Turkeys near lake kachess

[Tom Tamer]

Wacnt siad..

All possibilities....oh...one more....expansion of easterns from Pierce...possible also...birds have had lots of years to do so and 20 years ago eastern escapees from NW Trek were reported outside the park......as well as expanding wild released Easterns in Thurston (near Pierce) from the mid 80's on. 

 That could be a possibility there, I know my Dad( Logger) had seen birds right acoss from the Tanawax golf course about five years ago, and another newspaper article had spotted some off 8th ave outside of Roy.... Plus theres the talk of some bieng on Ft. Lewis? Did they plant any on base?  Or I figured that could be some wanderers from the Johnson creek flock? But I think it's feral birds let go by someone up in the Issaquah

[Wacenturion]

Those easterns in the Johnson Creek area spread fairly quickly in different directions, including onto the southern parts of Ft. Lewis (the area of the base one drives through between Ranier and Lacey).  To give you an idea how quickly they can expand, there were reports of turkey sightings just south of Lake Sinclair and the Yelm highway within several years of the initial Johnston Creek releases.

Granted some of those sightings might well be wandering birds rather than actual expansion, but in the case of the Lake Sinclair area birds, there were also sightings in several areas all the way back south to Ranier/Tenino at the same time.

[Tom Tamer]

I know there just outside of Yelm now, Pop had them right behind his house last year but developers moved in and seemed to run them off, The one story I heard years back and you may or may not have heard this or can debunk it, was during one of the Bunker creek releases they radio collared a hen...the story goes the day after the release they picked her signal up in Vader.....the following day they picked it up again back at the release site? I've often wondered about that area of the fort, lot's of good looking territory back there.

[Wacenturion]

There were radio collars put on a number of birds in different areas way back then.  In fact bib mount transmitters were first used on turkeys right here in Washington.  That was a take off of them being used sucessfully on prarrie grouse. 

A whole lot easier on the bird and their eventual survivability.  Any time you put anything on a bird such as radio gear it impacts the birds ability to make it....mortality goes way up, therefore the use of bib mounts.  They are cut to just slide over the birds neck tightly and just hang down in front of the neck, kind of like the plastic thingie you hang on your motel door...you know......do not disturb.  Of course most states still use wing mount collars....personally I wouldn't waste a transmitter or a bird like that....dead bird 7 out of ten times.

Not sure about what you say someone described as happening on a bunker creek bird.  The closest to that that I recall is that there was a Bunker Creek or Lincoln Creek bird did end up fairly fast in the area above Doty and settled in.  Thats not to say it didn't happen....there were some senior vounteers that were providing assistance by doing some monoritoring work back then.  Some of those birds (a couple) did indeed move out from the release site and eventually return......but generally not in a two day stint.
   

[Tom Tamer]

Good to know that's why I came to you with that question, the story probably started out as the Doty bird story you told, but like most all fish stories( except for mine  ) they get longer with time.

[gasman]

I was bow hunting off 8th street neer Fort Lewis and see a bunch of birds abut 5 years ago. Did not give it much thought untill some one mention Fort Lewis.

[WABONEHNTR]

I am from North Bend and have seen a lot of the turkeys there.  Most of those turkeys were released and they are merriams.  99% of them came from kettle falls area.  Seems that most of them hang out in the houses where they are getting fed.  You can see them along the highway also but mostly in the houses. 

[Wacenturion]

I am from North Bend and have seen a lot of the turkeys there.  Most of those turkeys were released and they are merriams.  99% of them came from kettle falls area.  Seems that most of them hang out in the houses where they are getting fed.  You can see them along the highway also but mostly in the houses. 

You say the turkeys around North Bend were released and that 99% of them came from the Kettle Falls area.
QUESTION...........Who released them.....WDFW?  What about the other 1%?  What is your source....were you there for any of those releases?  Please fill us in.

[fishunt247]

Maybe he is referring to the releases in Kittitas??? Then his statistics may be valid

[WABONEHNTR]

The WDFW was not involved.  I am not going to name names.  But I am more then sure there are a few barn yard raised turks walking around in the area. 

[Gobble]

The birds in North Bend have migrated from the Teanaway flock

[Wacenturion]

The WDFW was not involved.  I am not going to name names.  But I am more then sure there are a few barn yard raised turks walking around in the area. 

Thanks...appreciate you clarifying your statement.  Most folks would have read your comment and thought WDFW had released birds there.  I knew they did not release Merriam's or any other subspecies anywhere near North Bend.  I figured it was probably game farm stock, but I gather some locals must have caught some over in the NE and brought them over...poults most likely or otherwise trapped some birds.

Appreciate your commenting, as that clears up the mystical Merriams coming down from above.  The way you describe them hanging around houses where they are fed is typical of game farm stock, or in this case imprinted poults or tamed down older birds.  That jives with comments from Turkey Tamer and others regarding birds hanging around houses, across from gas stations, and so on.

Thanks again...,.....
 

[Wacenturion]

The birds in North Bend have migrated from the Teanaway flock

Not if what WABONEHNTR says is true.  Pretty well says it all about where they came from.....at least the majority of sightings that is.  Part way down the pass...wild acting bird....maybe from above.  Standing around town.....don't think so.

[WABONEHNTR]

I would say most of the birds are of pure wild stock. I have heard there were more than 150 total released over a couple years.  The people around here love them and feed them year around.  Last year I saw a flock of over 40.  There arent a lot of good places to hunt them but you never know where they might be. 

[Wacenturion]

Just might add......those kinds of sightings of birds released by people give rise to comments from hunters that somehow Merriam's would do well on the coast, because they heard they have done well around North Bend, or in the LaConner area to name another.

It does a real dis-service to the overall program, and probably stimulates others to think they can help by doing the same.....buying game farm birds and releasing the subspecies they see, because the WDFW will not.  Last but not least it turns off non hunters and property owners because these birds end up crapping on their roof or decks.  That gives turkeys a bad name and could potentially nix any release in that area.  Just food for thought.........