Page 31 - April Banner 2018_Neat

Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
The Great Outdoors
The R epop ulation of
T urke y s in Maryland
Despite the abundance of wild
turkeys that currently reside in
Maryland, before the late 1960s,
turkeys could not be found in
Maryland and many other states.
Turkeys were native to Maryland
until the colonization of North
America, throughout which native
turkeys were overharvested and
decimated. It wasn’t until the late
1960s when the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) started a
program to revitalize the population
of turkeys in Maryland that turkeys
once again spread throughout the
state.
Before DNR took part in
restoring the population of turkeys
to Maryland, turkeys could only
be hunted in Western Maryland,
where they were raised and released
for sport. This original practice
proved to be too expensive to be
practical. Maryland’s DNR took
steps to remedy the decline of the
population in the state by trapping
wild turkeys in populated states
and releasing them in unpopulated
states. For example, turkeys that
were trapped in West Virginia were
released into the Catoctin Watershed
in Frederick County. Twelve turkeys
were first introduced and monitored
for two years. The relocation proved
to be a success, and the population
of turkeys in Frederick County
expanded. After the first two years,
www.TheCatoctinBanner.com
by Hayden Spalding
twelve more turkeys were released
to increase the reproduction further.
DNR created the population of
turkeys seen today through the
trapping and transplanting of those
few turkeys in the late 1960s.
The first official Maryland
turkey season was held in 1973.
Gobblers, or mature male turkeys,
were the only turkeys allowed to
be harvested during the season,
and the season was ultimately a
success. Seminars about the hunting
and conservation of turkeys were
held at Frederick Community
College to educate the public of
their new opportunities with the
newly developed population. The
National Wild Turkey Federation
(NWTF) was formed in 1973, and
has since supported the conservation
and healthy harvesting of the
birds throughout Maryland and
other states. Our local Monocacy
Valley Chapter of the NWTF hosts
meetings at the home of local
residents, Gene and Shirley Long. If
you would like to become a member
with other sportsmen, women, and
youth who care deeply about our
natural resources and advocate for
programs of conservation, please
call Secretary Shirley Long at 301-
898-7004 or President Russ Leith at
443-677-3669. Current programs
include a Mentored Hunt Program,
National Archery in the Schools
The Catoctin Banner Newspaper April 2018 Page 31
Program, Photo by Barbara Abraham
and Farmers
and Hunters
Feeding the
Hungry.
Frederick
County was
the first
county of
many to
receive the
transplant
of turkeys
from other
areas. Today,
every county
in Maryland
is populated A large flock of turkeys graze in a field.
with turkeys.
Every state,
with the exception of Alaska, and transplanting of turkeys has
has a population of trapped not only rejuvenated the population
and transplanted turkeys due of turkeys, but expanded the
to conservation efforts. Robert population of them to record highs
Abraham, Sr., a retired regional and created an ongoing heritage.
wildlife manager for the State of Maryland’s spring wild turkey
Maryland, who was involved in hunting season will take place from
the original trap and transplant April 18 to May 23, 2018. Junior
program, along with State Hunt days take place on April 14
employees, Buddy Halla and Joe and 15. Maryland also has a fall and
Shugars, said, “It was a conservative winter wild turkey season. Check
effort of many states to get turkeys out dnr.maryland.gov for more
from one another.” The trapping information.