Village board lifts restrictions on shooting turkeys in city limits

Friday, January 20, 2017

WAUNETA, Neb. -- Until Jan. 31, hunters can shoot troublesome turkeys within the village limits of Wauneta.

After the village board lifted a restriction on the use of shotguns within the village earlier this month, the Wauneta Breeze newspaper reported that wild turkeys can now be hunted on village-owned and private property.

The village has no ordinance restricting the use of bows and arrows within the village limits.

Hunters must get permission from the village office and fill out the required paperwork. The village office has maps showing village-owned properties.

Hunters stalking turkeys on private property must have the property owner's permission.

All hunters must follow all Nebraska Game and Parks hunting laws; a turkey permit costs $20 and allows hunters to harvest up to two turkeys a season. The season ends Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The Breeze reports that Wauneta property owners are having trouble with wild turkeys roosting on roofs and fences and damaging lawns and landscaping. John Lee, a game warden with Game and Parks, told village board members that they could lift the shotgun restriction and let people hunt the turkeys within the village limits; or Game and Parks could trap and relocate the trouble-making turkeys.

Lee said hunting the turkeys would decrease the turkey population and hopefully re-instill a fear of people.

A third option was to ask Game and Parks to issue a "kill permit" for the turkeys, which would entail the U.S. Department of Agriculture sending biologists to assess turkey damages. If the biologists determined the damages were substantial, officials would come in and kill all the turkeys in town and send a bill for services to the village.

According to the Breeze, if village board members had decided to go that route, they would also have to pass an ordinance stating that feeding wild turkeys within the village limits is illegal.

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