Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Once Driven Near Extinction, Wild Turkeys Making Themselves At Home In Quebec

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Jul, 2019 08:11 PM

    MONTREAL - They arrived a few years ago — three-foot tall, bare-headed visitors that would occasionally stare intently at residents from their balconies and yards.

     

    The wild turkeys frankly unnerved some citizens of St-Sauveur, a picturesque town in the Laurentians region north of Montreal, says Jean Beaulieu, the town's general manager.

     

    "They were in people's yards, on their cars, and there were people who were scared to leave their homes because they can be aggressive, especially when they have their young," Beaulieu said in a phone interview.

     

    Once hunted near extinction, wild turkeys are an increasingly common sight in southern Quebec, thanks to warmer winters and a successful conservation and relocation program that has brought their numbers back from the brink.

     

    Residents report seeing the large, dark-coloured omnivorous birds perching on balconies, wandering through front lawns, and digging for seeds or insects on golf courses.

     

    But Beaulieu says despite the initial shock, few people in the town seem bothered anymore.

     

    "The first time you see them you're surprised, because it's pretty spectacular, the colour, the size, it's a pretty big animal. But you get used to seeing them," he said, adding that the birds appear to have become more shy in the years since they were reintroduced.

    Like any other neighbours, they've learned to cohabit.

     

    Andre Dumont, a biologist with Quebec's wildlife department, says it's difficult to know how many turkeys there are, because their population can fluctuate drastically.

     

    A harsh, snowy winter can reduce their numbers by as much as half, while a hot, dry summer creates ideal breeding conditions. Therefore, he says the department relies on an annual survey of hunters to gain an impression of how the population is doing.

     

    What is clear, he says, is that their population has been gradually increasing over the years in southern Quebec and Ontario, thanks in part to milder winters, long growing seasons, and a conservation program started in the United States a few decades ago. Hunting was restricted, habitats were preserved, and trapped birds were reintroduced to areas where they'd once disappeared.

     

    "It's a nice story of re-establishing a species," he said.

     

    The turkeys' return is pleasing to hunters, who pour about $5 million a year into the province's economy during the annual hunt.

    Steve Tardif, the president of hunters' group Club Dindon Sauvage Montreal, says he believes the population has stabilized rather than grown in recent years, and that new sightings can be attributed to migration rather than expansion.

     

    "We see areas where we never saw turkeys and now we see them, whereas other areas that had a large population don't," he said.

    While hunters may be happy to see the turkeys, not everyone feels that way.

     

    Their large size and presence near roadways can be a potential hazard for drivers, and Dumont said the Gatineau, Que., airport has had to deal with turkeys on its runways.

     

    A spokesman for Transport Canada says turkeys, like any large birds, can threaten aircraft.

     

    "Airports take a number of steps to reduce the threat of bird strikes, including grass cutting, visual and auditory repellents, and population control," Alexandre Desjardins said in an email.

     

    Farmers, too, have complained about them destroying fields, although Dumont says they're often being unfairly blamed for damage caused by other, more discreet animals such as deer or raccoons.

     

    "It's a big bird that we see from far, that is awake when we are," he said by way of explanation. "The studies have shown that a lot of damage to the harvest that is attributed to birds, is done falsely."

     

    Both Dumont and Tardif see the turkey's return as a positive, chalking it up to win for biodiversity and conservation. Both say Canada's tough winters make it unlikely the population will ever grow to an entirely problematic level.

     

    And Tardif points out they're also delicious.

     

    He recommends they be served either smoked, marinated and barbecued, or as a traditional holiday meal.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Dozens Of Delegates Turn Their Backs On Trudeau As PM Defends His Feminist Credentials After Tossing 2 Women From Liberal Caucus

    Dozens Of Delegates Turn Their Backs On Trudeau As PM Defends His Feminist Credentials After Tossing 2 Women From Liberal Caucus
    Tracy Beshara, executive director of Marpole Oakridge Family Place in south Vancouver, said she has met Wilson-Raybould and she is a woman of "integrity and quality."

    Dozens Of Delegates Turn Their Backs On Trudeau As PM Defends His Feminist Credentials After Tossing 2 Women From Liberal Caucus

    Canada'S Failure To Fight Climate Change 'Disturbing,' Environment Watchdog Says

    Canada'S Failure To Fight Climate Change 'Disturbing,' Environment Watchdog Says
    OTTAWA — Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand says Canada is not doing enough to combat climate change.    

    Canada'S Failure To Fight Climate Change 'Disturbing,' Environment Watchdog Says

    Cabinet Members Openly Debate Jody Wilson-Raybould's Future In Liberal Caucus

    Jane Philpott left a meeting of her fellow Ontario Liberal MPs after just a few minutes Tuesday afternoon, leaving them to debate her future in the party caucus without her.    

    Cabinet Members Openly Debate Jody Wilson-Raybould's Future In Liberal Caucus

    Preliminary Search Finds No Reports Of Coerced Sterilization To Police: RCMP

    Preliminary Search Finds No Reports Of Coerced Sterilization To Police: RCMP
    In a letter to NDP health critic Don Davies, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki says the Mounties searched their national database but did not find any criminal reports of forced or coerced sterilization.

    Preliminary Search Finds No Reports Of Coerced Sterilization To Police: RCMP

    MP Tony Clement Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election In October

    MP Tony Clement Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election In October
    OTTAWA — MP Tony Clement says he will not seek re-election, citing a desire to continue a "better lived life."    

    MP Tony Clement Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election In October

    Coleman Says Boyle's Violence Got Worse As Captivity Wore On

    Joshua Boyle's estranged wife is detailing in court today his increasingly unsettled state as their time as hostages in Afghanistan wore on, and her hope the beatings she suffered in captivity would end with their release.

    Coleman Says Boyle's Violence Got Worse As Captivity Wore On