16 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
By Justin Haag
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nebraska
reintroduced wild turkeys from other states
to its landscape after the big birds had been
extirpated decades earlier during the nation's
westward expansion. The reintroduction was
so successful that turkeys have again become
common border-to-border, and Nebraska is
now able to return the favor to another state.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
led an effort in February to trap wild turkeys
on a ranch near Whiteclay in northern
Sheridan County for relocation to Montana.
The turkeys were held overnight and picked
up by Montana state wildlife staff for release
in the Great Falls area.
A total of 91 birds were caught, 61 birds
in the morning and 30 in late afternoon. The
total included 13 males.
Nebraska Game and Parks lured the birds to
three roughly 400-square-foot netted enclosures and closed
each door with the pull of a cord. Agency staff, along with
a cadre of volunteers largely consisting of Chadron State
College students, then processed the birds. After each bird
was chased down and caught in the enclosure it was checked
by a veterinarian and placed in a cardboard box, made just
for the job by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The
boxes of birds were stored in a livestock trailer until the
journey west.
"Although they can be tricky to catch in the enclosure, the
birds usually become rather docile
once caught," said Todd Nordeen,
the Nebraska Game and Parks big
game research manager leading the
effort. "They won't fight much when
hanging by their feet and they do not
even try to move around much in the
cardboard boxes."
Nebraska has used wildlife from
other states for reintroduction efforts
of a variety of species within its
borders, including bighorn sheep
that were captured in Montana and
brought to Nebraska. Nebraska was
able to return the favor to Montana
by providing wild turkeys. It's just
the latest example of interstate
cooperation to assist the range-wide
conservation of a species.
Nordeen said Montana's state
wildlife division is seeking turkeys
with characteristics of the Merriam's
subspecies. The distinct wide white
band found across the tail feathers
of those birds is predominant among
northwestern Nebraska's turkey
population. ■
PHOTO
BY
JUSTIN
HAAG
Turkeys Get
One-way Trip to
Montana
Micah Ellstrom,
northwest district
wildlife manager for
public lands, holds a
turkey to be boxed and
sent to Montana.
