Hypothetical Question

[tonymiller7]

I have a friend who lives North of Spokane who has property that gets hoarded by turkeys in the fall.  He has trusted friends who he allows to hunt it.  I constantly complain about how I can't find many turkeys on the west side and how I wish there were more.  Especially around the areas where I have access to private property.  He through out the idea of trapping the turkeys on his property and transporting them to the west side.  I told him I would love to, but it's illegal and definitely not worth getting caught.  Here's the hypothetical part, what would it really hurt?  He has too many turkeys, and even gets extra permits to thin them down.  They would be transported to an area already supposedly holding turkeys.  They would leave the state and would not be killed.   A year or two after transport they would be hunted legally with a tag.  I would be creating hunting opportunities not currently available.  The biggest problem I see would be a Merriam transported to an Eastern area. 

Like I said, this is for fun and hypothetical!  Have fun with it.  What would it hurt?!?!

[Bob33]

I have a friend who lives North of Spokane who has property that gets hoarded by turkeys in the fall.  He has trusted friends who he allows to hunt it.  I constantly complain about how I can't find many turkeys on the west side and how I wish there were more.  Especially around the areas where I have access to private property.  He through out the idea of trapping the turkeys on his property and transporting them to the west side.  I told him I would love to, but it's illegal and definitely not worth getting caught.  Here's the hypothetical part, what would it really hurt?  He has too many turkeys, and even gets extra permits to thin them down.  They would be transported to an area already supposedly holding turkeys.  They would leave the state and would not be killed.   A year or two after transport they would be hunted legally with a tag.  I would be creating hunting opportunities not currently available.  The biggest problem I see would be a Merriam transported to an Eastern area. 

Like I said, this is for fun and hypothetical!  Have fun with it.  What would it hurt?!?!

Without any biological and scientific information to indicate why they are not currently present in greater numbers in Western Washington, it's impossible to answer.

[Blacktail Sniper]

What I think could give this idea traction is to get one or more of the organized groups like Northwest Turkey Federation or whatever the group is called...sorry, not a turkey hunter, so appologize if I butchered the name!

But regardless, some entity such as that, that has experience, proper contacts and volunteers so to minimize the costs to the State, could certainly tip the odds in your favor, if there were no other factors, like damages/conflicts to local populations.

[Bob33]

You may wish to research the concept of "carrying capacity".

https://www.hunter-ed.com/washington/studyGuide/Carrying-Capacity/20105001_700046812

[270Shooter]

I don't think tge Merriam would survive in wet climate like the easterns can anyway.

[MuleDeer]

Merriams and Rio Grande turkeys were planted on the West side, years ago, before the state had much idea of what would and wouldn't work.  Well, they didn't.  That's why we spent so many years and dollars procuring Easterns to translocate to Western WA.  Simple answer: they won't survive.  Been tried and failed already.  Not to mention, the West side is some of the only turkeys left in WA with a basically pure genetic strain...why mess that up?  You can barely find a pure Rio or Merriams anymore, but you can still find plenty of Easterns.  So that is one thing it could hurt.