By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
NASHUA – The state has a new 1,308-acre Wildlife Management Area in Marlow and Alstead named for the late Ted Walski, an iconic wildlife biologist who was responsible for the reintroduction of wild turkeys to New Hampshire.
The state’s Executive Council voted Wednesday to approve the Fish and Game Department request to create the new wildlife area using $1.6 million in federal funds. The action was taken at the council’s meeting at Nashua Community College.
The public will be able to hunt, fish and enjoy non-motorized recreation at the area which has been held in trust for the transfer to the state since 2024.
Walski, of Langdon, passed away at age 79 on December 2, 2023. He worked for the NH Fish & Game Department for over 47 years, retiring at age 76.
According to his obituary, he was likely the longest serving state wildlife biologist in New England.
During the early 1970s, he enrolled in a graduate program at the University of New Hampshire and earned his M.S. in Wildlife in 1973. He was hired by the NH Fish & Game Department in May 1972. In April 1973, he became the Wild Turkey Biologist, where his achievements are most recognized and he fulfilled that role until he retired in November 2019.
“Ted successfully reintroduced turkeys into New Hampshire in 1975 and accelerated the distribution and range expansion of turkeys within the state through trap and translocation until 1995. The first turkey hunting season was held in 1980. The reintroduction of wild turkeys into the state is not only one of Ted’s greatest achievements, it represents one of the greatest wildlife success stories in the history of our state.
“Ted’s accomplishments were recognized by the Department and the Commission in 2016, when he was awarded the Ellis R. Hatch, Jr. Commission Award of Excellence,” his obituary says.
New Hampshire has 124 Wildlife Management Areas totaling more than 60,000 acres https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt746/files/documents/wma-rules-list.pdf with the largest being the 14,998 acre Connecticut Lakes Headwaters WMA. They are designed to allow for improvement of wildlife habitat but also to allow hunting, fishing, trapping and other recreational uses.
Dr. Stephanie Simek, director of Fish and Game, wrote Gov. Kelly Ayotte that the acquisition represents an opportunity to protect a large contiguous block of habitat that will enhance the connectivity of conservation lands in Cheshire County.
She noted it has wild bird populations, bear, deer and moose.
A copy of the request is included here https://media.sos.nh.gov/govcouncil/2026/0729/056-GC-Agenda-072926.pdf
Before Walski successfully led an experiment to reintroduce turkeys back to New Hampshire, there were none left due to overhunting.
Today, the population is estimated at 50,000 birds and are again a hunted species. In the spring of 2025, hunters took 4,845 birds, a six percent increase from the prior year.
There is also a three month archery season for turkeys which begins Sept. 15 and a seven-day shotgun season.