Maclean's Talks Canadian Wild Turkey Hunting

Not only an enjoyable read, but shows the many interesting ways states and provinces can find new revenue--and the terrible trouble wild turkeys can make.

From yesterday's Talking turkey article:

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If given the go-ahead, Wilson and others will travel to Ontario this winter, where they plan to use air-powered net cannons to trap 200 of the province’s estimated 70,000 wild turkeys. The birds will be tested for diseases, put in crates and shipped east to be released. They plan to repeat the process every winter for four years, aiming to more than double the existing population from 600 to 1,400, not including any natural increase. A biologist with the turkey federation estimates New Brunswick could support 10,000 birds.

One reason the province is considering a hunt is the money. Maine started its own program with 40 stocked birds in 1977 and now has roughly 60,000, says Northrup. Each year the hunt generates millions of dollars in spinoff revenue for the state. For every New Brunswick hunter who heads south to bag a bird, that’s money the province loses.

Yet many farmers are horrified at the idea of importing more of the birds, because wild turkeys are known for their voracious appetites. In Ontario, for instance, the birds are regularly blamed for devastating crops. With more than 300 wild blueberry farms in New Brunswick, there’s a lot at stake.