Wild turkey populations pose a growing problem

FILE PHOTO

<span class=”s1″>Cache Valley wild turkey populations are growing and spilled out in the winter to farm areas where they can not only find food but make a big mess.</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>The Division of Wildlife Resources Outreach Program Manager for the northern division is Phil Douglas.</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>“It’s been a fairly significant problem, especially for those folks who have barnyards where these turkeys congregate in the wintertime,” said Douglas. “This a problem we see when we have particularly harsh weather, and Cache Valley is prone to that.”</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>He said the DWR has responded with different approaches, first of all trapping.</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>“We trapped 213 turkeys and relocated them away from Cache Valley to other parts of the state, most of them to the northeastern part of Utah. We have also issued what we call damage permits where hunters can sign up for a pool and we draw from that pool to allow sportsmen to go out and hunt those areas.”</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>Large numbers of the turkeys are found near Mendon, Wellsville and over into Clarkston and many other areas on the west side of the valley. </span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>The DWR is encouraging the purchase of turkey hunting permits.</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>“Obviously there is an abundance of these turkeys and it is really a unique hunt. A lot of the turkey population is on private land so hunters need to get permission from land owners to allow them on to the property to hunt.”</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>Douglas said the hunt is coming up April 28 with a special use hunt on April 25.</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>“The bottom line is that here at DWR we want people to value wildlife and by and large people do that in our state. We also ask they be tolerant of wildlife management efforts to reduce or eliminate problems we face in some areas.”</span>

<p class=”p2″><span class=”s1″>Douglas said those interested in joining the wild turkey hunting pool should refer to wildlife.utah.gov.</span>

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