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Carolina Gardening

Faux wild turkey pics

16 years ago

They look like real turkeys but they don't act like wild turkeys.

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I saw these last night while I was working in the gardening and they came running across the neighbor's pasture to see if I had food to give them. This is the first time I've seen turkey around here, which has surprised me, as there is a lot of open fields and edge habitat around here -- we have a ton of birds here, woodcocks, pileated woodpeckers, wood ducks, barred owls, red-shouldered hawks, tanagers, blue grosbeaks, indigo buntings, all kinds of warblers. The only other bird I expected to see but haven't yet seen is a red-headed woodpecker.

A friend came over this morning and said the turkey were at the top of our driveway.

More pics from last night:

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Comments (8)

amyflora
16 years ago
Gobble gobble! I have read about folks starting flocks (that terminology sounds wrong, but it is just too darn early for my brain to find the right words!!) heritage birds, I think they are called. Barbara Kingsolver writes about it in her great book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Could these be some of those? They start to get very domesticated and pet-like, apparently. How funny!! Don't they know this is not their holiday?
alicia7b
Original Author
16 years ago
That's what we were wondering. These either came from someone's farm or someone's been feeding them regularly. I have heard of wild turkeys, who are supposed to be very wary, becoming as bold as Canada geese.

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nannerbelle
16 years ago
Just a couple of miles from my house is a long streach of farmland. Open pastures, uncut woods. You can literally drive for miles and not see a house. There is a flock over there, I see them a lot when I'm passing thru to my house close to sunset. There must be between 30 and 40, we lost track last time we tried to count around 25. And they will cross the road in a flock, never paying attention to the car or to our intrusion. I also have the same thing going on with a lot of deer around here too. Broad daylight and they will just stand and stare at you. The turkeys are supposed to be shy, I had never seen but one before and I've been a pretty avid outdoorswoman all my life, riding horses, camping and on dirt bikes. I was so shocked, I just stopped in the middle of the road and watched them pass. I understand the population is getting much larger, maybe that has something to do with it. I'm no expert, but they look the same as the ones here.
alicia7b
Original Author
16 years ago
I saw wild turkey all of the time on a horse farm where I used to ride in Pittsboro in the late '80's. The turkey were used to the horses so one time I came around a corner on horseback to see a male with his feathers all fanned out in full display. However, these turkey didn't approach people, lol. I imagine someone has been feeding the turkey we saw Sat. evening. I heard a story on NPR a few months ago about a flock of turkeys that had taken over a cemetary the same way Canada geese will take over a golf course. The males would even chase people riding by on bicycles.
aisgecko
16 years ago
I heard that story about the turkeys in the cemetery too. Those look like the eatin' kind to me. Maybe they DO know it's not their season, so they feel safe! Maybe they are domestic turkeys escaped, but from pictures I can't see the difference between wild and domestic ones. -Ais.
alicia7b
Original Author
16 years ago
Most meat turkeys are white though. The hunting season isn't very long and a hunter can only take 2 per year.

Daily limit 1; Possession limit 2
Annual limit 2 (only one of which may be harvested during the
winter either-sex season)
Statewide Spring Season (male or bearded only)
April 12 Â May 10, 2008
Winter Either-Sex Season (private lands only)
Jan. 14 Â 19, 2008
Alleghany Rockingham
Ashe Stokes
Caswell Surry
Granville Watauga
Person Wilkes
Youth Day (male or bearded only)
April 5
carla17
16 years ago
Alicia, your first picture looks just like my uncle's farm. They have wild turkeys there.

Carla
alicia7b
Original Author
16 years ago
Here's the NPR story if anyone is interested: When Wild Turkeys Take Over

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