In the 1980's wild turkeys were reintroduced to Colorado. The reintroduction was very successful, and now the state is working to control the population. An unlimited number of turkey licenses will be issued to help with the conflict turkeys. The goal is to cull about 10-15% of the conflict population.

Out of 64 counties in Colorado, 53 have turkeys. There is an estimated population of 35,000.

In late winter the turkeys move to the farms, and drink and eat the feed that farmers put out for their livestock. Kenny Rose is a rancher with land off the Arikaree River on Colorado's northeastern prairie. He thinks that wild turkeys could become a larger problem than prairie dogs if something isn't done to kill them.

There have been efforts to reduce the turkeys' impact on farmers, such as placing food out in the fields to lure the turkeys away from the farms. The turkeys eat it all and then return to the farms, around the barn areas. They've also tried "varmint guns" that make a loud noise. Initially it scared off the turkeys, but now nothing. "Nothing fazes them," Rose said. From Denverpost.com [2].