Posted on 11/20/2008 4:18:30 PM PST by posterchild
In honor of Thanksgiving – and the constant stream of complaints wildlife officials get about the wild version of our holiday meal – this little item will be all about how to avoid the big birds from pecking at your heels this holiday season.
The good news is that wild turkeys have made a stunning comeback after being wiped out in the state by the mid-1800s from hunting and loss of habitat. Today, there are about 20,000-25,000 birds in Massachusetts. The bad news is that the wild turkeys have moved into Brookline, Newton and other suburbs where they are gaining an infamous reputation for terrorizing residents.
“No one ever guessed turkeys would become comfortable in urban and suburban areas…biologists thought these are very wary birds, there is no way they would get used to people, said Marion Larson, a biologist at MassWildlife. “But they found food in those places and they stayed.”
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
There are turkeys and there are turkeys.
Wild turkeys seem to be the subjet here.
How about human turkeys? Would you rather soar with the eagles or fly with the turkeys?
A little off center I know, but I couldn’t help myself.
KENNEDY VOTERS!
Area I grew up in is within sight of the NYC skyline. My parents had a flock of 13 turkeys walking around two weeks ago.
The turkeys fully comprehend the dangers of motor vehicles, when they hear one coming, one of them puts out a warning call, they all move to the side of the road, it looks like kids playing stick ball. And as soon as the car passes, the turkeys continue on their way across the neighborhood roads.
Here’s how to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCCpRfB5aUU
damn things... some mornings it's like running the gauntlet on the way to work!
Unlike their overweight domesticated cousins!
I’m drinking my turkey this holiday season. LOL!
Don’t pluck them....skin them, way faster, and not as messy.
Bodhi, you big, sweet, lovable, intuitive, smarter-than-smart, more-human-than-human Golden Lab beast: I shall lift my glass to you, my canine friend. I shall always remember you. And we shall meet again in God's Kingdom, of that I am sure. Give my father a kiss on the cheek for me.
I have, but I like the skin on them for roasting for Thanksgiving. I guess I am a traditionalist.
Lol....now that would definitely quell the “terror.”
WKRP not withstanding, (wild) turkeys CAN fly, though they prefer not to fly very far, mostly into trees for roosting.
Well, one day I was riding my Ducati down a road, minding my own business, and a turkey just happened to fly across the road, at right about head level. I just managed to duck low enough to avoid hitting it with my head. It was quite scary.
We’ve got tons of the critters around Kansas City. In fact, we’ve got quite a bit of other wildlife around here too. Stuff that you wouldn’t expect around here. Cougars and armadillos have turned up in the area. Now if we could just get the cougars to eat the armadillos!
Mark
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