What a wonderful Canadian, October tradition. Here is my Nanny (1883 - 1978) basting her turkey. Today, down Memory Lane, since our family are elsewhere creating new family traditions, I can look to the past! Nanny always cooked for the entire extended family. Now we are all scattered hither and yon! Wild turkeys are more plentiful in Muskoka than in previous years. There is an Ontario Wild Turkey Management Plan -(PDF).
I love seeing the turkeys around here. So glad MNR intervened.
From an Ontario low in 1984 of 3-digits, they estimated in 2007 that there are about 70,000 in this province. The program was successful, partially because they are a native species, methinks. We must thank our American neighbours for sharing their wild turkeys. (Fishing Guy captured some great shots!) About 4400 were trapped and transported here from Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, NY, Vermont, New Jersey & Tennessee. Eventually, once the population was on its way at the original 275 release sites, Ontario wild turkeys were trapped again and spread into new areas (1986) that fell within the 'mixed hardwood ecozones' in which they originally thrived.
We see them from time to time. You see groups of two or three at the side of the road. Hard to photograph from a moving car. I won't even post THOSE photos! The guy above, left, was a drive-by shooting on someone's front lawn.
I thought it fitting to put a snowy photo on. It might inure us for what is to come. Our CranFest snow has been delayed from Saturday to Sunday!
Below, right, are some turkey vultures. Rather interesting feathered creatures! They were waiting for a ball game at the diamond one Spring. Don't hold your breath!
From: Wild Turkey
Other calls include yelps (keouk, keouk, keouk);
the cluck(kut), a call to group together;
the whistle (kee-kee run) of a young bird;
the alarm or warning (putt)
They can fly, bless them. But like to wander up and down the neighbour's driveway. This video was taken on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 13, 2008
4 comments:
That turkey looks good. We have lots of wild turkeys here in Oklahoma. Hunters tell me that turkeys are very smart and hard to hunt.
They seemed very aware of me and mine. Maybe in this incarnation they are wiser! We're glad the US shared our bounty. So many critters have been gunned out of existence for food, fur or feathers.
Glad to hear the wild turkeys are successfully rebuilding. It's sad when animals are hunted or pushed out of existence.
Calico Contemplations
Jenn: What a neat video of the Wild Turkeys playing it safe. I was fooled a liitle when you showed the Turkey Vultures on the fence.
Thanks for the link, I was so happy to see them on Thursday.
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