When we first moved into our house several years ago, I noticed some large striped feathers in our backyard. I was so impressed I put them on our mantle. I even jokingly stuck one in my hair. This was before our neighbor lectured me about wild turkeys and the hazards of turkey lice. According to Purdue University there are approximately 125,000 wild turkeys in Indiana, including about nine that have taken up residence in our backyard. The proper term for a group of turkeys is “a rafter,” not a gobble or a flock, as I previously believed. Several times a week, this rafter of turkeys descends upon our property foraging for food.
In a pamphlet entitled “Truths and Myths about Wild Turkeys,” the Purdue people take a defensive stance and deny that the wild turkeys cause any significant damage to crops. They contend that wild turkeys often get blamed for agricultural damage because they are so visible, while the real culprits are sneaky deer and raccoons, who commit their mischief in the dark.
Of the millions of dollars of damage to Indiana crops caused by animals each year, wild turkeys are said to be responsible for less than $10,000 in losses. Our wild turkeys seem to do little more than wander around, aimlessly pecking the ground, adding a picturesque touch to autumn. Forty-three percent of landowners say they enjoy having wild turkeys on their property, while only 3 percent see them as nuisances.
The Purdue report says that wild turkeys constitute little threat to human landscapes, especially compared to other animals. They admit that pen-raised and hybrid wild turkeys can be a nuisance to homes and businesses. Besides leaving messes, these turkeys are not afraid of humans and can be quite aggressive. They also spread disease and diminish the genetic integrity of the wild stock.
Turkeys are the largest game birds in the Indiana woods, although our personal turkeys don’t seem to be quite full-grown. Based on their size, constant eating, and bad attitude, I have concluded they must be adolescents.
Wild turkey chicks are called poults. We have seen these young turkeys following their mother, lined up like ducklings. Most domestic turkeys are too heavy to fly, but wild ones can fly up to 55 miles per hour. The ones in our yard seem much lazier. They are always loping around like the animated puppets in Jim Henson’s movie the Dark Crystal. They say that birds are related to dinosaurs. If you use your imagination just a little, you can see our turkeys’ resemblance to the way dinosaurs are portrayed in movies like Jurassic Park.
Our neighbor says he feeds the wild turkeys that come by his house and they will come when he calls them. Our turkeys generally ignore us, but will run off in the woods if we get too close. I have yet to see them fly.
A couple years ago I built a wild turkey feeder, after finding some plans on the Internet. To this day I’m not sure if this turkey feeder was legitimate or just somebody’s idea of a joke at my expense. Basically it was a piece of 6 inch PVC pipe with a T fitting at the bottom. I filled the contraption with corn kernels and hung it from a tree, as per the instructions. It hung there for a couple of years with nary a gobble. The turkeys avoided it as if the thing was radioactive. The corn eventually got moldy and turned green. The squirrels on the other hand, greatly enjoyed the feeder and used it to play tether ball. Eventually the whole thing came crashing down and, defeated, I pitched it in the trash.
They say that wild turkeys have an intense flavor since they are mostly dark meat, even the breast. They can taste pretty gamey, depending upon their diets. In the past wild turkeys were commonplace and were eaten throughout the year. When the first European settlers arrived, there were over ten million wild turkeys in American forests. Turkeys were so overhunted, however, that by 1900 only about 30,000 were left. They were thought to be completely extinct in 18 states. Thanks to regulation and conservation efforts we are now back up to 6.4 million wild turkeys.
The tradition of eating turkey for the holidays, has its origins in modern times. Before the 20th century, pork ribs were the most common holiday food, as pigs were typically butchered in the fall. Ribs were rarely available outside of the holiday season. I don’t think I could actually eat any of our turkeys, (Thomas, Darlene, Wendy, etc.) even if I knew how to hunt and could properly dress them. It looks like a frozen Butterball is still in our future.
Wild turkeys are close relatives of the grouse and are found in all the states, except Alaska. I am suspicious that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, given her proclivity for hunting, may be implicated in this.
With their colorful wattles and bizarre snoods (that thing on their beaks) turkeys are rather ridiculous in appearance. However, they are known for their loyalty and courage. They will fight bravely to protect their young (known as jennies and jakes) from predators.. The hen will even pretend to be injured to try to draw hawks and bobcats away from the poults.
In 1782, two years after Congress voted to make the handsome, but cowardly, eagle the national emblem, Benjamin Franklin wrote his daughter saying, "I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country ... the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and a true original native.”
I’m afraid the decision in favor of the eagle, was just another case of looking good being more important than being good.
Terry L. Stawar, Ed.D., lives in Georgetown and is the CEO of LifeSpring the local community mental health center in Jeffersonville. He can be reached at tstawar@lifespr.com or 812-206-1234. Checkout his Welcome to Planet-Terry podcast at www.lifespr.com/podcast.
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