Turkeys in Alaska

[Last Frontier Hunter]

How can we get turkeys up here. Who do we have to contact!?

[Sir-diealot]

I do believe they have tried several times and they simply will not make it though your winters. Therefore I could contact Butterball.

[guesswho]

Alaska has ine in the record books.

[milertyme03]

I believe the birds could handle the winters depending on the location in Alaska.  Our winters in northern ny are more severe than many areas in Southerm Alaska  I could see turkeys surviving in Kenai peninsula if given the chance. We have - 30 which many parts of Alaska don't hit (near the coast)

[DumpTruckTurkey]

How can a turkey live in Canada but not Alaska?

[CAPTJJ]

They aren't in all parts of Canada, BC only has Merriam's in the Southeast corner where they expanded their range from the US. I suspect the terrain and especially food sources aren't favorable for their survival further north.

I will be spending 5 months this summer in SE Alaska working for Fish & Game on a remote salmon weir, pretty excited to do something different.

[Last Frontier Hunter]

I hear ya. I'm in Kodiak. They wouldn't make it out here. But on the mainland I could see there being a stable number that would gravitate toward the coastal areas.

[Blackduck]

There are introduced turkeys in Alaska. I guess I'm spot burning. One spot was on the Kenai, my buddy up there took me to see them. Appeared to be Rios. He says they're in a few other spots as well. The problem with Alaska turkeys is how Alaska treats turkeys. They treat them as a non-native invasive species with no limit and no season dates just kill them all at any time. The flock I went to see my buddy said was a lot bigger but he said some military guys found out about them and came up there for a few years whenever they were off duty and pounded the crap out of them, hens jakes, gobblers, whatever, and Had really reduced the numbers in this area. Make it a male only spring season and Alaska will have turkeys. It already does, but it could have plenty in certain areas if given a chance.

[maineute]

There are introduced turkeys in Alaska. I guess I'm spot burning. One spot was on the Kenai, my buddy up there took me to see them. Appeared to be Rios. He says they're in a few other spots as well. The problem with Alaska turkeys is how Alaska treats turkeys. They treat them as a non-native invasive species with no limit and no season dates just kill them all at any time. The flock I went to see my buddy said was a lot bigger but he said some military guys found out about them and came up there for a few years whenever they were off duty and pounded the crap out of them, hens jakes, gobblers, whatever, and Had really reduced the numbers in this area. Make it a male only spring season and Alaska will have turkeys. It already does, but it could have plenty in certain areas if given a chance.

Sounds like the real question is, "How do you get Alaska to manage them like a Game Species?" That is the only was they would get NWTF to sponsor more management and transplant efforts.
Start with your state representatives and get them to create laws to protect them and then eventually have seasons.