Wild Turkeys Take Flight near Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY -- In 1984, when the National Wild Turkey Federation started its first chapter in Utah, there were less than 1,000 wild turkeys in the state. More than 20 years later, Utah has more than 18,000 wild turkeys.

Residents of the Beehive State will get a chance to witness how wild turkey populations have been restored through an educational Thanksgiving wild turkey release near Salt Lake City, Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, Kennecott Land Corporation and the NWTF are hosting the release to demonstrate the comeback of the wild turkey in North America and highlight how well wild turkeys and other wildlife respond to management on mining lands.

"Utah has one of the fastest growing wild turkey populations in the country," said Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "Wild turkeys are doing really well here."

Part of the reason for the fast growth is an aggressive effort to trap and transplant turkeys. From 1998 through 2005, the UDWR and its partners set a national record by placing more than 7,700 turkeys into new homes in Utah. Many of these birds were brought in from outside the state. The remainder already lived in the state, but they were moved to new locations to start new populations or supplement existing ones.

"Wild turkeys are a huge wildlife success story in Utah," Mitchell said. "Hundreds of people across the state are hearing and seeing these birds during their trips in the outdoors, and more and more hunters are applying for a permit to hunt them."
The Nov. 16 release is a celebration of the contributions made by hunters across North America on behalf of wild turkey restoration and wildlife conservation. The NWTF and its partners have given wildlife agencies more than 139,000 wild turkey transport boxes, which have been used in the transport of more than 188,000 birds.

This event is the second time in five years KUCC has partnered with UDWR and NWTF in releasing wild turkeys. The first release was in a reclaimed mining area on private Kennecott property in Butterfield Canyon (southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley).

"Kennecott Utah Copper has spent over $350 million in reclaiming historic mining wastes on our property," said Larry D. Bunkall, assistant director government and public affairs, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation. "Old mine sites have been restored as beautiful mountain slopes and settings where natural wildlife is thriving. Following reclamation in Butterfield Canyon, wild turkeys were released and flocks are commonly sighted by visitors as they drive the canyon road today. Kennecott Utah Copper is committed to managing and protecting wildlife on our property."

A long-standing example of hunters' contributions to wildlife management is the Pittman-Robertson Act. Passed by the U.S. Congress at the requests of hunters in 1937, this excise tax established a dedicated revenue stream to aid states in wildlife restoration. A study commissioned by the NWTF in 2003 found that 78 percent of turkey hunters considered conservation projects, such as protecting or enhancing wildlife habitat, to be very important.

"People get involved in hunting and other outdoor activities for a number of reasons, but it's almost certain that once a person spends time in the woods or on the water, they begin to care about their natural resources and will likely become dedicated conservationists," said Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF. "With the help of conservation-minded sportsmen, today there are more than 7 million wild turkeys throughout North America. That's why our hunting heritage is important, not only to hunters, but to all Americans."

Hunters also contribute millions of dollars to organizations like the NWTF that fund wildlife restoration and conservation projects throughout the country. These efforts not only benefit wildlife, but the sustainability of all natural resources.
According to data collected by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, sportsmen are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups. Sportsmen pour $70 billion annually into the economy and support more jobs nationwide than the number of people employed by Wal-Mart, the country's largest corporation.

For more information about the Salt Lake City wild turkey release or the NWTF, call Brian Dowler or Jonathan Harling at (803) 637-3106. For more information about the NWTF, call (800) THE-NWTF or go to www.nwtf.org.
###

Vacationing to Utah? Salt Lake City Vacation Rental by LakeRentals.com

Place your ad here and reach the great outdoors!

Or have your product or service featured on our web site and radio show.

Contact me for more details!

Listen to the Utah Outdoors radio show, Saturdays from 6-8 a.m. on KSL.

Thanks to our Supporters!

Skycall Communications

Site owned and operated by
TrailMasterOutdoors.com
All contents copyrighted and may not be reused without prior permission
2004