EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The Wyoming Sport and Fish Division, with the help of the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation’s Wyoming State Tremendous Fund, has acquired a specialised turkey entice to handle a rising drawback: over plentiful turkeys in city areas. This entice will likely be used to relocate habituated and disruptive birds from cities like Casper to rural areas the place their presence advantages each the ecosystem and looking alternatives.
“Helping the Wyoming Sport and Fish with managing habituated and over-abundant birds will not be solely essential to cut back public frustration of untamed turkeys, however this effort additionally makes certain these wild birds stay wild,” stated David Nikonow, NWTF district biologist for Wyoming. “It’s additionally an additional benefit that many of those birds might be relocated from their city setting into areas that gives public looking alternatives.”
Lately, complaints about wild turkeys in city areas have risen dramatically. Residents in Casper, for instance, have confronted points starting from turkeys roosting above homes and damaging property to aggressive birds disrupting neighborhoods. These behaviors additionally embody defecating on sidewalks and automobiles, damaging gardens and bushes and even obstructing visitors.
Such challenges led the Casper Metropolis Council to take motion in August 2023 by passing an ordinance prohibiting residents from feeding wild turkeys. Regardless of these measures, complaints to native authorities proceed to pour in, particularly throughout harsh winters when meals turns into scarce. Throughout these durations, turkeys typically flock to ranches, damaging hay bales and consuming livestock feed.
The newly bought turkey entice is a big step ahead in managing these city turkey populations. Constructed from livestock panels and that includes a remotely managed door initially designed for trapping wild pigs, the entice is a big live-capture system.
The way it works is bait is positioned on the bottom and as soon as turkeys use the bait, the entice is positioned over it. A path digicam is then positioned on the entice. As soon as the turkeys enter the entice the digicam alerts a Wyoming Sport and Fish worker, the worker can then remotely drop the door on the entice and catch the turkeys. A number of staff will present up, band the birds, then load the turkeys into packing containers supplied by the NWTF and haul them to their new house.
“We relocate turkeys to areas which have current turkey populations or have traditionally had populations of birds,” stated Brandon Werner, Wyoming Sport and Fish district biologist. “This makes us assured that there’s satisfactory habitat for them. At this level Wyoming Sport and Fish will not be relocating into areas which have by no means had birds. If we did, we do have a course of to guage habitat.”
The relocated turkeys are sometimes moved to areas with low inhabitants numbers, guaranteeing they contribute to native wildlife range whereas lowering human-wildlife conflicts in city settings. Monitoring of those relocated birds is carried out casually by landowners and Wyoming Sport and Fish employees to evaluate their adjustment and impression.
Via revolutionary options and collaborative efforts, the NWTF and the Wyoming Sport and Fish are guaranteeing a future the place turkeys thrive in acceptable habitats, and concrete residents get pleasure from fewer turkey-related disruptions. By relocating turkeys from city areas to rural habitats, the Wyoming Sport and Fish will not be solely mitigating city conflicts but in addition supporting the state’s wild turkey populations and offering new alternatives for hunters.
In regards to the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion {dollars} into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of essential wildlife habitat. The NWTF has additionally invested over $10 million into wild turkey analysis to information the administration of the wild turkey inhabitants and to make sure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The group continues to ship its mission by working throughout boundaries on a panorama scale by its 4 Shared Values: clear and plentiful water, wholesome forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and sturdy leisure alternatives. With the assistance of its devoted members, companions and employees, the NWTF continues its work to supply Wholesome Habitats. and Wholesome Harvests. for future generations.
