Wyoming lifts ban on Narragansett turkeys

Brian R. Nesvrik
Chief, Wildlife Division
Wyoming Game and Fish Dept
5400 Bishop Blvd
Cheyenne, WY 82006

Dear Mr. Nesvrik,

It has come to my attention that you and the Wyoming Game and Fish
Department are experiencing some confusion in regards to the status of
the Narragansett turkey breed. I am in receipt of a copy of the letter
you sent to Jim Hall in which you state that "All turkeys, wild and
domestic, are taxonomically classified as Meleagris gallopavo.
Wyoming recognizes domestic turkeys as only those breeds that can be
distinguished morphologically from wild turkeys. In order to be
recognized as a domestic breed, a turkey needs to have changed in
temperament and conformation, or other attributes to an extent that
makes them unique and distinguishable from wild individuals of their
species."

I would like to address several points with you in response to this
statement. Meleagris gallopavo was one of the first animals in the
Americas to be domesticated. In 1519 Cortez found the Aztecs raising
domesticated turkeys. The Spaniards carried the turkey back to Europe
where they quickly became popular. In 1620, the Pilgrims disembarked
from the Mayflower and were surprised to find turkeys on this land
similar to the domesticated ones they brought from England. Soon they
were cross breeding both stocks of turkeys at the Plymouth Plantation.

Wyoming currently has wild Rio Grande, Meleagris gallopavo intermedia,
& Merriamm Meleagris gallopavo merriami, turkeys, along with hybrids
of these two sub-species. Neither of these turkeys are native to
Wyoming according to the research I have found but were transplanted
into Wyoming & other states. The Rio Grande and Merriam turkey
sub-species are recognized as wild turkeys where they are found. The
Narragansett turkey on the other hand is not found in the wild
anywhere in the United States and has been domesticated from it's
creation in the 1600's by the early colonists who crossed domestic
turkeys brought from Europe with native Eastern Wild Turkeys. Improved
and standardized for production qualities, the Narragansett Turkey
became the foundation of the turkey industry in New England and was
especially important in Rhode Island and Connecticut. It was also
popular in the Mid-Atlantic States and the Midwest. This breed was
recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1874.

As you know, all wolves/dogs, wild and domestic, are taxonomically
classified as Canis lupus? Some sub-species of Canis lupus are
dramatically different in appearance and temperament, while other
"domesticated" sub-species are very similar to "wild" sub-species in
either appearance and/or temperament. Does Wyoming ban any Canis
lupus sub-species due to these morphological similarities? Many birds
from the Psittacidae family are "domesticated" and are kept as pets
throughout the world. Without exception, all of these species are
identical in genetics and appearance to their wild counterparts in
their native habitat. Does Wyoming also ban Psittacidae species due
to their indentical morphological composition compared to their wild
counterparts? I could go on with many other examples but I think you
can see my point. Every breed, species or sub-species of domesticated
animals world wide is the result of selective breeding & cross
breeding of their wild forebears and subsequent descendants. If you
ban Narragansett turkeys, you will need to update your list of banned
species to include all cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, chickens, cats,
horses, and pigs; along with every fish, mammal, bird and reptile
currently being sold in pet stores throughout Wyoming as they are all
either descended from "wild" ancestors or are directly from the wild
themselves.

I personally raise Narragansett, Black Spanish, Slate, Bourbon Red,
Royal Palm & Bronze turkeys. They definitely possess a different
temperament and conformation than wild turkeys of any sub-species.
The Narragansetts for example are larger than any type of wild turkey,
they eat out of my hand and will follow me around my property while
free ranging. I would consider these to be significant differences
from any wild turkey in both size and temperament. They also look
different in appearance from the wild turkey sub-species. Just for
comparison, I also have a pen of Ringneck pheasants that I hatched
this last spring from eggs from a "pheasant farm" that has been
raising this line of birds for many generations. These birds are
considered domesticated and yet they are definitely not tame even
after many generations of captive breeding and look identical to the
wild Ringnecks, (which are also a non-native species.)

In summary, the Narragansett turkey is a domesticated turkey and has
been for 400+ years. They are not found anywhere in the wild and they
possess a different temperament & conformation from the transplanted
wild turkeys currently found in Wyoming. I urge you to join the rest
of the States in the Union in recognizing the Narragansett as a
domesticated breed along with the other Heritage Turkey breeds which
are: Black Spanish, Slate, Bourbon Red, Standard Bronze, White Midget,
Jersey Buff, White Holland, Royal Palm & Beltsville Small White along
with multiple color variations of these breeds.

Sincerely yours,


John Doe
3200 Carol Lane
New York, New York 00123
918-555-1212

cc: Matthew Mead, Governor Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Agriculture​

From 1925 to 1943, an effort was made to halt the decline in turkey numbers. Approximately 14,000 game farm turkeys were released to supply more breeding stock. The hunting season for turkeys was closed in 1937. However, turkey numbers still decreased and the release of game farm turkeys appeared futile. Research studies were initiated in 1938 to determine why the game farm turkeys failed. These investigations were interrupted during World War II, but resumed in 1951. It was learned that game farm birds, even of the wildest stock obtainable, were not the answer- only a truly wild bird would survive.

http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/turkey/history-wild-turkeys-missouri
Imprinting on humans and/or the maintenance and breeding of a `Wild' population by humans is sufficient to produce a domestic line (the differentiation occurring, initially, at the level of `learned' behaviors/epigenetics).