SPOKANE, Wash. -
An egg hunt of a different kind. Several wild turkeys on Spokane's South Hill are causing the Department of Fish and Wildlife to up the ante when it comes to cutting down on the growing number of them roaming in the area.
Right now it's wild turkey mating season and there is an abundance of them south of town.
"Between Cannon Park and 29th you'll see them all the time," says Scott Maclean, who lives on the South Hill.
"I've seen traffic held up for two blocks," Anita Kernie tells KHQ.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife says the overpopulation also leads to other problems, like sanitation issues and sometimes the turkeys fly into windows and cars.
"You watch them and they sometimes they strut," says Kernie. "Sometimes they even flap their wings." Kernie enjoys the turkeys but she can see why so many of them would be a problem.
"You come across about what seems maybe 15 of them all at once," says Maclean. "It's quite a sight."
Bob Pederson says they're in his yard a lot. "They eat the shrubbery," says Pederson, "but they're part of the scene."
Fish and Wildlife is planning an egg hunt. They are looking to train volunteers to go into the parks on the South Hill and look for the turkeys' nests. The volunteers will then oil the eggs that are not viable so they never hatch. They say that will help cut down on the population.
While some say they should leave well enough alone, others understand why it's being done. "I think they're pretty much a nuisance for most people," says Kernie.
The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife will hold a meeting this Thursday, March 31st at 6:30. That will be at the Moran Prairie library for anyone interested in volunteering with the egg hunts or learning more about the problem.
http://www.khq.com/story/31584488/turkey-troubles-on-spokanes-south-hillLast week there were about 40 of them wandering around a couple of blocks from Northtown
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/mar/26/wdfw-kicks-off-effort-to-decrease-number-of-hatche/
