Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > The Turkey Invasion
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
Sculpin
Member
Member


Joined: 23 Apr 2015
Posts: 1376 | TRs | Pics
Sculpin
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:28 am 
Interesting article published recently in the Spokane Spokesman-Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/20/turkeys-in-washington-invasive-species-conservatio/ I thought that they had been re-introduced after being extirpated by hunting. Come to find out that they were never native to Washington.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
cdestroyer
Member
Member


Joined: 14 Sep 2015
Posts: 1249 | TRs | Pics
Location: montana
cdestroyer
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:41 am 
years ago there was a wild game bird farm here. they raised chinese pheasant, grouse of different variety, etc etc. that has been gone for a long time. now however someone else has released turkey into the wild.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Randito
Snarky Member



Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9495 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment.
Randito
Snarky Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:46 am 
I have friends that live on Spokane's south hill. There are flocks of wild turkeys roaming their neighborhood. Which seems kinda cool, until the flock chooses to camp out in your yard and defecate.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
MtnGoat
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 11992 | TRs | Pics
Location: Lyle, WA
MtnGoat
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:56 am 
I get tons and tons of turkeys at my place. They're pretty much omnipresent, and it's interesting to watch the cycle of life going on...in the spring they start showing up en masse, and in a month the little ones show up. Then month by month you see the size differences rapidly decrease as the little ones grow like weeds. My cat has an understanding with them, he doesn't go near them, they don't peck the crap out of him. The flocks wander through a couple times a day, they've done so well in the clear understory light brush vegetation of the area that the flock sizes get up to 30 or more birds, they'll trail down my long driveway for quite a ways, talking and eating as they go. Evenings can be entertaining, they really like a couple of my big oaks and they'll gather on a slight rise near those trees in order to get a shorter flight to get into the tree for the night, then take off up into the branches one by one like airplanes lined up for takeoff at LAX. I have never actually noticed a defecation issue of any kind even with the large flocks hanging out on the lawn. All I find is feathers. It's not the same as when geese decide your lawn is the place to stay. The downside is what they do to my artsy driftwood fences next to scopehenge. When they're little they'd fly up and sit on the fences, very cute. But then they keep doing it as they grow, and the fence can handle 5 small birds...but not five full size ones, and they break the darned fence! We had peacocks too, for exactly one season. My ex wife found them being given away in Parkdale, and she brought them home. Spectacular birds in the yard, loud as hell. I could sometimes hear them from *way* down the road on the way home if I had the windows down. This is related to the turkey tales because they got along famously. You could look out onto the lawn when the turkeys were visiting, and the turkeys and two peacocks were hanging out together, even wandering around together. As fall approached, the peacocks started to move on with the turkey flocks as they came and went during the day. Finally when the turkeys started moving out for the winter, the peacocks went with them. Next year the turkeys returned, but the peacocks did not. We did hear from a friend farther up the mountain that he'd spotted the peacocks up there in the spring.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
RichP
Member
Member


Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics
Location: here
RichP
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:59 am 
Driving yesterday, I had to take evasive action several times to avoid them. They are thick in eastern Wa.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Malachai Constant
Member
Member


Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny
Malachai Constant
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 10:35 am 
They can be a real pain in Eastern Canada and New England. They stand in the road and do not move and are big enough to damage your car. They also can be quite aggressive to pedestrians. They definitely need to be culled.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
JonnyQuest
Member
Member


Joined: 10 Dec 2013
Posts: 593 | TRs | Pics
JonnyQuest
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 10:38 am 
And they fall from above! The Great Turkey Drop

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!



Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 11:41 am 
So, pepper spray or bullets to deter turkey attacks? lol.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Malachai Constant
Member
Member


Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny
Malachai Constant
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 11:44 am 
Brining solution and butter burger.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!



Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 11272 | TRs | Pics
Location: Don't move here
treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 8:20 pm 
Slugman wrote:
So, pepper spray or bullets to deter turkey attacks? lol.gif
I have thumped one with a hiking pole and it went away and bothered other people. It never came back to our campsite.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Pyrites
Member
Member


Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 1879 | TRs | Pics
Location: South Sound
Pyrites
Member
PostFri Oct 25, 2019 11:22 pm 
cdestroyer wrote:
years ago there was a wild game bird farm here. they raised chinese pheasant, grouse of different variety, etc etc. that has been gone for a long time. now however someone else has released turkey into the wild.
The old game department had released some by the ‘60’s. The first ones I saw were in Klickitat in the open country - oak thicket breaks. I think initially just one specie. Best.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!



Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 11272 | TRs | Pics
Location: Don't move here
treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
PostSat Oct 26, 2019 7:29 am 
Locally, I have seen a major herd of them hanging out in an orchard during the winter. There are also wild turkeys roaming Steamboat SP, early in the morning. The bird I thumped was one of two Toms that had been blown into the Grand Canyon. They had taken up residence at the campground in the bottom and had developed the typical park behavior of looking to steal food from campers.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Pyrites
Member
Member


Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Posts: 1879 | TRs | Pics
Location: South Sound
Pyrites
Member
PostSat Oct 26, 2019 1:47 pm 
Forgot. I’ve also seen them invading an aisle at the liquor store. Best.

Keep Calm and Carry On? Heck No. Stay Excited and Get Outside!
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Ski
><((((°>



Joined: 28 May 2005
Posts: 12798 | TRs | Pics
Location: tacoma
Ski
><((((°>
PostSat Oct 26, 2019 3:38 pm 
Pyrites wrote:
I’ve also seen them invading an aisle at the liquor store.
up.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
cdestroyer
Member
Member


Joined: 14 Sep 2015
Posts: 1249 | TRs | Pics
Location: montana
cdestroyer
Member
PostSat Oct 26, 2019 5:37 pm 
a group of turkeys is called a "rafter"

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > The Turkey Invasion
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum