New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

New Hampshire's effort to restore turkeys in 1969 may have been successful. (VIDEO)

Thursday 12/05/2019

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's effort to restore wild turkeys in 1969 and 1970 may not have been the failure I had always thought it was. According to an article written by Union Leader newspaper writer Stacey Cole in November 2000 it sure looks like the restoration effort was likely successful to some degree. According to Cole he had communication with Fish and Game biologist Don Alison who actually led this early effort. Our famous turkey biologist Ted Walski was still at UNH at the time. But Don Alison said 11 turkeys were transported from West Virginia in 1969 and another 15 in 1970. At the time turkeys were believed to mostly need big tracts of forest. So these turkeys were released in Pawtuckaway State Park. Don describes observing polts the following springs from this early effort. It in fact was not a failure as I had always once believed. I am kicking myself for not talking to Don myself as he sat as his desk not far from mine in the early 1980's in my early career at Fish and Game. It was so wonderful to learn this.