my turkey story

[greyfields]

… so I was just finishing my lunch and was walking back from the laundry room when something caught my eye. There were strange creatures standing in my driveway. Very tall, funny shaped, dark creatures. I stood there slightly gobsmacked for a bit. I soon realized that I was looking at turkeys. Not white, industrially farmed turkeys, but black majestic turkeys heritage type turkeys.

It was a tom and hen with 5 little babies following behind. Well, “little” they were probably 20 lbs at least. I opened the door and one “gobble wobble wobble gobbled” at me. There is no way for the human language to actually replicate that noise.

So I phoned Rob the neighbor naturally and said “Rob, there are turkeys in my driveway.” I looked up and saw Rob standing in the road and he said “I see them, there are turkeys in your driveway.” We both immediately thought of Carla, who lives on North Welcome Slough and is notorious for her free ranging pheasants and turkeys. At the identical moment, the UPS driver pulled into our driveway with our shipment of potato seed. He said “I know who’s turkeys those are, they’re Carla’s she’s been looking for them for days.”

So apparently the entire island has a grasp on Carla’s poultry, except for poor Carla (yes, she’s really an odd lady). We have managed to herd them into the garden and close the gate. Carla came to inspect and of course has no way of getting them home. Rob and I found every excuse to not go into the muddy mess to catch them. We assured her they’d just fly back on their own after a few days and there’s nothing to worry about. After all, being locked in our garden is better than being ripped to shreds by coyotes.

She has just finally arrived with some feed and a waterer for them. So, we have turkeys for the next few minutes, or possibly days. Who knows? I guess we should have made her an offer. They are apparently prolific breeders on their own.

Said Turkeys:


This is Rob and I trying to think of dozens of reasons why we can't catch the turkeys today before Carla arrives and asks us to catch her turkeys for her. We agreed that my recent surgery prohibited me from turkey catching and Rob's ... ummm... I think it was hip was bothering him.



In the end, this is going to be my problem to solve. I'm going to be in there up to my waist in crappy mud catching turkeys trying to not get my eyeballs ripped out by them. And thus is my life.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Years ago I had a similar thing happen. I saw a pheadant out by our wood pile. Up here they are considered a feral non native game species (means open season with no bag limit). I ran in the house and grabbed a rifle thinking nothing but pheasant under glass for supper. Opened the door to run back outside and nearly smacked into a neighbor who was just about to knock. She was going door to door looking for their pheasant. So I put the gun away and showed her were to find it. We had known them for years and never knew they started raising pheasants.

 

[greyfields]

Well it was with great delight I was able to phone Rob last night about 7 pm and inform him that the turkeys were now outside his workshop... and were therefore now his problem! We both had a good laugh... with my laugh being more one of relief, his of dread. By this morning they were gone from his place as well.

About an hour ago my wife's boss phones her asking if we were missing any turkeys. We both erupted into laughter. No... no those are Carla's turkeys we told him. The real funny thing is he's easily 2 miles away from us on the island. They are on the incredible journey.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Crazy birds. They seem to be running away with the whole concept of free-ranging.

If they weren't inclined to wander-lust, I'd say catch one or two for me.