Wild turkey hunt enthusiasts may be releasing turkeys in wild

A New Brunswick birderbelieves people eager for a wild turkey hunt in the province may be intentionally releasing turkeys into the wild.

Alain Clavette says wild turkeysightings have increased across the province in recent weeks, despite the birds not being native to New Brunswick.

"At the speed it's going now, it's obvious it's being helped by humans," he said.

Last August, former premier David Alward announced his intention to institute a turkey huntin the spring of 2015.

But it is currentlyillegal to release or possess a wild turkey in New Brunswick.

Clavettesays he's not against the turkey hunt, but says it needs to be done with careful attention to how a growing population of wild turkeys will impact other wildlife, the environment, and agriculture.

"I'm just caring about the balance of our fragile ecosystems and I just wish that we wouldn't repeat the mistakes that we clearly made in the past," he said, citing the population explosion of the Canada Goose as an example of what happens when a new species isn't managed properly.

"Farmers in other provinces have been having lots of problems with [wild turkeys] introduced, [we] simply don't want to see the same mistake happening here," said Clavette.

Although no one claims they are introducing these animals on purpose,it seems to be happening all over the place.- Alain Clavette, birder

"And it seems like it's happening,although no one claims they are introducing these animals on purpose,it seems to be happening all over the place."

A Department of Natural Resources spokesperson confirms officialsare investigating reports of a person in the Memramcook area releasing turkeys into the wild.

Yolonde Leblanc has photos of wild turkeys on her property in the community.

"As you can see, these birds are not in the woods, they are in urban areas," she said.

It could be several months before detailsaboutnext spring's turkey hunt are released because they have not yet beenestablished, the department spokesperson said.

A New Brunswick-based chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has been lobbying the provincial government to introduce wild turkeys for hunting. But Rob Wilson, president of the Saint John River Valley chapter of the federation, has said he does not encourage people to release birds on their own.