Commission calls on turkey hunters
A study of lymphoproliferative disease virus, a malady affecting wild turkeys, is calling in help from hunters.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking successful hunters to remove the unfeathered portion of a lower leg, place it in a sealable plastic bag labeled with the county where killed, date taken, beard length and spur length, sex of the turkey and the Big Game Harvest ID number. Hunters should freeze the samples and then call 919.707.0050 for instructions on submitting them.
Though the virus does not affect humans, turkeys carrying it exhibit signs such as weakness, disorientation and nodules around the head and feet. The first documented case of the virus in North America occurred in 2009. In North Carolina, there have been six documented cases.
