June 24, 2010 - Wild turkeys - then and nowSUFFOLKTIMES j JUNE 24, 2010
In over50 years living in our home, we nave never
seen a wild turkey in the yard — that is until last week.
While sitting outside enjoying the late afternoon, I
spotted something large at the mulch pile. I tapped on
the window to Barbara to come out quietly. As usual,
she grabbed her camera and snapped shots of a big
tom turkey as he nonchalantly crossed our lawn.
jNe searched our bookshelves for information on
turkeys all the way back to one book that was printed
in 1898, but then we decided to look into what we
might have written in the past and found an article
with all the information we had been looking for. The
following is from Focus on Nature, Nov. 25, 2004.
We're told that the first settlers found turkeys abun-
dant throughout the land but as time went on and the -
PAUL STOUTENBURGH Then almost 100 years
later, in the late '40s,
turkeys started to move north from Pennsylvania into
the state, where they once again became established.
It was during that year that the Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) started to relo-
cate turkeys throughout the state. They didn't just
indiscriminately drop off turkeys here and there;
they located areas that had good feeding grounds
and the proper habitat to make sure their wild tur-
keys would be able to make it on their own.
By 1957 turkeys were again a part of the New
York landscape. This success story was partially
due to the fact that many of the small farms in the
state were abandoned, letting the once open farm-
land revert to natural growth.
And so those people who thought they saw wild
turkeys wandering through their backyard were
exactly right. They were wild turkeys that had prob-
ably been released by the DEC.
Some people who liked to see turkeys about
Wild
turkeys
then
and now
These young turkeys (poults) are up and about soon
ter they hatch. Their large feet make it easy for them
scratch around for the hard fruits, seeds and insects tl
make up their diet.
thought they would help by raising some and
releasing them into the wild. Sounded good, but
it's against the law to release turkeys into the wild
because turkeys are very susceptible to a wide vari-
ety of domestic diseases and the DEC doesn't want
their disease -free wild turkeys coming in contact
with possible disease - carrying turkeys.
I first became acquainted with the wild turkey
when I visited Gardiners Island years ago for Audu-
bon's annual Christmas Bird Counts. I also saw then
when I visited Mashomack, that 2,000 -acre Nature
Conservancy preserve on Shelter Island. There are
many difficulties facing young turkeys in the wild.
One of the most common causes of death is a per-
sistent cold and rainy period that lasts for days.
country expanded,
FOCUS ON NATURE
with its clearing of land
and the uncontrolled
n,
hunting pressure,
turkeys slowly disap-
peared from our state.
By 1844 the last turkey
r
was taken in south-
western NewYork.
PAUL STOUTENBURGH Then almost 100 years
later, in the late '40s,
turkeys started to move north from Pennsylvania into
the state, where they once again became established.
It was during that year that the Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) started to relo-
cate turkeys throughout the state. They didn't just
indiscriminately drop off turkeys here and there;
they located areas that had good feeding grounds
and the proper habitat to make sure their wild tur-
keys would be able to make it on their own.
By 1957 turkeys were again a part of the New
York landscape. This success story was partially
due to the fact that many of the small farms in the
state were abandoned, letting the once open farm-
land revert to natural growth.
And so those people who thought they saw wild
turkeys wandering through their backyard were
exactly right. They were wild turkeys that had prob-
ably been released by the DEC.
Some people who liked to see turkeys about
Wild
turkeys
then
and now
These young turkeys (poults) are up and about soon
ter they hatch. Their large feet make it easy for them
scratch around for the hard fruits, seeds and insects tl
make up their diet.
thought they would help by raising some and
releasing them into the wild. Sounded good, but
it's against the law to release turkeys into the wild
because turkeys are very susceptible to a wide vari-
ety of domestic diseases and the DEC doesn't want
their disease -free wild turkeys coming in contact
with possible disease - carrying turkeys.
I first became acquainted with the wild turkey
when I visited Gardiners Island years ago for Audu-
bon's annual Christmas Bird Counts. I also saw then
when I visited Mashomack, that 2,000 -acre Nature
Conservancy preserve on Shelter Island. There are
many difficulties facing young turkeys in the wild.
One of the most common causes of death is a per-
sistent cold and rainy period that lasts for days.
For the first three or four days after We young
turkeys hatch, they live on the yolk in their new
little bodies, but then once that is gone, they must
be able to find food by themselves. Of course, the
female is always there to keep them together and
to lead them to areas where they are likely to find
good cover and a place to feed.
The thing I remember particularly on Gardiners Is-
land was how those big birds can fly. It seemed almost
impossible that they could get into the air and fly away.
It is quite a sight to see a turkey flying. They are agile
and swift fliers and don't hesitate to take to the air if
ey they are eing cornered or can't get away by
running. It's been reported that they can fly at speeds
of up to 50 mph and run on the ground at 12 mph.
On our Christmas Bird Counts our group covered
the whole of Gardiners Island. We found a spot down
byTobaccolot where turkeys roost. They must go to
that same spot in the same tree every night; there
were pyramids of droppings underneath it.
Turkeys have done so well in many parts of the
state that there is now a special hunting season
for them. A hunter would be proud to be able to
call in an old gobbler and bag it for his Thanksgiv-
ing dinner. Turkeys are smart birds and it takes
an expert hunter to be able to call one in range of
his gun. Wild turkeys are part of the group of such
"game birds" as pheasants and grouse and quail, al
of which can be legally hunted in season in certain
places. However, turkeys cannot be hunted legally
in Suffolk County. Male turkeys (toms) weigh from
17 pounds up, with some getting to 30 pounds.
That's a pretty big bird. The females (hens) are
smaller, weighing from eight to 12 pounds.
...... ... .
his tail spread as he struts his stuff in front of the
female to gain her attention. One male can have
more than one female companion, and he's pretty
busy keeping his ladies from straying away.
The male has sharp spurs that can be two inches
or more in length. These are used in fighting off
adversaries. I have seen these spurs in action on my
rooster. When the situation arises they throw their
spurs up in front of them and with much squabbling
and feathers flying, they go at it until one or the
other has had enough and turns tail and runs away.
The turkey that most of us will have for Thanks-
giving is a domesticated turkey, meaning that it
has been bred for its shape, size, meat and, I guess,
looks. After all, we want a plump, juicy bird when
it comes to the table. In contrast, the wild turkey is
built for survival in the wild and is much less plump,
usually smaller, and designed for flying. No mat-
ter what shape or size or where you see a turkey,
whether it's in Europe or Asia or on a turkey farm, all
turkeys originally came from the American stock of
our wild turkey
p If
Turkeys have been
North
seen around the
Fork for time
some
''�N
now, and finally one —
",
this handsome tom —
'
decided to stop by and
y
pay us a visit.
PAUL AND BARBARA
STOUTENBURGH PHOTOS