Turkey hunt heats up in Que

Sujet: Turkey hunt heats up in Que Mar 9 Oct 2007 - 10:22

Turkey hunt heats up in Que. amid population boom
Updated Sun. Oct. 7 2007 9:42 AM ET

The Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Turkey is on the mind of many Quebec outdoorsmen and it has little to do with Thanksgiving.

Hunters have set their sights on a province-wide wild turkey hunt after a new study suggests the bird's population is booming.

A joint study by the Quebec Wildlife Federation and Quebec's natural resources and wildlife ministry suggests milder winters and strict hunting restrictions have helped the birds flourish in areas where they were rarely seen in the past.

Quebec's current rules permit unlimited fall turkey hunts in regions primarily north of the St. Lawrence.

But Martin Savard, of the Quebec Wildlife Federation, says an inventory from last spring shows there are now thousands of turkeys in the Outaouais and Monteregie regions.

The federation, which represents some 300-thousand hunters and anglers across the province, is asking the government to institute a spring hunt with a quota of one turkey per hunter, per year.

Savard says the proposed spring hunt would start after mating season and target only male adults to ensure the population continues to grow.

The proposal recommends eliminating the existing fall hunt, which allows hunters to kill female and young turkeys.
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