Turkey management/lack of

[quadrafire]

Well many of them may have moved to town   Our urban population has grown leaps and bounds here in Spokane

[Wacenturion]

That's why i wish they would trap and transfer flocks like that.   But i doubt they will ever spend money on that anymore.

WDFW didn't fund trap and transfer ... it was the State NWTF Chapter and it took years to pay off that debt .... sorry WDFW, no credit for you.

Sorry Dancer, but that's inaccurate.  NWTF volunteers assisted WDFW's Upland Wildlife Restoration staff at some of the trap sites, primarily in the NE.  NWTF did not however fund trap and transfer, with the exception of some of the later birds...i.e. Merriam's, Rio's and the most expensive part, Easterns.  However we were getting birds pretty much for free or for an occasional wildlife trade before NWTF saw dollar sign and injected themselves as a middle man.  That moronic move eventually lead to the demise of bringing birds in, paticularily Easterns.

To be fair NWTF did fund some trap and transfer equipement, such as nets, but relatively minor.  They, the parent orginization did provide transport boxes....or should I say Weyerhauser provide them for free and NWTF put their logos and name on them and passed them on nationwide. WDFW's program was equipped to the hilt with nets, rockets, and transport trailers well before NWTF involvement, both volunteer and financially.  Even well before the chapter system that eventually evolved.  Volunteers were indeed present at alot of releases statewide as it was a priority to involve everyone...landowners, the public, etc.

The debt you refer to was the middle man charges NWTF imposed on all of us in the name of their smoke and mirror conservation.  Sorry Dancer....but NWTF didn't fund trap and transfer in state, and only for the later years with out of state bird purchases.  Trust me , I know.

[turkeydancer]

 Thanks for the correction WACENT ... Yes, I indeed appreciate your efforts and the reasons you know what you know ... I was thinking of the later bird purchases imposed by the national (tied our hands for years, but was still probably worth the cost anyway).

WDFW management's current direction and NWTF national not wanting to rock that boat is a main reason that has led to the decline to only 3 NWTF chapters state wide now (vice 26 when I was involved).   Don't see that turning around until the traps and transfers is revived.  Also the liberal harvests (so they don't get any landowner complaints)  isn't helping the situation either ....