Flathead turkeys safe from feast
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
LAKE COUNTY — Last week’s observance of Thanksgiving isn’t the only reason wild turkeys need not worry about receiving an ill-fated invitation to Mission Valley holiday dinners. Although many populations of the bird roam the Flathead Reservation, a combination of game laws and taste preferences keep the demand for hunting the creatures almost non-existent.
Tribal members can hunt wild turkeys on the reservation, but non-tribal members are not allowed, said Dale Becker wildlife program manager for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Those who do want to take down a gobbler are more likely to dedicate time to calling birds in the spring, when big game season is closed. Some hunters will pick up a tag just in case they happen across a bird while stalking elk or deer, Becker said. When a turkey is bagged and skinned people are often surprised at their weight and physique.
“A lot of people wonder if they have a sick bird,” Becker said. “It’s not genetically engineered like those things we buy in plastic every year.”
Anyone who hunts them for the first time is always shocked, Becker said.
“We grow up kind of indoctrinated to this white meat domestic bird that can walk where flight’s not an option anymore, whereas the wild birds can fly for at least short distance,” he said. “The breast isn’t developed like you buy in the store, so the meat is basically a dark meat.”
The meat is good to eat, but has a different flavor, Becker said. Very few people opt to kill a wild bird and instead turn to Hutterite colonies, Butterball, or other suppliers to get their main course.
The wild populations on the reservation continue to have steady numbers. Most turkeys on the Flathead Reservation are of the Merriam subspecies. The birds are not native, and were introduced mostly through wildlife management programs, Becker said. Broods can be found along the eastern shore of the lake near Finley State Park, along the Mission Front, and along the west side of the valley.
“They seem to be more numerous as you go north,” Becker said.
The birds like to inhabit areas near grain fields.
“They often tend to roost up on the slopes at night and then they will glide out and group up and go out into the fields,” Becker said.
Most of the birds are darker in color, but occasionally birds will be of a paler hue. The difference in plumage can come from wild genetics, or mean a stray domesticated bird fell in with the brood.
The exact number of turkeys on the reservation is unknown, Becker said.
