By Patty Cormier
I received a call earlier this week: “Would I like to be an assistant turkey?” Of course I would. My good friends at the state’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, biologists Chuck Hulsey and Bob Cordes, were short on hands to help net turkeys away from a turkey-harassed local farmer.
We headed out early the next morning – real early – to make sure to be in place before the more that 60 little devils had awakened and came down from their perches for another day of barnyard bandit foraging.
Chuck and Bob had already set out a breakfast buffet of cracked corn with a side of explosives on a box with a net. I was given a really important job, or so they told me, that when they gave the word, I was to press the left control button to… I didn’t know, but it did something. Once the left control was pressed, I was instructed to press the right button that sends the net over the birds. Got it.
And then we waited.
Soon they started flying down from their perches high up in the hardwood trees. I was surprised at how well they flew. One head, then two, then 40 turkey heads popped up behind the snow bank; they had accepted our breakfast invitation. The cows watching nearby were jealous. In an orderly line they cautiously approached the corn – it did look pretty good.
Of course, with all this excitement I forgot what the “word” was. Uh oh. All of a sudden Chuck said: “The bird’s on the pot,” which I figured must be the signal, so I excitedly pressed the buttons and there was a big boom, followed by smoke and 21 turkeys in a net. The lucky other turkeys in the flock not netted and the cows were outta there!
Chuck and Bob were happy with the catch and noted that the turkeys not caught will now leave the farmer alone for quite awhile. We then spent the next hour untangling and tagging 21 turkeys. Well, 20, actually. Being a turkey wrangling rookie, one convinced me to let her go. Actually, truth be told, she just slipped out of my hands to freedom.
They were a mix of both young and adults, and for the most part not in a very good mood. Go figure.
Once packed in individual comfy boxes, they were sent to Washington County. I appreciated the opportunity to help, the farmer is now a happy farmer, and 20 turkeys are safely on their way to their new home.
Patty Cormier of Farmington, is a district forester with the Maine Forest Service.
What a great story~ thanks
Can I borrow the equipment to relocate some pigeons?
Thanks for sharing the story. I’m curious why they were being transported all the way to Washington County.
…and now the 20 can go harass and expand in great numbers in Washington County.
Just an opinion but, I think they should lift the fine for shooting such birds out of season. There are far to many! The larger the flock the less feed for other wildlife such as deer. They’re taking over and the deer population is dwindling.
heavy sigh
first coyotes
now turkeys
maybe next chipmunks?
when man does it it’s game management
Actually
I think it’s pigeons
Hmmm… I’m wondering if turkeys eat blueberries?
Did the poor harassed farmer pay for these state employees or the taxpayers take another one on the chin? Somebody tell LePage!!
Let mother nature take it’s coarse!!! Put a bounty for coyotes. Stop Introducing, Raising License fees!
Turkeys must be plentiful this year I live on Rte43 Industry and have 12 or 13 in my front yard almost every morning
So how much did it cost to pay the biologists to capture and relocate these turkeys?
Why can’t the state adjust the turkey hunting laws to allow an individual to shoot either a hen or a tom in spring turkey season. If you were to open that up you wouldn’t have the issues with the turkeys and you would probably raise the state some extra money. Or you could open up the fall season to hunting either sex with a shotgun, instead of just a bow.
Turkeys are a menace. I cant even plant a garden down on the back 40 without them coming around and scratching it up. The state charges what? 22 bux for a permit to shoot one? Give me a break, I could get my limit every day with a loaf of wonder bread and a nine iron. My mother has a bunch she hand feeds. The state is going to have to do something about these damn birds before they overrun the state.