San Bernardino NF. Turkey Transplants and the DFG & NWTF

[socalgobblerhunter]

When I first met Dave Halbrook, he sure seemed like a really great sales man. Now that you say that Jesse, he really is a great sales person for NWTF.

I left NWTF a few years back due to the organization becoming more and more money oriented.

I say if a large group boycottes the MWTF and not show up to the baquets, maybe they will get the idea that they are there because of sportsmen. Anyone??

[spectr17]

I understand the orgs have to raise money but some of that money needs to come back to help the local turkey hunters. The local NWTF chapter is giving money away to college students, planting pine trees and other good causes but what about the core mission of the NWTF. Turkeys and turkey hunting?

Here's the post on the NWTF forum and Burt's reply.

Same ole same ole, he points the finger at the DFG and says it's their problem. When the EIS that hamstrung the DFG was written, did the NWTF have any input? I'm sure they did, and so both need to own up to this mess and undo this debacle.

CA DFG & NWTF cut us loose. No Turkey transplants - NWTF

[BigBearMike]

First off thanks again Jesse for keeping up the fight. Hopefully DFG hasn't already re-drawn the map and x'd us out in the SBNF.

This stalemate is so frustrating, because there are turkey here in SBNF. The habitat is at least mildly suitable or they'd be dead/gone, especially considering that the last turkey plants per DFG were in 98-99. To me having birds for 10 years in the same area means a stable population in a suitable habitat. Especially considering all the habitat that has been lost to development up here in the last 10 years not to mention the 5 severe fires we've had in that span and the 4 "record" winters. That they are still hanging on tells me that they're established.

So in reality what we're really asking for is not so much transplanting a "new species" into an "untried habitat", but just some population support and the ability to introduce some new DNA into the breeding stock. Perhaps the reason that turkey haven't "flourished" here like they did in San Diego was not so much habitat as that the original plant size in the SBNF was too small, and they're stuggling to overcome the recruitment hurdle. A hen can only produce so many poults. If their recruitment success rate is even 50% (which I think would be very high) then with predation, elements, and disease they're just on the plus side of maintaining the population.

Is there the possibility that the NWTF could task the regional NWTF Biologist Ryan Mathis to do a study of the population in the SBNF? If the local DFG biologist, can't/won't do it, for whatever reason, then maybe NWTF can. (That is if we can pull them off the trough of membership and banquet money long enough to listen to why it's important.)

I think there are a few things that we as individuals can do to help the turkey populaton as well, for example some serious predator control, especially now that the hens are sitting on clutches and are extremely vulnerable. Anything we can do to improve poult recruitment will help us in the end. We might consider installing some guzzlers or some other type of year round water source to "improve" the habitat.

All these ideas aside, if we can't get the population support, then in the long run all these other options will be moot.

If anyone's interested in doing any of this stuff, PM me and maybe we can work something out. Thanks,

Mike

[spectr17]

According to Dave Halbrook, the DFG is revising the turkey range map. If the SBNF gets excluded from that range map then kiss any transplants goodbye for good.

That would be top priority right now. Find out exactly who is revising the map and handhold them to where the turkeys are in the SBNF to prove they are still here. I have no idea who is doing the range map, when it's due out or if it's even underway.

The other logical course of action would be to get the DFG biologist to start studying the local birds so IF any questions come up about habitat or turkeys they can at least have some sort of answers. Right now we have zip. Do some gobble counts in the spring like they do in MO. Put out some game cameras to monitor known flocks etc.

My post on the NWTF forum got pulled, their forum their rules. They feel I'm bashing Dave there by saying we were misled. The post on Old Gobbler is still up is you want to see the response there. The peddling of the claim that turkey transplants are coming to SBNF isn't going to work anymore.

Old Gobber - Turkey Hunting Forum Board for Turkey Hunting Tips, Turkey Calls & Call makers, turkey guns, free classifieds and much more

[WildlifeBranch]

We begin our "triennial" revision of regulations and environmental documents related to hunting starting this summer, to be proposed next February. This is the every 3rd year opportunity for major hunting regulation changes.

Revision and update of species range maps can be a part of that, although it isn't required or necessarily urgent. Each of our game species coordinators in the branch will be working to update information for the environmental documents in coordination with information gained from regional staff. This year, we also need to address climate change. This was brought forward with the loss of the SLO bear hunt as an issue, and the Department is addressing climate change effects on wildlife as required anyhow.

For range occupancy, we typically want to use "present/established" or "rare or absent" mostly to identify "range" [suitable habitat]

There is no concerted effort to wipe away the SBNF area as turkey range and pretend it doesn't exist it is in the 2003 plan. By the same token, if these things are so rare that they can't sustain themselves and grow [as just about every other turkey population has] is it suitable habitat... We have 1 guy who will be working on turkeys statewide, the same guy who wrote the plan several years ago and did the range map then, it isn't hard to find him and he is a damn good expert on this species. Eric

[BigBearMike]

Well according to the document, the 03-04 Turkey Plan was supervised by Tom B. and authored by Scott Gardener of DFG. So if I'm understanding Eric correctly, thats who we need to get up in the field to prove our point.

SGardner@dfg.ca.gov

[WildlifeBranch]

sheesh. i was trying to keep staff names out of the forum.

[spectr17]

Eric, do you want me to edit the name to just initials?

[WildlifeBranch]

Originally Posted by spectr17

Eric, do you want me to edit the name to just initials?

it's ok, Scott knows he's the turkey guy. Tom is retired.

[BigBearMike]

Sorry, Eric, since Scott's name was plastered all over DFG's site as the "turkey guy," I didn't think it would hurt. See what happens when I start thinkin...