Can Wild Turkeys Be Planted on Private Property?

February 25, 2010

Question: Is it possible (and legal) to purchase live wild turkeys to turn loose on my property to see how they do? Is there any law against buying live wild turkeys inside California or outside the state and having them shipped here? (Jarrod D., Sanger)

Answer: There is nothing illegal about selling or purchasing domestic poultry sold as wild turkeys. However, it is not legal to release into the wild turkeys that have been domestically reared for propagation or hunting purposes. Only wild turkeys trapped from the wild by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) may be released into the wild (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 671.6).

In addition, no person having possession or control over any wild animal legally imported under the provisions of this chapter shall intentionally free, or knowingly permit the escape, or release of such animals, except in accordance with the regulations of the commission (Fish and Game Code, section 2121).

According to DFG upland game bird and turkey expert Scott Gardner, aside from the fact that you cannot legally release domestically reared turkeys onto your property, biologically, no matter what the turkeys look like, if they were domestically hatched, they are domestic birds. Upland game birds imprint immediately on their hen, and without her they will not learn the skills to be wild. Domestically reared birds will not survive and don’t even know to take cover.

Bottom line … domestically reared birds released on a landowners’ property will not result in the wild turkeys that they are trying to establish.