May 14, 2008 - 16:43:31 CDT
While mountain lions grab all the headlines, an influx of wild turkeys has Bismarck residents fuming and the police department looking for ways to deal with the wiley fowl.Police chief Keith Witt brought the matter to the attention of the city commission at Tuesday’s meeting, only to find that its members are already aware of the unexpected invasion.
Mayor John Warford explained a hen is invoking squatter’s rights in his backyard and is unwilling to be evicted as it jealousy guards a dozen eggs.
"I’ve seen two turkeys in my back yard and one was a big one," commissioner Sandi Tabor added.
Witt said the department began getting calls about wild turkeys in 2006 and the complaints have been increasing since that time. Damaging and disturbing bird feeders and leaving unsightly messes were the main problems being reported.
The matter will soon solve itself as the food supply increases, according to Witt. But unless the city takes some action the birds will likely return in greater numbers and cover a larger area when winter returns.
Witt went to North Dakota Game and Fish to see if a solution to the situation could be found. Witt worries that the turkeys will continue to thrive and Bismarck will see an increase in their numbers and the area they disturb.
The answer Witt and Game and Fish came up with was to provide 25 permits allowing licensed bow hunters to shoot the birds on specified city property, mainly in the area of the wastewater treatment plant. Only bow hunters with valid hunting licenses will be allowed to kill the turkeys during the fall season
District wildlilfe supervisor Jeb Williams said his department also has been receiving a number of complaints. Game and Fish is in full support of the shooting of the birds in the method provided by Witt.
Bismarck’s wild turkey population is manageable at this point and allowing bow hunters to help control the number of birds is a good solution before the flock gets out of hand and it takes a concerted effort to reduce the number of turkeys, according to Williams.
Game and Fish has its hands full dealing with true bird depredation issues impacting the ag community, according to Williams. And this method of control is a good long term solution.
Witt said the permitting of turkey hunters is similar to Bismarck’s allowing deer hunting on city properties by bow hunters to control that population of wild animals.
“The police department will regulate and control this the same as the annual deer hunt,” Witt said.
(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)
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