turkey question!!!

[boykin2010]

I want some turkeys on my hunting property but there is only a few wild ones there. Is there anyway i could buy eggs and hatch them and release them in the wild? is that possible or will they die? Or could i hatch some and let them grow to adult size then release them? Has anybody done this or have any ideas on how to do this? I need help!!!

 

[farmerlor]

Better check with your local wildlife people. That's usually illegal.

 

[ivan3]

Don't bother. Any variety you raise will be domesticated and will probably not survive. Spending the time and money to improve the habitat that will be conducive to attracting more of the Wild turks to the property would be a more realistically achievable goal.

 

[Barry]

In most places you need a permit to raise wild turkeys. The habitat is the key to their survival once released. Make sure that the habitat is suitable for more turkeys before you even think about introducing more turkeys to it.

 

[Olive Hill]

Usually illegal. Almost always very ineffective. Personally, even if you can get a permit I wouldn't bother. There's probably a reason there are few wild turkeys on your property -- it's not suitable to them.

Wild Turkeys were, up until relatively recently, endangered in the US. They were once plentiful but were a main source of food for the settlers and were hunted without regulation to the point of extinction. Raise and release programs were part of efforts to restore their populations and results were poor. Michigan, if I'm not mistaken, was the only state that reported even marginally good results -- and marginal they were, at best. Wild catch and relocation were much more effective in restoring them to areas that could support them.

 

[boykin2010]

i think the property would be well suited it has fields of peanuts and cotton and corn and stuff like that. there is also food plots with varietys of food we plant for deer. There is also a small creek near and a cypress swamp for them to get water. If yall dont think it is possible then i wont do it. Maybe i could just get some and raise them as pets. Does anybody have any hatching eggs for sale??? please pm me or post here if you do...

 

[ivan3]

Even if your property is acceptable, the surrounding region needs to be as well. We have two, sometimes three, local flocks (depending on weather/what's been planted on surrounding agricultural acreage/predator load). I saw them in a clearing of our woods back in 1/10:

Then didn't see them (heard them/found feathers) again, until this afternoon. Our turks had been let out to range and I thought they were being pretty quiet. Well, they had visitors and were somewhat overwhelmed (1st. pic ours are crowding together to the right):

The WE's see me coming with the camera (telephoto at x26 so I wasn't close but they're smart):

Bye, Bye:

I planted a 1/2 acre of Red Cedar 16yrs ago (very thick stand - the turks nest under them) and we have seemingly endless bowers of Multifloral Rose and Gooseberry on trellises of **** Amur Honeysuckle (also prime nesting - but I brush cut a lot of it as it is *****).

If you get them for pets make sure you hatch or get day olds and make sure they imprint on you thoroughly. If the Wilds are around, they'll show up - but your turks won't be tempted by Count Struttula:

Good luck on your egg hunt!

 

[boykin2010]

ok thank you the first time yall here of some wild colored turkey eggs for sale let me know!!!

 

[ivan3]

You might want to check your local regs and then with forum member: wilds of pa as he breeds Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris (domestic Easterns); don't know if he can ship eggs, however. Might be a violation of the Lacey Act.

Any MGS's you raise will be domestic. Any MGS poults that imprint on a `wild' hen will be `wild'.

As has been mentioned, attempts at repopulation with breeder bred MGS's have failed. In Missouri, in the 1940's, several flocks of these were released into the wild. They all died. Wilds were imported from other states and Missouri population topped a million before the 4/2007 `freeze' wiped out the White Oak acorn crop across most of the northern 2/3 of the state (~900,000 currently).