Don’t look for a Hannaford’s truck delivering turkeys but soon Inland Fisheries and Wildlife personnel will be scouting out suitable areas in southern Aroostook County in northern Maine looking for wild turkey habitat.
A coalition comprised of several representatives of different groups ranging from farmers to scientists, have been meeting regularly in order to figure out a way to continue bringing more wild turkeys into this region. After several meetings, consensus was reached and a plan developed that all parties feel is workable and realistic.
The plan still follows the same guidelines and goals as established in 1999 when a 15-year turkey reintroduction plan was devised.
The plan calls for ways to deal with potential nuisance turkeys. This has been a concern with farmers having turkeys around eating their grain and destroying crops. The plan puts into play a system of dealing with these issues. It involves education, help lines, quick response and damage control teams.
Built into the plan are means by which issues can be revisited and the plan amended to address changing or unforeseen problems.
Tom Remington
