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Smallmouth/Invasive (Read 4442 times)
GerardH
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #15 - Mar 14th, 2022 at 4:24pm
 
Further North wrote on Mar 14th, 2022 at 4:03pm:
PhilA wrote on Mar 14th, 2022 at 1:26pm:
The numerous federal agencies that monitor and manage invasive species define them rather succinctly:

"An 'invasive species' is a species that is:
1. non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and,
2. whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health."

Phil


Thanks. 

So...given that there were no turkeys in the state in the 70s and 80s...I could call them "invasive", sort of, and to fit the 2nd part, the "and", turkey hunting is definitely a harm to human health:  Turkey hunters sit in blinds and wait, grouse and woodcock hunters walk their fannies off and are in much better shape.

...that last bit's tongue firmly in cheek, if that's not clear.


There were turkeys in the state in the '70s, but their range was very limited since they were doing a grouse for turkeys swap with Missouri and the first successful transplants were around 1976.  By the '80s they expanded enough that there was a hunting season, my cousin used to hunt south of La Crosse in the late 1980s.  However, to your larger point, historically turkey range was along the Mississippi and WI River corridors and birds that we're seeing up north are clearly non-native and invasive -- whether they're displacing other species or disrupting native habitat, that's up for debate.

Quote:
Pheasants are clearly invasive, and non-native.  I wonder if if anyone has ever done a study on their impact; what they displaced...


From my perspective, pheasants are a bird of a different feather (sorry for the pun) -- while they're clearly non-native, they're a niche species that took advantage of the plow that prairie grouse couldn't survive.  From what I've seen in southern IA and Nebraska, they seem to co-exist with native bobwhite since they use different habitat for the most part.  So I don't think pheasants have displaced any native species that I'm aware of and have simply taken advantage of an unoccupied niche created by the expansion of agriculture.  Similar to brown trout thriving in streams too degraded for native brook trout (which can't be said in all cases where habitat is ideal for both fontinalis and trutta, however). 


Edit:  Wisconsin's first turkey season was 1983 and first fall hunt was 1989.
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« Last Edit: Mar 14th, 2022 at 6:51pm by GerardH »  

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darklake
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #16 - Mar 14th, 2022 at 6:44pm
 
Below is a link to an interesting article about turkey population fluctuations over the years and efforts at establishing new "invasive" populations.  Here in northern Minnesota turkeys are rapidly expanding their range in a region that they have never colonized before.  Although they can handle cold weather well, snow depth was always the limiting factor. That prevents them from scratching for food.  However, in speaking with a wildlife biologist with the DNR I was told that it was the "hot lunch program" that was allowing them to expand.  By that he meant small cattle operations where turkeys could get nourishment from cow pies, including bits of undigested grain.  I also suspect people feeding deer has had a big impact.  In any event, they are doing remarkably well and moving north after having been reintroduced in central and western Minnesota.  Ten years ago there were no turkeys anywhere near here and now they are commonplace (I saw two yesterday just down the road).  As soon as they become a nuisance to local farmers I'll volunteer to shoot them.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/20/turkeys-in-washington-invasive-spe...
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Further North
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #17 - Mar 14th, 2022 at 8:12pm
 
I remember the first wild turkey we found in WI.

We were hunting over a friend's GWP Gypsy.  Gypsy wasn't afraid of anything.  Ever...

She locked up on a bush, about shoulder high...and slowly turned her head to look at Steve with a pure WTF? expression.  We took a couple of steps in and this huge, black thing blew out of the bush...I took a step back...because I didn't know what we'd flushed for a second...

...as far as shooting them, I was in favor for the rule that allowed hunting them with dogs...as I had a GSP at the time that possessed the ability to track and pin down a couple a year...I've not seen a lot of dogs who can do this.  I figured if I got a side on shot at less than about 10 yards, I'd take the shot as it's no harder than hitting a 60MM clay target, and a lot slower.

...I also think it should be legal to shoot them with a rimfire...a 17HMR would be perfect for this.
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Jizzy Pearl
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #18 - Mar 15th, 2022 at 8:16am
 
Bob W wrote on Mar 13th, 2022 at 9:47am:
OTOH, I was told that, before stream improvements in the Bad Axe system, there were a few brookies in the headwaters, but up to Duck Egg Creek it had been totally SMB.  I've fished that system quite a bit but have never seen one since I started fishing there, about 7 years ago.


I've caught SMB, Rock Bass and Perch in that system over the years.
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« Last Edit: Mar 15th, 2022 at 8:16am by Jizzy Pearl »  

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Jizzy Pearl
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #19 - Mar 15th, 2022 at 8:58am
 
Turkey are native to WI...but originally only in the very southern parts of the state.

Now there are too many of them.  Thanks to Wisconsin's "management" plan they have spread into the U.P. as well.

IMO, what they need to do is open the season March 1 thru May 31 and get rid of the 7 day periods that you have to apply for and eliminate the turkey tag and classify turkey under the small game license.  But they won't...because Turkey is a money maker for the state...$15 per license plus $5.25 per stamp.

Having to choose a period to hunt and then hope that the weather isn't crap during the chosen period is why I quit turkey hunting.
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« Last Edit: Mar 15th, 2022 at 9:04am by Jizzy Pearl »  

I LOVE COWS!  THEY PACK DOWN THE STREAM BANKS FOR US...THEN WE EAT THEM!!
 
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Re: Smallmouth/Invasive
Reply #20 - Mar 16th, 2022 at 5:49am
 
Jizzy Pearl wrote on Mar 15th, 2022 at 8:16am:
Bob W wrote on Mar 13th, 2022 at 9:47am:
OTOH, I was told that, before stream improvements in the Bad Axe system, there were a few brookies in the headwaters, but up to Duck Egg Creek it had been totally SMB.  I've fished that system quite a bit but have never seen one since I started fishing there, about 7 years ago.


I've caught SMB, Rock Bass and Perch in that system over the years.

And carp, lots and lots of carp.
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