[whaler]

I just got back from Maine on another great Turkey hunt.
If you have never tried this you really got to.

In the old web site I had a post that I was asking for Wild Turkey sitings in NB. I would like to restart that and ask everyone to reply with when, where,and date of the siting......oh and pictures if you can please?
I am starting a map of the migration into NB.

I am working with a group who are dedicated to bring more Wild Turkey to NB. I will post updates here on this sub forum.
We are always accepting more help if you would like to help.

I am also the president of the local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. We are having a meeting tonight in Westfield tonight.
We had a great dinner a couple of months ago and are already making plans for next year.
WE may also have a sporting clay shoot. I will let you know on that.

Anything you have to add about Wild Turkey or if you have any questions drop me a note!

 

[Bearhunter]

Spotted 5 Wild birds on the Pleasant ridge rd in berwick last week. This is 10 km outside of sussex!

 

[Hawksey]

I have not seen any in NB yet but I am confident I will in the near future. A friend of mine claims to have seen some (not sure how many "some" could be) but they were somewhere near BelleIsle. He travels there early each morning and says they were beside the road.

 

[Bill Gass]

I have not seen any in NB yet but I am confident I will in the near future. A friend of mine claims to have seen some (not sure how many "some" could be) but they were somewhere near BelleIsle. He travels there early each morning and says they were beside the road.

Wild Turkeys have definatly arrived in NB, with restoration efforts in Maine to the point where they are filling up all available habitat, the birds are crossing he border on their own. No passport required. Most people think that wild turkeys cannot fly very well, however that notion is wrong a wild turkey can fly for over a mile at 60 miles an hour if they want. So any waterbodies are no impediment. Seems that most sitings are in the western part of NB from Woodstock to St.Stephen/St.Andrews. I would encourage everyone who would like to see a turkey hunt in NB in the future to contact their MLA and tell them that you support a wild turkey trap and transfer program. NWTF has all the expertise, equipment and contacts to make this happen all we need is governemnt approval. In Maine it's a $15 million industry and there is no reason why we can't have the same here.

Bill G.
VP
SJR Valley Chapter
NWTF

 

[Serengeti]

I wonder if we can get our own category for Wild Turkeys? Be it hunting, politics or management. Didn't we have one in the old web site?

 

[Browning1985]

I have seen 2 wild turkeys on two different occasions in the woodstock area last year. Still waiting for a trailcam pic!

 

[NBG]

Seen a nice Jake a couple of weeks ago. St. Stephen Area. Also seeing alot of tracks on the woods roads.

 

[Bill Gass]

Just got an email about a guy who spotted a wild turkey near the Gondola Point Arterial Hwy, which is close to Quispamsis. Seems that the sitings are quite spread out and coming from many different areas. There is also a flock of birds in the Christie Ridge / Thompsons corner area which is between McAdam and Harvey in York county.

Whaler, how's that wild turkey migration map coming?

Bill G.

 

[benelli]

Still got some in plaster they were pets at once but seem to be thriving out on there own, gilfriend sees them once in a while as many as five at once

 

[greatwhite]

Are Turkey's native to NB?

 

[whaler]

Are Turkey's native to NB?

Absolutly!
Turkeys are native to NB. Our First Nations people have used their feathers.
Our group which includes the First Nations people, are activly trying to "re-introduce" Turkeys to NB.

Imagine using your gun in May! This would just great and add a lot to the NB economy.

I drive about 2.5 hrs and I am in my hunting spot in Maine.
The new pipe line is a great way for the birds to get to NB. All grass with lots of bugs and vegetation for them to eat along the way.
I will be meeting with the minister of Natural resources in the next week to talk about the turkeys.
As mentioned in an earlier post, please contact your MLA and ask about the turkeys. I can tell you that we have been working very hard to get this done. All MLAs know about the turkeys in NB. We just need everyones support.
That would be a huge help to us especialy before an election.

Keep all the sitings coming in. I really appreciate all the comments and questions too!

 

[Bill Gass]

Spoke with a gentleman who lives in Magaguagadavic Settlement this weekend while I was cutting firewood at our woodlot and he told me that there were 5 wild turkeys hanging around the settlement area all winter. This would be near the NE corner of the big Mag lake and roughly 28KM's from the Maine Border. So Whaler add this to your map. I think that when it comes to folks who live in the rural areas of southern NB it's almost harder to find someone who hasn't saw a wild turkey in the last two years than it is to find someone who's saw one. I think that their migration into NB is gaining more speed as every year that goes by the number of sitings is going up dramatically.

Bill G.

 

[greyghost]

Bill, I saw one not far from there about 6 weeks ago on Christie Ridge .
This was a 1st for me and my son .

 

[Bill Gass]

Yes there is a flock of turkeys living at Christie Ridge, and also some around Thompsons corner, could be the same flock. They are establishing themselves a little more every year. Last year one hen from the Christie Ridge flock had nine poults (chicks) with her. Those poults didn't walk here from Maine they were born here and are authentic New Brunswick wild turkeys. We will reach a breaking point where the government will have to admit that they are here, they are wild, and they arrived here on their own. When the first deer was shot in Tweedside in 1933, they thought this was a sign from God and that the devil himself would shortly follow (this story was related to me by my late father in law a long time resident of the area). Well as we all know that didn't happen and now the whitetail deer is argueably the most popular game animal in NB. There will be those that will preach doom and gloom "the turkeys are coming!!!" and next "the sky is falling" well tell that to 49 states and five provinces most recently Quebec which now has adopted a trap and transfer program within their province with birds that crossed from New York state.. The wild turkey can be such a benefit to the rural economy of NB, all we have to do is start are own trap and transfer program. We now have two National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) chapters in NB, Sussex and Saint John. With a fair amount of interest coming from the Fredericton area the next natural step would be for a new chapter in Fredericton or Woodstock.

Bill G.

 

[gobigORnothing]

i have seen so many wild turkeys in NB when i lived there around my moms house there was about 50 of them in one flock

 

[Sako]

I have saw Turkeys in the Christie Ridge area a few times but they didn't actually migrate there. Some were released and some are escapees. At the top of the ridge on the right side there is a large pen with quite a few birds in it. However,the released or however you want to put it, birds are breeding and seem to be surviving. Saw 11 in Christie's fields and 7 at Dorcas's field in about a 5 minute span.

 

[Woolly]

I just got back from Maine on another great Turkey hunt.
If you have never tried this you really got to.

In the old web site I had a post that I was asking for Wild Turkey sitings in NB. I would like to restart that and ask everyone to reply with when, where,and date of the siting......oh and pictures if you can please?

Sorry I don't recall the date but it was sometime just prior to Christams 2009 that I saw or should say almost hit 7 turkeys crossing the road near Christies Ridge (just outside Harvey Station).

The temptation to hit the gas (by accident, of course) was there but I hit the brakes instead!
Mmmm, fresh wild turkey for Christmas dinner would have been great!

 

[NBG]

This is the court report for March 18, 2010:

James W. McLaughlin, 22, of St. Stephen shot an expensive turkey at Bayside. In St Stephen provincial court Tuesday judge david walker imposed the minimum fine of $1000 for firing a rifle within 400 meters of a dwelling contrary to the new brunswick fish and wildlife act. A woman living nearby heard the shot at 10:15 a.m. and noted the vehicle. Department of Natural Resources officers measured the distance from the nearest residence to where the turkey was shot at 220 meters. They tracked the vehicle to its owner. McLaughlin "had gotten caught up in the moment" when he saw the bird,shot it and later ate it. Crown prosecutor james mcavity said. Mclaughlin did not attend court tuesday but filed a plea of guilty form. He must pay the fine within 90 days or serve 23 days in jail, Walker said. The judge waived the surcharge for victims of crime.

Is it legal to shoot a turkey in NB? This guy was only charged with breaking the minimum distance of a dwelling.

Seeing lots of tracks everywhere I go. I did see a red fox going with a poult in its mouth a few weeks ago also.

 

[whaler]

This is the court report for March 18, 2010:

James W. McLaughlin, 22, of St. Stephen shot an expensive turkey at Bayside. In St Stephen provincial court Tuesday judge david walker imposed the minimum fine of $1000 for firing a rifle within 400 meters of a dwelling contrary to the new brunswick fish and wildlife act. A woman living nearby heard the shot at 10:15 a.m. and noted the vehicle. Department of Natural Resources officers measured the distance from the nearest residence to where the turkey was shot at 220 meters. They tracked the vehicle to its owner. McLaughlin "had gotten caught up in the moment" when he saw the bird,shot it and later ate it. Crown prosecutor james mcavity said. Mclaughlin did not attend court tuesday but filed a plea of guilty form. He must pay the fine within 90 days or serve 23 days in jail, Walker said. The judge waived the surcharge for victims of crime.

Is it legal to shoot a turkey in NB? This guy was only charged with breaking the minimum distance of a dwelling.

Seeing lots of tracks everywhere I go. I did see a red fox going with a poult in its mouth a few weeks ago also.

I read this in the paper.
It is illeagal to shoot turkeys in the province. If a species is not clearly marked on your license then you cannot harvest that species.

Keep the stories coming?

 

[whitetail]

Whaler how does it look for bringing in turkeys? Do you think the gouverment will allow this at any time soon?