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Times -Advocate, February 9, 1994
Reintroduction of vanished species
Wild turkeys once again
roaming Huron County
By Adrian Harte
T -A Editor
BRUCEFIELD - Turkeys may be fairly common
on Huron County farms, but wild ones aren't. The
last of the native wild turkey population was wiped
out some time around 1909, the victim of land clear-
ing and unregulated hunting.
But the turkeys are making a comeback. The Min-
istry of Natural Resources, with the support of the
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and a
group known as the Huron -Perth Wild Turkey Asso-
ciation, are re -introducing the birds into the county
in the hope they will once again flourish.
Wild turkeys, North America's largest game birds,
were brought to Ontario from Missouri, Iowa, Mich-
igan, New York, Vermont and New Jersey in 1984
to be released in southern Ontario. Now that those
birds are growing in population, several are being
trapped and brought into Huron County.
Kevin Coultes, a deputy conservation officer with
the ministry, brought four birds to the Brucefield
area Thursday to join 11 birds released earlier. The
exact location of the release in Stanley Township is
being kept quiet to discourage poaching.
Coultes said the introduction of 12-15 birds at each
wood lot release site should be adequate to re-
populate the species in the area. He said the ministry
has been releasing wild turkeys all across its district,
starting with a similar project near Wingham two
years ago.
Given the birds' survival instincts and reproduction,
Coultes says it won't be long before a wild turkey
hunting season can be allowed in the county.
"You'll probably have a hunting season in 96 or
'97, depending on how the flocks develop," he said.
The turkey is a wary bird, however, and those who
hunt the gobbler in other jurisdictions don't bet heavi-
ly on success. The ministry says most turkey hunters
get their bird only 10-15 percent of the time in the
season - or about one third the success rate of the av-
erage deer hunter.
Even the ministry has to use several days of bait to
lure the turkeys within reach of their rocket -propelled
nets to capture the birds for transport and transplant-
ing.
If anyone should catch a glimpse of a wild turkey,
either in the woods or on the farm, the ministry would
like to hear from them. This information helps track
the survival of the birds, their dispersal and move-
ments in the new areas. Also, any suspected poach-
ing activity should be reported immediately, the min-
istry asks.
)
tl
Kevin Coultes at
left, holds an
adult male
"tom", a wild tur-
key he relea8ed
into Stanley
Township on
Thursday.
Its freedom de-
nied only for a
day, below, a
young wild turkey
blasts out of the
box it was trans-
ported in from
the Simcoe area
to its new home
in Stanley Town-
ship.
One Foot in the Furrow
By Bob Trotter
"Exotic" plants grown in Canada?
A friend recently returned
from a prolonged holiday in
Costa Rica. He was impressed,
he said, when he saw the small
fields and small farms in many
areas.
Small farms in Costa Rica7rI
thought the country was full of
huge farms owned by a few
with peasant farmers doing the
work. Not so in this peace -
loving Central American state,
he found out. In fact, he was
quite surprised to find that
thousands of small farms are
thriving, as small as three or
four acres.
What are they growing on
such small plots? A great many
of them are growing crops that
work as natural medicines. They
are, my friend suggested, away
ahead of Canadian farmers. He
believes they are in the forefront
of a tidal wave of going back to
natural products to heal.
Although the trend has not
gained much momentun in
either Canada or the United
States, he believesit will be a
big boost for agriculture for
anybody who wants to get in on
the ground floor of a coming
phenomenon.
I can hear the skeptics saying
that we cannot grow such
"exotic" plants and herbs here
because of our cold winters but
those same skeptics probably
pooh-poohed growing hybrid
oil from the seed although some
people believe the whole plant
can be used.
I don't know because I got no
encouragement to plant it but it
still seems like a viable idea -to
me.
There are all kinds of herbs
and plants that can easily be
grown in our harsh climate such
as black cohosh for rheumatoid
arthritis, alder buckthorn for
constipation, burdock for kidney
trouble and gout, catnip to sooth
nerves and as a sedative,
cayenne to help ward off a
cold, echinacea for a sore throat,
garlic for almost anything,
goldenseal root for sore eyes
and ulcers, horse chestnut for
circulatory problems, juniper
berries for their diurectic action,
nettles for the same reason,
psyllium for blisters, slippery
elm as a skin salve for burns or
chapped hands, wintergreen for
sore muscles and witch hazel for
skin.
OFA meets
with legislators
TORONTO - If Ontario is to
broaden its tax base the provincial
government must first create a busi-
ness environment under which
farmers and other small business
can thrive and create new wealth
and jobs. That was the message the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
(OFA) presented the Ontario Legis-
lature's Standing Committee on Fi-
nance and Economic Affairs today.
Pointing out to the committee
that farmers' spending on repairs
has almost caught up with their in-
vestment in new machinery and
buildings, OFA President Roger
George said "this is an ominous
trend. If farmers are to be competi-
tive, we need to modernize our
plant and equipment, just like any
other industry."
Hundreds, perhaps thousands
of other plants are used by
herbalists but the above list
includes those that are either
native to North America or can
easily be grown in Canada.
Now, if I had a spare acre of
land, maybe, since all three
beautiful daughters are no
longer living at home, I could
grow that evening primrose and
make a buck.
corn in Ontario or tobacco north
of Highway 401.
The use of plants to heal or
combat illness is as old as
humans. Every culture in the
world has relied on local herbs
and plants to treat illness
although our culture seems bent
on trying to forget that fact. We
rely too much on synthetic
drugs for comfort.
Some years ago when we
lived in the country, I was about
to plant evening primrose on an
acre of lattd. We needed the
land for a horse pasture but 1
was getting a little tired of the
equines one summer and was
threatening to sell all but one. I
was talked out of it by my
daughters who wouldn't hear of
selling a horse.
But this plant, a fragrant
bloomer, opens in the evening
and has the reputation for being
a cure-all. Fans of this sweet,
golden flower (weed?) swear
that it promotes weight loss,
lowers blood cholesteral and
blood pressure and is effective
in treating a great variety of ills
from asthma to stomach
problems, as a sedative and a
painkiller, from premenstrual
syndrome to anti clotting.
Best of all, it is a native North
American plant and can be
grown almost anywhere.
Mind you, you would have to
find a method of extracting the
HAVE US PREPARE
YOUR 1993 PERSONAL TAX RETURN
RECEIVE
FROM
REVENUE
AS
2 WEE
CANADA IN
LITTLE AS
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by tJ ng
electronically with
Accurately and Efficiently
Starting atS19.00
Call for an appointment at our offices
located in:
Hensall, Clinton, Exeter, Grand Bend
263-3039 or 1-800-567-0844
Fax: 262-3111
W. H. MacGREGOR
FARM ACCOUNTING SERVICE
114 King St. 16 years experience . Hensall
1876
NOTICE OF 1994
L MEETING
ANNUAL MEETING
Established 1876
The 118th Annual
MEETING of the
Members will be held in
the
OFFICE
BUILDING
of
McKillop Mutual
Insurance Company
91 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario
on
Wednesday, February 23, at 1:30 p.m.
- to receive and dispose of the 1993 Financial and
Auditor's Reports
- to appoint Auditors
- to transact any other business that may properly
come before the meeting
The retiring directors are Alex Townsend, Lavern
Godkin, Donald McKercher. All are eligible for re-
election.
- Any person wishing to seek election or re-election
as a Director must file his intention to stand for
election in writing with the Secretary of the Company
at least seven days in advance of the Annual
Meeting. (By-law #21 (d)).
JAMES CARDIFF
Secretary -Treasurer -Manager
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