Turkey Time
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife thinks Whatcom County needs more recreational opportunities. The potential solution: the introduction of wild turkey, which, it turns out, is a frustratingly intelligent bird.
Wild turkeys are not native to Washington State, but neither are carp, trout, bass, chuckers, wild boar, Chinese pheasants, Hungarian partridges, possum, or something called a Chilean Tinamou, says Laura Leschner, the wildlife program officer at the WDFW's Mill Creek office. Those animals have all been introduced to Washington State so people could kill them. Some have survived better than others, and some were more legal than others. Possum and wild boar, for example, were unauthorized releases (i.e., someone other than the WDFW introduced them), and both have wreaked havoc on native species.
Since 2006, the department has been discussing a proposal to release several potential Thanksgiving feasts about 10 miles northeast of the Whatcom town of Acme. (There is a meeting May 8 from 6—8 p.m. at Acme Elementary School, where members of the public are invited to contribute their opinions.) These days, before the WDFW introduces an animal, the department tests its habitat needs and eating patterns first to determine if it will displace any species native to Washington.
1 comment(s)
Don Ward says:
Saw plenty of wild turkeys last time I drove through Republic. Hell, I almost hit one in my \'Stang at 85(ish) mph.
Gobblers are fun hunting so I\'ve been told. Will leave the Wild Turkey drinking jokes to the next commenter.
Posted On: Monday, May. 5 2008 @ 8:31PM