[BCNnet] Wild turkeys
judymellin
judymellin@netzero.net
Tue, 3 Feb 2004 18:06:04 -0800
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This is a copy of the post I made to this listserv when the topic of =
wild turkeys came up before:
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "judymellin" <judymellin@netzero.net>=20
To: <bcnnet@ece.iit.edu
> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:01 AM=20
Subject: Re: [BCNnet] Feeback requested re wild turkeys in Cook County=20
The work on this issue was done a number of years ago and the FPD chose =
Palos and Poplar Creek as the two sites in the county for the =
reintroduction effort. The plan was never implemented, though, due to a =
lack of birds in other counties.
If I remember correctly, Stephen Packard was very involved in this when =
it was proposed previously.
I would assume that the original plans would be in an FPD file.
Judy Mellin=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
I was able to find this cite from John Husar's column of May 21, 1993, =
in the Trib titled "Answering call of the wild-turkeys-in forest =
preserves". This appeared in the abstract but I chose not to purchase =
the article:
"Years ago, when the Nature Conservancy's Steve Packard began restoring =
Cook County's overgrown woods, he voiced the novel idea that wild =
turkeys should be planted in the forest preserves.
Packard said state turkey stockings have been so successful in the last =
23 years that most Illinois counties will have huntable flocks before =
this decade ends. Therefore, he reasoned, if the state can plant turkeys =
for hunting ..."
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Hopefully, Stephen will share his research and reasoning with us. I =
think it would be very helpful to know what went into the original =
proposal and he would be the best person to tell us that.
I did some further research and found this from the IDNR:
Wild turkeys disappeared from Illinois about 1910. In 1958, the state =
began a restoration effort by obtaining 65 wild-trapped birds from =
Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Virginia, releasing them in five =
locations in the Shawnee National Forest. The wild turkey population is =
thriving in Illinois. Including today's release, since 1970 IDNR has =
trapped and transplanted 4,768 birds to 279 release sites in 99 of the =
state's 102 counties.
http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/Nov/WillTurkeyReintroNov2002.htm
This shows that the average release is 17 birds so I'm not sure how this =
fits in the description of "a large number of individuals" from Mary =
Ann's post. Granted, these are large birds and 17 of them would be very =
large, mass-wise, but I'm not sure if 17 is a large number. According =
to John Eastman in Birds of Forest, Yard & Thicket, "most adult turkeys =
die before the age of two, but occasionally birds survive ten years or =
more." He indicates that nests may contain 10-12 eggs but "(A)merican =
crows, opossums, raccoons and striped skunks destroy up to half of wild =
turkey nests each spring" and that, unless incubation is well-advanced, =
the female will likely renest.
I also wonder about the birds' ability to travel and populate other =
sites, as mentioned by Mary Ann. It is my understanding that the birds =
are extremely limited in their range. They tend to stay where they were =
born and will even starve in bad winters because of their limited range =
to search for food. Eastman discusses this, too.=20
I have been one of the people favoring this proposal and, at this point, =
I still do but I am willing to learn more about it. Can anyone from the =
area where the one bird was observed a few years ago supply any further =
information as to whether the bird is still being seen or if there has =
been any nesting? I assume this was released by an individual rather =
than part of an official release since, to the best of my knowledge, the =
current plan would be the first reintroduction to Cook county?
On a lighter note, maybe "attack turkeys" could solve the problem of =
unleashed dogs in the forest preserves! It shouldn't take long for word =
to get out!
Judy Mellin
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<DIV>This is a copy of the post I made to this listserv when the topic =
of wild=20
turkeys came up before:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV>From: "judymellin" <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:judymellin@netzero.net">judymellin@netzero.net</A>> =
</DIV>
<DIV>To: <<A =
href=3D"mailto:bcnnet@ece.iit.edu">bcnnet@ece.iit.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV>> Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:01 AM </DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Re: [BCNnet] Feeback requested re wild turkeys in Cook =
County=20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The work on this issue was done a number of years ago and the FPD =
chose=20
Palos and Poplar Creek as the two sites in the county for the =
reintroduction=20
effort. The plan was never implemented, though, due to a lack of =
birds in=20
other counties.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If I remember correctly, Stephen Packard was very involved in this =
when it=20
was proposed previously.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I would assume that the original plans would be in an FPD =
file.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Judy Mellin </DIV>
<DIV>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</DIV>
<DIV>I was able to find this cite from John Husar's column of May 21, =
1993, in=20
the Trib titled <STRONG>"Answering call of the wild-turkeys-in forest=20
preserves". </STRONG>This appeared in the abstract but I chose not =
to=20
purchase the article:
<P>"Years ago, when the Nature Conservancy's Steve Packard began =
restoring Cook=20
County's overgrown woods, he voiced the novel idea that wild turkeys =
should be=20
planted in the forest preserves.</P>
<P>Packard said state turkey stockings have been so successful in the =
last 23=20
years that most Illinois counties will have huntable flocks before this =
decade=20
ends. Therefore, he reasoned, if the state can plant turkeys for hunting =
..."</P>
<P>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</P>
<P>Hopefully, Stephen will share his research and reasoning=20
with us. I think it would be very helpful to know what went =
into the=20
original proposal and he would be the best person to tell us =
that.</P></DIV>
<DIV>I did some further research and found this from the IDNR:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wild turkeys disappeared from Illinois about 1910. In 1958, the =
state began=20
a restoration effort by obtaining 65 wild-trapped birds from =
Mississippi,=20
Arkansas, and West Virginia, releasing them in five locations in the =
Shawnee=20
National Forest. The wild turkey population is thriving in Illinois. =
Including=20
today's release, since 1970 IDNR has trapped and transplanted 4,768 =
birds to 279=20
release sites in 99 of the state's 102 counties.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A=20
href=3D"http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/Nov/WillTurkeyReintroNov20=
02.htm">http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/Nov/WillTurkeyReintroNov20=
02.htm</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This shows that the average release is 17 birds so I'm not sure how =
this=20
fits in the description of "a large number of individuals" from =
Mary Ann's=20
post. Granted, these are large birds and 17 of them would be very =
large,=20
mass-wise, but I'm not sure if 17 is a large number. According to =
John=20
Eastman in Birds of Forest, Yard & Thicket, "most adult turkeys die =
before=20
the age of two, but occasionally birds survive ten years or more." =
He=20
indicates that nests may contain 10-12 eggs but "(A)merican crows, =
opossums,=20
raccoons and striped skunks destroy up to half of wild turkey nests each =
spring"=20
and that, unless incubation is well-advanced, the female will =
likely=20
renest.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I also wonder about the birds' ability to travel and populate other =
sites,=20
as mentioned by Mary Ann. It is my understanding that the birds =
are=20
extremely limited in their range. They tend to stay where they =
were born=20
and will even starve in bad winters because of their limited range to =
search for=20
food. Eastman discusses this, too. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have been one of the people favoring this proposal and, at this =
point, I=20
still do but I am willing to learn more about it. Can anyone from =
the area=20
where the one bird was observed a few years ago supply any further =
information=20
as to whether the bird is still being seen or if there has been any=20
nesting? I assume this was released by an individual rather than =
part of=20
an official release since, to the best of my knowledge, the current plan =
would=20
be the first reintroduction to Cook county?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On a lighter note, maybe "attack turkeys" could solve the problem =
of=20
unleashed dogs in the forest preserves! It shouldn't take long for =
word to=20
get out!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Judy Mellin</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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