Ignace turkey biography of alberta

Turkey Distribution and Trends

In Alberta, the demand for hunting wild turkeys is very high, with 5,585 applicants pursuing 200 tags in 2022 (3.6% draw success awarded to only those with 12+ years priority), while an additional 18,736 hunters applied to boost their priority level.

With 24,300+ hunters seeking a turkey tag, it has become a once-in-life-time opportunity for most hunters, and many will never be drawn at the current allocation rate.

Wild turkeys were first introduced into Alberta in 1962 when 21 wild turkeys from South Dakota were translocated to the Cypress Hills in southeastern Alberta.

At the same time, three wild turkeys were sent to the Brooks Pheasant Hatchery for breeding purposes and future introductions. Since then, several translocations have established populations of varying size, scattered throughout southwestern Alberta.

In 2021, we initiated a citizen science approach to monitor wild turkeys with private landholders across their range in southwestern A