Looks like its going to be a late spring

[turkeydancer]

Dead on Wacent - Opportunistic Feeders (if its there they will find it and eat it, and the easier the better for them) ... I like just spending time watching what they're eating and its amazing ... this fall I watched about 50 birds flying up into the scrub brush and strip the little berries from the ends of the branches ... I too open their "sac" and have found it stuffed with everything imaginable (hard corn from the local farm , little tree frogs, insects of all types, wild seeds, berries, snakes, etc).

Yelp/ Wacent - send me a PM (or e-mail my home "turkeydancer@centurytel.net") to let me know where you'll be camped and we'll make it by or meet up ... I'll return with my cell #.  My son and I debated parking the trailer near the hunt sites (and taking the generator), but didn't want to come in and have to cook ... so we will probably pull in for full hook ups (at the Black Bear or similar) in Davenport or up north by the river) ... in the fall we have two properties available north of Davenport ... also have some friends up that direction .. boy loved it there last fall, so he wanted to go back this spring (I put him in the direct path of a slow turkey stampede and he shot 1 of the 50 at 10ft approx 1/2 hr after daylight this fall, then I took a 2nd at 30 yards).  I also have a brother that lives over in the Almira area.

[Tom Tamer]

It amazing what folks can accomplish.  Back when the birds were being actively trapped and relocated, there were a good number of NWTF members and some other local folks that helped out.  Was busy work but fun and everyone felt like something was accomplished.

Unfortunately it not as easy as some of us just getting permission to do it....which would never happen.  Those people actually doing the trapping...you know setting the charges in the rockets and pushing the button have to be licensed by L&I...an explosives license strictly for trap and transfer.  Wdfw let all those with those licenses to expire, and many of them are in different positions.  The staff in Upland Wildlife Restoration who did all the turkey work went from 22 during the 90's to I believe a total of 6 now. 

It's not the trapping that's the problem.  They just don't want birds to be relocated anywhere, plain and simple.  They just conveniently use that excuse to solve their problem.  Pretty damn sad.

Exactly right, when broached on the subject he said he didn't have the money to have one of the officials be there to shoot the rockets because one we do have the money, the money earmarked for the turkeys by law form the tag sales is sitting there not being used. Turkeydancer help me here but i believe last year it was about $150K ? So Dave D. offered to get licensed and Mick shot that down. He wants off the tech committee yet still in charge typical politician can't stand it when " We the People" say our piece. Wac that's where some of us are coming from with the vigilante thing....what's to stop some one from getting qualified on the explosives or better yet are there any members out there who already are? The birds are here to stay and just ignoring them will not help any faction out there. I am sure D.D. is talking with National which already knows our situation out here and hopefully what I hear about the new regional Bio the NWTF has out here, he's a go-getter. What do we do form here on out? Storm the WDFW with pitchforks and torches and demand some un-bias managing of the turkey? I'm willing to put my boots on the ground. I'm not good at organizing but am good at helping with the grunt work.

[turkeydancer]

TT -

Yep $150K - and that's only a 3rd of their haul for the turkeys, because 1/3 also goes to general fund and 1/3 to upland bird. Getting fat on the turkey tag funds, but wanting them to go away. Wonder how long before they say, "well gee whiz, got this $ 150K over here we don't plan on using for turks that we can use for this instead, by golly"! 

Whatever we do should start at the State Chapter level ... however, we need the local chapter presidents or their reps to start showing up to the business meeting, voice the opinions of their chapter members, and light a bonfire ! It's like I always say, "If you care, you got to get involved or at least speak up".  And hopefully before decisions are made that one doesn't agree with ... and if you sit back and stay silent, you don't have the right to bitch when the smelly stuff hits the air oscillating device!!

[NWTFhunter]

I kinda forgot what I wanted to post reading through all of this.....but found it again towards the end...

It doesnt take a lic pyro tech at all !  Ca was having the same problem a couple of years ago, and was getting hit hard by the politics involving Homeland Sec and ATF.  So they purchased a air cannon !!! No more need to be lic !!

If you are interested in who it was purchased through and cost I can get ahold of him and ask.

Dont let Mick or anyone else use that as an excuse anymore !!