Turkey hunting, domestic?

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  • lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Was just reading something from a neighbor who was looking to raise turkeys. “Heritage” breeds most and some eastern wild turkeys. Didn’t clip their wings. All the hens literally flew off.

    What the heck are the hunting regs on wild, not wild turkeys?

    I know the regs on fallow deer. Would escaped domestic they be considered regulated as turkeys (season, weapons and bag limits)?

    Or considered nuisance animals and not regulated at all?

    Likely doesn’t matter as they got loose in to a state park that is archery hunting for deer only and I doubt DNR would cotton to someone shooting even a nuisance animal like a ground hog with any hunting device.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    We have killed domestic farm ducks waterfowl hunting and just counted them as part of the limit. No birds that walked into our spread but flew with them like wild. We considered we were doing the state a favor by removing the intruders from the gene pool for the spring.

    IMO, DNR should give you a pass on them as a Feral and unlimited on the domestics. Escaped Eastern Wild Turkeys would be off limits as they are the same gene pool probably very hard to know if killing domestic or poaching. BUT, I am not DNR and don't get to have an opinion, that matters. I would call Gwynnbrook or Echo Lake and ask an officer directly.

    Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, Howard, Montgomery counties and Baltimore City
    Gwynnbrook Office- 410-356-7060
    3738 Gwynnbrook Ave.
    Owings Mills, MD 21117

    Frederick and Washington counties
    Echo Lake Office- 301-293-1940
    2011 Monument Rd.
    Myersville, MD 21773
     

    Afrikeber

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 14, 2013
    6,686
    Urbana, Md.
    I’m not an expert on this but my understanding is DNR claims jurisdiction over all wildlife. Not sure how you would prove how your harvest is domestic versus wild without an expensive means in testing. I would hate to be in the expensive position of proving my innocence that my harvest is legitimate. Perhaps someone who has better knowledge of this will comment.
     

    ChrisD

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2013
    2,992
    Conowingo
    I’ve seen domestic turkeys intermingled into a flock of wild turkeys. Why would it matter at that point? You would just be checking in a turkey. They are easy enough to spot. They will breed with the flock also. I took this picture near my house the other day. Guess which one the “mutt” is.
    1BE5B54E-EDAF-47B2-AC66-5577BCD50456.jpg
     

    ChrisD

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2013
    2,992
    Conowingo
    I’m not an expert on this but my understanding is DNR claims jurisdiction over all wildlife. Not sure how you would prove how your harvest is domestic versus wild without an expensive means in testing. I would hate to be in the expensive position of proving my innocence that my harvest is legitimate. Perhaps someone who has better knowledge of this will comment.

    Prove your innocence? This isn’t the USSA, yet.
     
    Many years ago my old landlord did the same thing. His property bordered Liberty Reservoir and his turkeys flew away and set up roosting in the city's property. They are still there, scattered around Liberty and the surrounding area in Baltimore and Carroll counties. For the most part you can't tell them apart from wild turkeys.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I’ve seen domestic turkeys intermingled into a flock of wild turkeys. Why would it matter at that point? You would just be checking in a turkey. They are easy enough to spot. They will breed with the flock also. I took this picture near my house the other day. Guess which one the “mutt” is.
    View attachment 303698

    2nd from left?
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Thanks guys. Of course no way to tell on the eastern wilds that escaped. Just curious on the others. I don't plan to go looking for them and doubt I'd ever see them. My place is close enough there is a chance they might wander over here. I've yet to catch any turkeys on a game camera, but I've seen them pass through my woods a couple of times this past spring (been here close to 2 years now). Not a big spread, only 4.4 acres, but I can bow hunt deer on the property. If I had the chance I'd bow hunt turkey too.

    For the proving it, I mean, most domestic breeds look very different from a wild turkey.

    My Mom's granddad was a Turkey farmer. Died before I was born, but my mom always said he hated turkeys. On the whole cantankerous, smart and surprisingly stupid all at the same time.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,175
    Mt Airy
    I raise turkeys. Depending on the Heritage breed, you might not be able to tell them apart from wild turkeys. We have Bourbon Reds, which obviously have a different color pattern. But a few of them look identical to wild birds.

    That said, if you are hunting in season, you can take any one you want. You just treat it like a normal harvest. Good luck!

    I have a neighbor who has a feral population of sheep roaming around. They're fenced in, but occasionally one or two get out. The population has probably tripled in the last 5 or 6 years, and I expect more to get out in the near future. Can't wait for one of those to pass my tree stand :innocent0
     

    ChrisD

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2013
    2,992
    Conowingo
    Actually that's a rare piebald turkey with the same condition you see in deer. It's called Leucism and is a genetic condition

    Interesting, thanks. I have seen them before and always thought it was from breeding with a domestic.
     

    OneGunTex

    Escaped Member
    Jan 12, 2021
    232
    Southern Maryland, no longer
    Thanks guys. Of course no way to tell on the eastern wilds that escaped. Just curious on the others. I don't plan to go looking for them and doubt I'd ever see them. My place is close enough there is a chance they might wander over here. I've yet to catch any turkeys on a game camera, but I've seen them pass through my woods a couple of times this past spring (been here close to 2 years now). Not a big spread, only 4.4 acres, but I can bow hunt deer on the property. If I had the chance I'd bow hunt turkey too.

    For the proving it, I mean, most domestic breeds look very different from a wild turkey.

    My Mom's granddad was a Turkey farmer. Died before I was born, but my mom always said he hated turkeys. On the whole cantankerous, smart and surprisingly stupid all at the same time.
    If you got stopped by the DNR would probably come down to appearance. If it was clearly not a wild turkey, then all you did was harvest livestock. If it looked like a wild turkey, then you'd better be in season and checking that guy.
    As said above, probably not worth d*king around and trying to argue that the exact bird you shot was an escapee rather than a wild bird

    Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk
     

    Sarfs1

    Member
    Mar 20, 2020
    66
    I second this line of thinking but also would get a reply from DNR in email so there is a record of the response
     

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