebird. An aggressive translocation program, which included Eastern and Rio Grande turkeys, have made wild turkeys a well-established species in Idaho. Today, turkeys are Idaho's largest upland game birds. Smart, crafty and colorful, they're known for their keen eyesight. Benjamin Franklin promoted wild turkeys as our national bird instead of the bald eagle. Like many introduced species, if the habitat and conditions suit them, they flourish. Turkeys have adapted so well in northern Idaho, they have become a nuisance in some locations. Yet few turkeys are found in the Salmon Region, because little habitat is suitable there. Wild turkey populations in Idaho are largely found in the Panhandle, Clearwater and Southwest regions and parts of the Southeast Region. Turkeys are only one of many new game species Fish and Game has introduced to Idaho in the past 75 years. Some, like turkeys, have taken hold and provided new hunting and viewing opportunities. Other introductions, such as brook trout introduced more than 75 years ago, have provided new fishing opportunity, but we've learned also compete with Idaho's native species. Eager to have certain species to hunt and fish, private individuals have also unlawfully introduced other species on their own that can have great impacts on natural systems. Game species Fish and Game has introduced to Idaho include chukar, Japanese green pheasants, gray (Hungarian) partridge, Gambel's quail, California quail and Merriam's, Rio Grande and eastern turkeys, walleye, crappie, bluegill, tiger muskie and sunapee trout. Introduced species can have unforeseen consequences for natural habitat, native species and popular sport fisheries. Idaho Fish and Game experienced this first hand with the well-intentioned introduction of mysis shrimp into lakes containing kokanee salmon, such as the Priest Lakes and Lake Pend Oreille. These introductions shifted the lakes' ecosystem to favor other introduced species, such as lake and rainbow trout, to the detriment of native bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout and the ever popular kokanee salmon. As the science of managing fish and wildlife has evolved, the practice of introducing new species to Idaho, without extensive analysis, is largely seen as a na•ve and outdated practice. For more on Idaho's celebration marking 75 years since the creation of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in 1938, go online to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/75th/.