IDFG Serves Up a Second Helping of Turkey!

Roberts - As part of a continuing effort to establish a viable population of wild turkeys in the Upper Snake Region, IDFG released 45 Merriam's wild turkeys in Roberts, Idaho, near IDFG managed Market Lake Wildlife Management Area. The goal of the project is to create the nucleus for a regional population that will become large enough for sportsmen to enjoy sometime in the hopefully not too distant future. The birds released came from near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in the Panhandle Region of the state. Turkey introductions in other regions have been so successful that gobbler populations have outpaced harvest by hunters, resulting in a surplus of birds available for transplanting. Wild turkeys are not native to Idaho, but introduction efforts started in the early Sixties have really begun to pay off in recent years for most portions of the state. The last introduction attempt in the Upper Snake Region was back in 1984 and involved the release of 32 Rio Grande wild turkeys. For a variety of reasons that attempt failed, but the Merriam's sub-species have proven to be a hardier bird and are expected to do better this time around. Last week, an initial release 0f 25 Merriam's occurred near Archer, Idaho. For Idaho, a key to success for birds living in harsher climates has been the willingness of private landowners with cattle operations to allow turkeys to over-winter on their property. Turkeys make use of scattered feed uneaten by cattle, and neither creature seems to be bothered by the others presence. Like the release earlier this year, a local rancher offered to play host to the fledgling turkey flock. Once populations grow the birds will venture out and colonize whatever suitable habitat they can find. Because the goal of this project is to establish a viable population, no hunting seasons of any type are planned for these birds in the near future. Biologists hope that in a matter of five or ten years turkey numbers will have grown sufficiently to the point that hunting by means of controlled hunt permits can start and eventually lead to general hunts. Efforts to trap excess birds are still underway in other portions of the state and future releases will occur in the Upper Snake Region, as birds become available.