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Post by Woody Williams on May 23, 2009 13:02:27 GMT -5
9 Charged In Wild Turkey Investigation Last Update: 12:39 pm FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife have charged nine people and seized 15 wild turkeys after a multistate investigation into the illegal importing of wild turkeys. Conservation officers on Saturday served summonses in 11 counties spanning across the state after the investigation found 167 live wild turkeys were illegally imported into Kentucky. Some of the turkeys were being brought in from a hatchery in Portales, New Mexico. Wildlife biologists say importing wild turkeys put the state's native wild turkeys at risk for developing disease. The state started efforts in the 1980s to restore the native turkey population in Kentucky and the total number is currently about a quarter of a million birds. www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/9-Charged-In-Wild-Turkey-Investigation/Ux7V0mIMS0CODSpCbzDtGg.cspx |
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Post by Decatur on May 23, 2009 13:43:00 GMT -5
I wonder if they were part of some turkey hunter's club? Idiots! Probably hoping to get all of the varieties growing in Kentucky to make getting their grand slam cheaper/easier.
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Post by racktracker on May 23, 2009 21:21:32 GMT -5
Good question.
The sure should get nailed big time as they were taking a chance with KY's turkey flock by introducing a disease.
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Post by danimal8876 on May 24, 2009 12:03:36 GMT -5
I don't read where it says they were a sub species, but even still....why even bring easterns in? Its not like Kentucky doesn't have a good tukey population. I would imagine that no matter where you are in Kentucky, your probably no more that 20-30 minute drive from decent hunting.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 24, 2009 15:51:20 GMT -5
Here is KDFWR's press release:
Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources News Release
Nine people charged with illegally importing, possessing or selling live wild turkeys
May 23, 2009 Contact: Mark Marraccini
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (502) 330-9646
Frankfort, Ky. – Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife conservation officers served summonses today on nine people, seized 15 wild turkeys and 25 wild turkey eggs persons following an eight-month, multi-state investigation which resulted in 421 criminal charges of illegally importing, possessing or selling wild turkeys in Kentucky.
Officers obtained summonses in 11 counties spanning the state from Calloway in far western Kentucky to Pike in far eastern Kentucky. The investigation, termed Operation Toxic Turkey, documented 167 live wild turkeys illegally imported into Kentucky, including eastern and Rio Grande wild turkeys acquired from a New Mexico hatchery.
It is illegal for the general public to possess a live wild turkey in Kentucky, and a wildlife transportation permit issued by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is required of anyone bringing wildlife into the state.
Investigators were first alerted to possible illegal trafficking in wild turkeys last August, when they heard a broadcast on a Bardstown radio station advertising live eastern wild turkeys for sale. The investigation that followed quickly expanded beyond state lines and turned up similar violations in at least 13 additional states.
New Mexico Department of Fish and Game officers helped trace the eastern and Rio Grande turkeys purchased and imported into Kentucky from Privett Hatchery in Portales, New Mexico. Purchase and shipping records obtained by investigators led to the charges and summonses. The hatchery has a permit to legally sell turkeys.
Those charged include Stanley Hurst, 28, Bardstown, 168 counts of importing, possessing or selling wild turkeys. Others include Margaret Hamilton, 36, Pikeville; Allan Chaney, 45, Irvine; John Hester, 23, Henderson; and Thomas Murdock, 51, Murray, each charged with 30 counts of importing and possessing wild turkeys. Additional charges of importing or possessing wild turkeys were placed against Jeremy Ginn, 32, Mt. Sterling, 40 counts; Caroline Cox, 50, Turners Station, 20 counts; Elizabeth Patrick, 41, Cave City, 14 counts; and Julie Saling, 26, Bowling Green, two counts.
Wildlife biologists say importing wild turkeys into Kentucky puts the state’s native wild turkeys at risk of contracting diseases for which they’ve developed no natural immunities.
“There are many biological concerns when releasing captive-raised poultry into the wild,” said Steven Dobey, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s turkey program coordinator. “The potential for transmission of diseases and non-native parasites is increased due to their captive origin.”
Kentucky’s wild turkey flock ranks among the nation’s top wildlife restoration successes. Statewide wild turkey numbers were estimated at fewer than 900 birds in the mid 1950s, and nearly all of those resided in west Kentucky’s Golden Pond area, now Land Between the Lakes.
The department embarked on an aggressive restoration effort in the 1980s, and today’s flock has rebounded to number about a quarter of a million birds. Gobbling can be heard in every Kentucky county and hunters enjoy liberal bag limits statewide.
“In our generation, wild turkey numbers have grown from fewer than 1,000 to well over 200,000 birds in Kentucky,” said Dobey. “Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has worked diligently toward these restoration efforts, and I am positive the sportsmen and sportswomen of Kentucky want nothing to threaten this success.”
“The wild turkey has become a major component of Kentucky’s tourism industry,” said Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jon Gassett. “The wild turkey’s economic impact annually in Kentucky is almost $230 million, and almost 2,200 jobs depend on it.
“It is critical that we not inadvertently introduce disease into our flock,” he continued. “That could be catastrophic.”
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Post by jrbhunter on May 25, 2009 16:25:25 GMT -5
I wonder if they were part of some turkey hunter's club? Idiots! Probably hoping to get all of the varieties growing in Kentucky to make getting their grand slam cheaper/easier. From the information given- this is an assonine conclusion to jump too. Does each and every topic need to have that "Sky is falling" slant thrown at it? The "Wild" turkey is fairly common in domestic breeders and hobby-farmers across this country (even in states that prohibit it). Tens-of-thousands of "wild" turkeys are hatched in hatcheries across the Midwest for the purpose of meat production, 4H projects and general pets. Just friday I spoke to a sales representative with McMurray who mentioned the availability of day-old-birds in the Wild & Bronze turkey varieties. I'm sticking to chickens for now... more affordable and less space required. First you praise a hunter for shooting a full-blown domestic turkey (in the wild)... and now assume these accused poutry farmers are trophy hunting poachers. I don't know the details behind this story, sounds like the guys were in violation and they'll be penalized. Probably a situation not unlike Georgia, Alabama and Maine have been in.... old rules on the books about "wild" turkeys finally being instituted after years of looking the other way. They can pat each other on the back, hand out some awards, give it a cool "operation name" and whatever they want.... but this ain't rocket science. Folks have been raising "Domestic Wild Turkeys" for a long long time. You can order them from a dozen hatcheries- about $10 each for 1-day-old birds. |
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Post by Decatur on May 25, 2009 20:51:21 GMT -5
I'm not sure what "assonine" is, did you mean "asinine"? And what sky is falling? Since you don't know any details, maybe you should read the posts before yours? Just a thought.
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Post by jrbhunter on May 25, 2009 21:56:48 GMT -5
If you think that little clip gives you the details perhaps you should stick with spell-checking because fact-finding isn't your thing. The sky is falling everytime you post in one of these discussions. You rarely pass up a chance to throw pot-shots at trophy hunters, outfitters, freemarkets and you beg for further government intervention in everything we do. We're all doomed, everyone is crooked, it's a horrible world. The sky is falling! The article Woody posted makes no mention of hunting, shooting, poaching or grand slams. The article further leans toward hobby-farmers and "non-hunting" trade/slaughter/sales of domesticated birds. There are very few details shared there: probably in an effort to snowball "chicken-little's" like yourself into believing this may be a newfound wildlife management issue. They "discovered" the situation by hearing an advertisement for birds on PUBLIC RADIO, then used SALES RECIEPTS to convict them: this is not an "undercover" type of thing. I just saw an advertisement for 2 illegal kentucky turkeys on the Louisville Craigslist. Come to think of it, there were an awful lot of Kentucky plates in the parking lot Friday at the livestock auction (where dozens of wild turkeys were sold)... probably hunters looking for their next trophy. I think we should outlaw poultry hatcheries until a full investigation has been conducted.  |
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Post by Woody Williams on May 26, 2009 7:50:11 GMT -5
Let's play nice...
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Post by Decatur on May 26, 2009 9:57:30 GMT -5
"you beg for further government intervention in everything we do"
Wow! You've read every one of my posts, and have me figured out! You're funny!
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