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Wild turkeys moving across a hillside studded with ponderosa pine have become an exciting and more common sight for Montana hunters. Over the past five years, 690 Merriam’s wild turkeys have been relocated to suitable wild turkey habitat across Montana, making the Merriam turkey a prized upland game bird for the Big Sky State and a great success story.
According to National Wild Turkey Federation Regional Biologist Jared McJunkin, the transplanted birds are doing well and the sky is the limit for Montana turkey hunters.
"We think things will only get better from here," said McJunkin. "What an exciting time to be a turkey hunter in Montana!"
This past winter, 156 Merriam's were trapped and then released in areas across the state with suitable wild turkey habitat. One such area is the Bear Paw Mountains near Great Falls, Mont., where NWTF Montana State Chapter President Bodie Grundel says the excitement is palpable among outdoor enthusiasts.
"It's great to be a part of a success story like this," said Grundel. "There were no wild turkeys here five years ago, and now I'd estimate that we have approximately 450 just in this area alone. Almost every day, I hear from someone around town, whether it be a turkey hunter or a bird watcher, who is excited about seeing these beautiful Merriam's here in Montana."
Montana falls outside the wild turkey's ancestral range and it is not native to Montana. In the early 1050s, the Montana Department of Fish and Game decided to introduce Merriam turkeys into Montana and department biologists first released 13 Colorado birds into the Judith Mountains in 1954. A second release was made in 1955 when 18 turkeys from Wyoming were released into the Long Pines area of southeastern Montana. Wyoming stock was also used in the Ashland area of southeastern Montana in 1956 and 1957 when 26 birds were released. This marked the last time stock from outside Montana was transplanted. Since that time, subsequent trapping and relocating distributed turkeys through numerous sites in Montana.
Grundel and Rick Northrup, game bird coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP), both praised the NWTF's volunteers for their hard work in the project’s success.
"Together, the NWTF and MFWP have brought a substantial increase in wild turkey hunting opportunities to Montana," said Northrup. "Teaming up with the NWTF has helped us in achieving our conservation goals, and vice versa."
Montana’s spring turkey season runs from April 12 through May 18. A general season exists in most of eastern Montana while much of the turkey hunting in western Montana is under limited permits. For more information on the 2008 Spring Turkey regulations, go to http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/turkey.html |
