Plus turkeys walk through our yard.. :0)
What?
The FLOCK??
Were they singing
"Us in the hay...Us in the straw!!" ???
R they tasty, Al ?
I did not take one..
But we have wild turkey once or twice a year tho..
Are there still wild turkeys in New England? I thought it was something from the Pilgrim days.
quote:
Originally posted by doncAre there still wild turkeys in New England? I thought it was something from the Pilgrim days.
In plenty, I assure you. The arrogant bastitches seem to know when Halloween has passed.
I would commonly see ten or fifteen around my sidestreet in rural Maine. In my newly-adopted (well, nearly nine years now) on Cape Cod, we see them often. In fact, seven or eight years ago, there was a gang of them - I cannot call it a flock - that pretty much acted as if they owned the main street. They would prevent people from entering stores, and would prevent people from leaving them.
Someone even set up a Facebook page for them, documenting their exploits in photos and prose. Although they were local celebrities, frankly, they became a major PITA.
And then one day, they were gone. Nobody said nothing - their departure, and the reasons for it, was not covered by the local newspaper (which was well aware). But if you knew the right people to ask, you could get the story.
The local paper knew the right people, but the right people were suitably circumspect. The alpha Tom in that flock was "retired with extreme prejudice" one night. After that, dissolution of the clan sort of happened on its own.
Edited by - eagleisland on 12/09/2024 19:04:48
I was driving through the back whacks of Massachusetts some 20 years ago when I encountered my first ever flock of wild turkeys crossing the road in front of me. To someone who is only used to seeing birds up to the size of a pheasant wandering around - this was a genuinely true shock to me. We topped the car and watched them for 10-15 minutes and I was still shaking my head when we drove off.
quote:
Originally posted by eagleislandquote:
Originally posted by doncAre there still wild turkeys in New England? I thought it was something from the Pilgrim days.
In plenty, I assure you. The arrogant bastitches seem to know when Halloween has passed.
I would commonly see ten or fifteen around my sidestreet in rural Maine. In my newly-adopted (well, nearly nine years now) on Cape Cod, we see them often. In fact, seven or eight years ago, there was a gang of them - I cannot call it a flock - that pretty much acted as if they owned the main street. They would prevent people from entering stores, and would prevent people from leaving them.Someone even set up a Facebook page for them, documenting their exploits in photos and prose. Although they were local celebrities, frankly, they became a major PITA.
And then one day, they were gone. Nobody said nothing - their departure, and the reasons for it, was not covered by the local newspaper (which was well aware). But if you knew the right people to ask, you could get the story.
The local paper knew the right people, but the right people were suitably circumspect. The alpha Tom in that flock was "retired with extreme prejudice" one night. After that, dissolution of the clan sort of happened on its own.
Bastitches.... :0)
That's ah keeper... :0]
Edited by - STUD figmo Al on 12/10/2024 03:43:46
I seen flocks (gangs) of them so big at the power lines that i could not count how many there were..
We have them here year round . Always amazed they are so aerodynamically marginal yet can still fly for short distances .
Saw a group of them running across a field, on lovely morning.
They may not be good fliers, but, lorsey midey, can they TROT!
If I were to see 40 wild turkeys in my yard, I would be thinking dinner. (tag/license or not) Around here most folks just skin them to remove feathers, or pull the breasts. I would always pluck them, scalding them first, but it is a PIA, especially all the pin feathers. I would hang the turkey over the bar of the swing set by a rope to gut it and pluck it. Kids did not like that. I usually cooked the whole bird in a roasting bag.
We started out bow hunting them, a tough hunt! Then went shotgun with "turkey" loads. Brad
Edited by - rinemb on 12/10/2024 06:38:20
Re; "... lorsey midey, can they TROT!"
How would you tell whether they were trotting or pacing? 
I was headed west to a W. Kansas jobsite, and saw the aftermath of a semi that plowed the a herd crossing the road. I thought, dinner! but would have had no way to cook it in my jobsite POS trailer. Brad
We never had turkeys but in nearby Victoria B.C. they have a robust flock of peacocks [or as they say 'peafoul'.] In 1891 somebody started a zoo near Beacon Hill and imported a few peacocks from England.. The rest is simple math. A similar thing happened in Vancouver around 1893. The managers of Stanley Park decided to import some Peacocks with the assumption that they couldn't fly. After being put in a pen they soon got bored and started leaving aeronautically. The keepers quickly figured out that if abundant food was kept in the pen most of them would stay around. In 2001 the park board office was still in Stanley Park. The management had a special parking area. The big birds decided to roost and live on the tree branches above. When one of those poops on your car your don't just find a paper napkin. You drive to the nearest car wash. They finally built new park board headquarters on the other end of town.
Saw it years ago, and can't find it since, but as I recall, the cartoon was a couple of farm-raised* turkeys having a conversation re. their plan for Thanksgiving. One said he thought he'd probably go visit his brethren in Ottawa. 
* I apologize for the thread drift.
Edited by - Owen on 12/11/2024 06:34:24
quote:
Originally posted by rinembIf I were to see 40 wild turkeys in my yard, I would be thinking dinner. (tag/license or not) Around here most folks just skin them to remove feathers, or pull the breasts. I would always pluck them, scalding them first, but it is a PIA, especially all the pin feathers. I would hang the turkey over the bar of the swing set by a rope to gut it and pluck it. Kids did not like that. I usually cooked the whole bird in a roasting bag.
We started out bow hunting them, a tough hunt! Then went shotgun with "turkey" loads. Brad
Brad, I would absolutely love to hunt turkey. When I first heard of it, I had a misconceived idea in my head of 'shooting a fish in a barrrel' but after seeing some hunts on YouTube, I understand the skill required - it looks great fun....and I want one of those scratchy box with a stick thingy turkey call.
I had one of thos reed things that went in the roof of yer mouth..it worked pretty good..
