With real pride many people call this program a real turkey.
The return of the wild turkey is one of the most successful wildlife reintroduction programs in North America, and, with an extraordinary effort this past winter, the program continues to make history.
Once native to Ontario, the wild turkey disappeared from the province about 100 years ago because of loss of habitat and unregulated commercial harvest. In 1984 the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, launched a reintroduction program that began with just 274 birds.
The ongoing reintroduction effort continued throughout the winter of 2000/2001 when 429 wild turkeys were captured from thriving flocks here in Ontario. Another 188 birds were transferred from Tennessee bringing a total of 617 wild turkeys to 38 different release sites in the province. This year’s efforts further bolster the population of these magnificent birds that now number well in excess of 30,000.