Wild turkeys subject of program at library

As part of the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon’s new program series at Bangor Public Library, a program on wild turkeys in Maine with Kelsey Sullivan will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the library. Sullivan is a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Wild turkeys began disappearing in Maine during the 19th century because of extensive agricultural conversion of forestland and unrestricted hunting. They remained missing for most of the last 100 years. As early as 1942, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tried to reintroduce them to the state, without much luck. In the 1980s, successful reintroduction led to an exploding population and rapidly increasing range. DIF&W’s own game bird specialist will explain why.