Wild Turkey Hunting survey

[Trapper]

Well Spring Turkey hunting is not that far away, April 15th i believe is the opener. Has anyone heard the possibility that Alberta/Non residents may have to utilize a Hunter Host or Licenced BC Guide to hunt them this year. I had plans on going again this year but not sure if this will be in effect or just a survey for now....
Are BC regs printed yet ?

https://bcwf.bc.ca/.wild-turkey-survey/.

Small Game4Non-residents can hunt small game unaccompanied if hunting under a non-resident ornon-resident alien unrestricted licence. that is from the newest regs.

[Springer]

Thanks Trapper

[Elkaholic]

Hey Springer - what can BC residents hunt in AB without a host?

If they institute a tag for turkeys it’s a cash grab and enforcement tool, not a conservation concern as far as I can tell. I spend about a week turkey hunting every spring and have NEVER run into a CO. Very few hunters as well. Most guys can’t be bothered, and I think a large portion of those who do quickly learn it’s far more challenging than they anticipated and head home with tail between their legs.
I know a biologist who applied to the government for funding to study the turkeys here and was turned down simply because they’re considered a non native invasive species.
With the season still 2 months out there is still time for regulation changes to be released, Im not sure if the tag proposals ever got any traction.

edited to add - I have certainly found anecdotally that numbers are down in the east Kootenays, but have no data to support that. I’d be interested to see some actual science on the population.

That's the thing, as you have found out they consider turkey pretty much vermin. When the NWTF had a chapter going here they tried constantly to get permission to trap problem birds and relocate to another area, denied every step of the way by the Gov. Why? Invasive species according to them. They honestly do not care if we have them or we don't have them. Its a sad state of affairs as turkey can be a pretty big draw for the folks who love it. So to think anything will ever happen with them is tough to fathom.

My .02 from trying to help the birds 15+ years ago.

[rogerb]

one of the reasons the govt may not seem to care about the turkeys, at least here in the west koots, is that they are basically unhuntable legally since the vast majority live on private land & rarely venture off of it. so legal hunting will never be a big influence on their population regardless of tags, no tags or even if generous bag limits were instituted. they continue their spread throughout every valley bottom with a mild enough climate & snow depth that allows them to survive the winters. they are protected from hunting as few folks will allow anyone to hunt on their rural or semi-rural properties here (undertandable given the small average size of acreages/yards the birds are wandering about in) & they are largely protected from four legged & winged predators by their living in close proximity to humans & housing. a perfect situation for the turkeys. birds living in the wild year round of course face a quite different situation & their population will always likely remain fairly small & scattered though it is supplemented yearly by out migrations of semi-wild birds spreading from farms & suburban yards. like the govt, I can't see much to worry about the continued survival & even expansion of 'wild' turkeys in se BC unless some sort of disease comes in & spreads through the flocks...

[boxhitch]

We talked with Bio Harris years ago about turkeys in the Okanagan, Gov't position was they didn't want to manage them, that they were non-native species
therefore would not condone releases a or relocations.
I asked him why then was there a gos season on the regs with a bag limit and the reply was 'because that's what Reg. 4 does and we try to harmonize'

So are the open seasons about managing the birds or the hunters
Tags would be about managing the hunters

[Springer]

one of the reasons the govt may not seem to care about the turkeys, at least here in the west koots, is that they are basically unhuntable legally since the vast majority live on private land & rarely venture off of it. so legal hunting will never be a big influence on their population regardless of tags, no tags or even if generous bag limits were instituted. they continue their spread throughout every valley bottom with a mild enough climate & snow depth that allows them to survive the winters. they are protected from hunting as few folks will allow anyone to hunt on their rural or semi-rural properties here (undertandable given the small average size of acreages/yards the birds are wandering about in) & they are largely protected from four legged & winged predators by their living in close proximity to humans & housing. a perfect situation for the turkeys. birds living in the wild year round of course face a quite different situation & their population will always likely remain fairly small & scattered though it is supplemented yearly by out migrations of semi-wild birds spreading from farms & suburban yards. like the govt, I can't see much to worry about the continued survival & even expansion of 'wild' turkeys in se BC unless some sort of disease comes in & spreads through the flocks...

Roger those suburban areas with high populations would be prime stock for releases in other areas that want to establish a new population someplace else.Or would they be to tame that the predators would just kill them off i wonder ? Maybe in the future the CWTF will gain strength and support to do more releases. I would like to hear the Bio's take on this. As an Albertan its a big deal to get that one draw tag.

[rogerb]

lots of these birds spend the winter & very early spring prowling around backyards, barns & urban parks then disperse to surrounding forests, fields, etc. so they are never truly tame. even the ones that hang out year round in & close to towns know the difference between a friendly glance & a hunters hopeful stare. they share that exquisite ability to instantly separate friend from foe with urban whitetail deer it seems to me.
it is a wonder with all the predators out there, none seem to have mastered the routine hunting of wild turkeys such that they really set back the population. lots of eagles, owls, big hawks, cougars, wolves, coyotes, wild dogs & cats, lynx, bobcat all over the area yet lots of turkeys too. the importance of a relatively safe haven hanging close to humans I guess.