October 16, 2009

Turkeys at Twelve O'Clock Low


It's too funny. The wild turkeys that normally live near us on the ridges have been right on the property the past few days, running down the driveway (which is 100+ yards long) when I take the dogs for what I think is a "safe" off-leash walk, gliding out of the tall ponderosa pines, and generally driving the canine family members nuts.

A few minutes ago, Fisher, the Chessie, went dashing off down into a ravine and up the other side. Three turkeys came flying across it, low, over my head and over the house. I called him back and gave him a treat. Shelby, the ninja collie, barked from the veranda but was gated in. She has already had her turkey chase for the day.

In seventeen years, I have never seen them all over us like this. Are the acorns better here?

The photo of the hen turkey was taken through the window of our back door.

2 comments:

Reid Farmer said...

Don't know if you have ever seen it, but there is a great essay in the Wetherill Mesa report on the reintroduction of wild turkets by the NPS at Mesa Verde in the 50s. It's slanted toward how the Anasazi could have domesticated them and is titled "Whom Domesticated Whom?" Aggressive turkeys took over the ranger's housing area terrorizing children and pets. Too funny

Chas S. Clifton said...

I did a story once for the Wild Turkey Federation and interviewed some archaeologists who were pretty certain that all the turkeys on the Uncompahgre Plateau were descended from escaped birds from the old Four Corners pueblos.

Ditto those in southern Colorado -- up from Pecos, perhaps -- if I remember correctly.