Turkey

Teegate

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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I was heading down Route 70 in Medford this morning about 7:30 and a Tom turkey attacked my car while running straight at me down the road. I had to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid it. I looked in the mirror and the car behind me had to swerve off to the right of the road and actually stop. They started trying to go around it and was having difficulties. I should have went back and videotaped it but was restricted on time. There were a few others off the road not participating.
 
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Laugh if you want, there will be a turkey apocalypse in the not too distant future.
:eek:
I mentioned this to a few of the guys on Saturday when we were listening to the gunfire.
 
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Turkey are coming into their breeding season. The Toms can get aggressive at this time of the year. I have had this happen to me once while I working in Jackson, a Tom came out into the road in front of me and was gobbling, strutting back and forth, and attacking the front of the van. I had a one of my Techs get chased into a back yard once from an aggressive Tom in the Marlboro area.

Chris
 
There is a posse of em next to my work,they are always strutting in the middle of the road this time of year,mails fanning out for the babes.All those woods and they gotta get ornery in the middle of the road.
 
Saw between 15-20 on a gun club property in Tabernacle yesterday. Probably eating some feed they put out. About 2 months and counting til open season :dance:. Where they all go when the season opens I havent a clue.
 
Where they all go when the season opens I havent a clue.
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No shortage of turkey south of 539 in Greenwood. The past two turkey seasons I have only had one morning with out any turkey responding back to my calling south of 539.

Chris
 
I see them in pretty large numbers literally every day on my own property or my neighbor's. Took this shot of them crossing the yard a few weeks ago (there were more outside the frame).

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Maybe the fact that the fact that the Lenape Farms Preserve is just down the road has something to do with it? :)

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A fact I was not aware of till my cousin informed me a couple years ago.he states that turkeys raised on a game farm have white legs but if born and raised wild in the woods they have brown or brick red legs.has anyone ever heard of this? Since then i have notic3ed turkeys with both color legs running the game reserve.
 
Boyd, you have some nice turkey on your land. A couple of nice long beards in that flock. Do you hear a lot of gobbling around your house in the spring?

Chris
 
Yes, I hear them sometimes out in the woods. It is really impressive when you startle them and they take off. For such a big bird, they fly really well. They will take off and then perch up high on a big pine tree. Sometimes they get up pretty high, then stretch their wings and just soar over the trees. Surprisingly graceful for such awkward looking birds.
 
manumuskin said:
A fact I was not aware of till my cousin informed me a couple years ago.he states that turkeys raised on a game farm have white legs but if born and raised wild in the woods they have brown or brick red legs.has anyone ever heard of this? Since then i have notic3ed turkeys with both color legs running the game reserve.
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Never paid close attention to leg color (just head color, spur size, and tail feather lengths). I will say a wild turkey leg is not as tasty as store bought. Way too many tendons. You usually have to use them in a soup or stew and boil them for a few hours, and even then Im not a huge fan. I will start looking at leg colors now.
 
PINEY MIKE said:
Never paid close attention to leg color (just head color, spur size, and tail feather lengths). I will say a wild turkey leg is not as tasty as store bought. Way too many tendons. You usually have to use them in a soup or stew and boil them for a few hours, and even then Im not a huge fan. I will start looking at leg colors now.
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Wild turkey breast, on the other hand, is superb. I make a Marsala wine and portabella mushroom sauce that is dewishus.
I tried boiling the legs and then barbecuing. They could have been used as weapons.
 
Boyd said:
Yes, I hear them sometimes out in the woods. It is really impressive when you startle them and they take off. For such a big bird, they fly really well. They will take off and then perch up high on a big pine tree. Sometimes they get up pretty high, then stretch their wings and just soar over the trees. Surprisingly graceful for such awkward looking birds.
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I have seen them do this Boyd when I've spooked them.Another thing I have seen is I've walked up on them at dusk already high in trees,apparently they roost in trees.I thought they were buzzards at first but as i got closer they took off and I could see they were turkeys,They fly much faster then buzzards and don't croak horribly when alarmed.Also the head silhouette was unmistakable.
 
Scott,

You had a great comment ... but unfortunately I had to remove the spam thread and most people won't get to see it.
 
Yes, I hear them sometimes out in the woods. It is really impressive when you startle them and they take off. For such a big bird, they fly really well. They will take off and then perch up high on a big pine tree. Sometimes they get up pretty high, then stretch their wings and just soar over the trees. Surprisingly graceful for such awkward looking birds.
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That is cool! I wish I could listen to them from my house. I love listening to them gobble! My favorite part of turkey hunting is calling the Tom in and having the gobbles get progressively closer until he is so close you can also hear him drumming. More times than not, the Tom will give you the slip!

It is amazing that they can fly like they can! I watched some turkey in Vermont a couple of springs ago take flight off the edge of a rocky ledge near the top of a large hill. It was amazing how they weaved in and out of the trees as they were glidding down the side of the hill until they were out of sight.

I will say a wild turkey leg is not as tasty as store bought.
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That they are not! I saved 4 legs from 2 birds I killed in Vermont a few springs back to give a try. I smoked them with hickory like I would making a brisket or a pork shoulder. Low temperature for a few hours. They did not come out that bad. They were a little on the tough side, but not so tough you tossed them in the trash or fed them to the dog.

when I've spooked them.
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I don't know what startles me more? Flushing turkey off the roost I did not know were there, or flushing a grouse. They both can catch you by surprise pretty good!

Chris
 
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