One-hundred and thirty-one wild turkeys were released this week in Western Navarro County in an effort to restore the population of game birds to the county.

“This is to add some new genetic vigor to the population in the hopes that it will spur them into higher productive rates so we can get a sustainable population established,” said Jay Whiteside, Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist.

The first group of the Rio Grande turkeys were captured near Childress, although some of the gobblers came from Pampa. After being trapped, they were boxed up in sturdy cardboard boxes, one or two per box, and loaded into a trailer for the six-hour ride to Navarro. The 131 released birds consisted of 23 toms, 102 hens and six jakes, or immature males.

About a dozen people, landowners and park staffers, were on hand for the first releases Wednesday afternoon, and they snapped hundreds of photos as the birds were shaken out of their boxes one or two at a time.

All the birds are banded, to help game wardens keep track of the turkeys.

For years, hunting wild turkeys in Navarro County has been illegal, and even if the bird population does start to bounce back, no turkey hunting seasons are likely here for at least five more years, Whiteside said.

“We’ll have to assess it at that time,” he explained. “Just because there’s more turkeys doesn’t mean there will be a season. If it all works out well, and the population is thriving, then we’ll probably open a spring season. For now, there’s no season, and there’s not going to be one for several years.

“Protection of these birds is the most important thing, and anyone who has any information whatsoever about anyone poaching these birds needs to be reported,” Whiteside added. “And releasing pen-raised turkeys is also illegal. Releasing pen-raised turkeys could be more lethal to these turkeys than poaching, because of disease and genetics.”

The efforts to build back up a turkey population have been on-going for years, and the first of the turkey releases in the county were back in the 1980s in the Barry and Blooming Grove areas.

“We still have a few of that original stocking, and there are a few birds still around, but the population never took off and expanded,” Whiteside said. This latest effort is the culmination of five years of building towards this particular catch and release.

One advantage this crop of birds may have is that property owners in the area are actively restoring native habitats for quail through the Western Navarro Bobwhite Quail Initiative. Thus far, nearly 30,000 acres have been dedicated to the quail project, which encourages native grasses, and rotational grazing to provide shelter and natural nesting areas for the birds, and more property owners are urged to provide taller grasses, brush or borders around crop fields to provide nesting for the birds.

Gary and Sue Price of the 77 Ranch have won awards for their efforts to restore their cattle-grazing ranch to a more natural state, and they’ve been very instrumental in giving the quail initiative its wings. They were among the property owners who got some of the turkeys.

“All of us are cattle producers, but we’re showing how it’s not either-or,” Price said. “Good native grasses and plants can provide high-nutrient, drought-tolerant cattle forage, and also provide good quail and turkey habitat.”

Some of the turkeys were released on Army Corps of Engineers property near Navarro Mills, while others went to private ranches. Keeping them safe from poachers is a matter of educating people, Whiteside said.

“Just making them aware,” he said.

Jimmy Stewart is the president of the quail initiative and retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, although he still volunteers with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He and his wife, Debbie, were among those on hand when the turkeys were released Wednesday.

“The turkey (release) is due in large part to the (quail) initiative,” Stewart pointed out. “Where they were released is good habitat. There’s good food and forbs, and remnants of the turkeys that were released before.”

Seeing the reintroduction of the birds is one of the rewards of the work, he said.

“I enjoyed doing that,” he said. “With this (initiative) you get to see a lot of good results.”

Anyone wanting more information about the turkey release program, or who wants advice on making their own property more wildlife-friendly, may call Whiteside at (254) 578-3786.

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Sound Off” on this story? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com.