Wild turkeys are doing well in Winneshiek County, says Winneshiek County Conservation Board employee

(Left to right): Decorah Lions President Steve Tjossem and Winneshiek County Natural Resources Manager with Larry Reis

It was around 50 years ago that wild turkeys began being returned to Winneshiek County.  Winneshiek County Conservation Board Natural Resources Manager Larry Reis says the wild turkeys inhabited Winneshiek County when European settlers first arrived in the state but were eliminated by 1900 due to unregulated hunting.

Reis spoke recently to members of the Decorah Lions Club, telling them how wild turkeys were reestablished in Iowa in the 1960s through trap and release efforts of the Iowa Conservation Commission and outdoor enthusiasts.  Over 3,500 Eastern wild turkeys were brought to 86 different counties in Iowa between 1965 and 2001. The turkeys did so well that by 1980 the DNR decided to start trading turkeys to other states.