January 20, 2009

Utah – Don't be surprised if you start seeing wild turkeys in areas you've never seen them before. By the time this winter is over, more than 500 turkeys will be living in new areas in Utah.

DWR biologists Bill Bates (foreground) and Roy Marchant release turkeys into an area near Nine Mile Canyon. If you look closely, you'll see a bird running out of one of the turkey carrier boxes Marchant just opened. Photo by Alan Green.

That's how many turkeys Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are planning to move from one area of the state to another this winter. They're moving the turkeys to start new populations or strengthen existing ones.

Turkeys released in Nine Mile Canyon

One of the most recent releases happened on Jan. 15, when 26 wild turkeys were released on property owned by the Bill Barrett Corporation.

The property is in Nine Mile Canyon in southeastern Utah.

The turkeys came from southwestern Utah, where turkey populations have reached an optimal size. Once flocks have extra birds, some of those birds can be moved to other parts of the state.

In the past, the DWR partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation to bring birds into Utah from outside the state. Now Utah's flocks have increased to the point that the state has extra birds that biologists can move within the state.

The 26 birds released on Jan. 15 were Rio Grande turkeys. This subspecies is prized for its ability to adapt to low-elevation areas that have pinyon-juniper trees, riparian areas and farmland. The new transplants will supplement a small flock of turkeys that were released in the area about 10 years ago.

The Bill Barrett Corporation partnered with the DWR to provide habitat and living space for the new flock. That will help the turkeys make a successful transition to their new range in southeastern Utah. The flock will eventually expand and move onto public land.

"The Bill Barrett Corporation and Hunt Oil Company are making a positive contribution to Utah's wildlife," says Brad Crompton, regional wildlife manager for the DWR. - (We) appreciate all they're doing."