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Wildlife Department Looking to Control Troublesome Turkeys

Wildlife Biologist Rebecca Mowry says birds in the Bitterroot have been damaging private land, mostly by defecting on everything

By Associated Press

HAMILTON — The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing increasing turkey hunting licenses for the fall hunting season in an effort to control a growing population of wild turkeys in Bitterroot.

The Ravalli Republic reported Sunday that the department is considering raising the number of beardless turkey licenses a hunter can purchase for the fall season in Ravalli and Missoula counties from two to five after receive complaints about the birds.

Wildlife Biologist Rebecca Mowry says the birds have been damaging private land, mostly by defecting on everything.

Hunter Chris Fortune, who helped introduce wild turkeys in Bitterroot, disagrees with the department’s idea, fearing that that one tough winter or a nasty virus could decimate the population.

He would prefer to see research.