Treated to a show by wild turkeys

[Patler]

We have lots of turkeys in our neighborhood. (Actual fowls, not the idiotic human turkeys.) Our yard is on their routine food scavenging trail. We usually have some in our yard early mornings and early evenings.

This morning when I looked out the window just as the sun was coming up, there were 12 turkeys roosting in the tops of two big maple trees in our back yard. I've seen them in trees before, but never in my yard. The show was when they came out of the trees.

These are very old, huge trees, and the turkeys were mostly in the very top parts of the trees. One by one they dropped straight down like rocks, and when within not far of the ground, each flapped their wings a couple times, glided just a short distance, hit the ground hard and ran for 10-12 feet to slow their momentum. Nothing graceful about it at all. A semi-controlled crash landing for sure.

It was interesting that there were 12, but they seemed to take turns dropping from the trees, almost as if they waited for one to clear the area before the next one dropped. Do they have their own traffic controller?

I sure would like to see them fly up to roost. As awkward as their descents were, its hard to imagine flying well-enough to get that high.

[3irty1]

We have lots of turkeys in our neighborhood. (Actual fowls, not the idiotic human turkeys.) Our yard is on their routine food scavenging trail. We usually have some in our yard early mornings and early evenings.

This morning when I looked out the window just as the sun was coming up, there were 12 turkeys roosting in the tops of two big maple trees in our back yard. I've seen them in trees before, but never in my yard. The show was when they came out of the trees.

These are very old, huge trees, and the turkeys were mostly in the very top parts of the trees. One by one they dropped straight down like rocks, and when within not far of the ground, each flapped their wings a couple times, glided just a short distance, hit the ground hard and ran for 10-12 feet to slow their momentum. Nothing graceful about it at all. A semi-controlled crash landing for sure.

It was interesting that there were 12, but they seemed to take turns dropping from the trees, almost as if they waited for one to clear the area before the next one dropped. Do they have their own traffic controller?

I sure would like to see them fly up to roost. As awkward as their descents were, its hard to imagine flying well-enough to get that high.

Right now turkey's are all about cruising the woods for some hens so that chain reaction you see is the pull of wanting to stay in bed vs not wanting to be the last to strut past the ladies. You can actually start that chain reaction yourself by flapping something against the ground early in the morning to do a passable impression of their sound. Hunters do it and often you'll learn exactly how many turkeys are around by counting the sequence of crash landings.

If you want to see them flop up into their roost you can put one to bed. They usually roost just as the sun goes down but while its still pretty light out and they do it one at a time just like when they fall out of bed. To get an idea of where to go on your property to watch you can get them to "shock gobble" with a loud coyote call. That will give away their position and you might be able to catch a glimpse.

[Patler]

To get to the top of my large trees, would they have had to fly a long distance, or can they ascend quickly? Would they have gone up to the top in one flight, or a series of jumps, first to lower branches, then up to higher ones? As clumsy as they looked coming down, it's hard to imagine the flight up.

[Zool]

[mraynrand]

“Yeah, I got the daughter in the clinic, getting cured off the Wild Turkey."

[3irty1]

To get to the top of my large trees, would they have had to fly a long distance, or can they ascend quickly? Would they have gone up to the top in one flight, or a series of jumps, first to lower branches, then up to higher ones? As clumsy as they looked coming down, it's hard to imagine the flight up.

I don't really know. They can get up pretty high in one try but they don't make it look easy. They need some room to operate and sometimes even take a running start.

[red]

i had my dog way out in the woods all alone a few years back looking for partridge. i was looking everywhere but up

when a gaggle of turkeys take off from the treetops right above your head, it makes you shit your pants

and to make matters worse, i had no clue turkeys could fly at that point, much less sit around up in the trees

[call_me_ishmael]

I watched for 10 minutes or so as a wild turkey was trapped between a chain link fence and a dense set of trees. He was running back and forth, screaming. Finally, the guy had enough and flew straight through the thick brush.

Terrible story in text, but it was pretty wild in person. That sucker was freaking out and causing a ruckus. They are all over Waukesha county Wisconsin this time of year.

[mraynrand]

I don't really know. They can get up pretty high in one try but they don't make it look easy. They need some room to operate and sometimes even take a running start.

I've seen this. They aren't as awkward as they look to be on the ground.

[HowardRoark]

I just pulled in my driveway to see about a half dozen hanging around the front yard. Sat down in my bedroom and was reading through some new genius stuff on FYI and I hear what sounds like a cougar* up on the roof. I'm thinking it's time to get out the gun......but then out of the corner of my eye I see a big blob in the air going past my window (2 1/2 floors up). I look out and there they all are, up in tops of the trees (big ones) out in the back.

It's actually a pretty eery looking scene this time of year with all the trees bare and the grey background.

*I know, I know...."Howard, have you had many cougars up there before? How do you know what it would sound like."

[mraynrand]

I just pulled in my driveway to see about a half dozen hanging around the front yard. Sat down in my bedroom and was reading through some new genius stuff on FYI and I hear what sounds like a cougar* up on the roof. I'm thinking it's time to get out the gun......but then out of the corner of my eye I see a big blob in the air going past my window (2 1/2 floors up). I look out and there they all are, up in tops of the trees (big ones) out in the back.

It's actually a pretty eery looking scene this time of year with all the trees bare and the grey background.

*I know, I know...."Howard, have you had many cougars up there before? How do you know what it would sound like."

I bet you have a lot of cougars interested in you right now.