A few days after we drove to Idaho to start work for
IBO in early April, we came back to our camper trailer to find a huge male Wild Turkey walking around the yard. We thought maybe he was a pet, kind of a Fish and Game mascot. You could walk right up to him and he would just make his way slowly in the other direction. He seemed to be in no real hurry to go anywhere and seemed to be enjoying his little vacation in our yard. Turkeys really aren't supposed to be in the foothills, but from what we heard, someone down the road had him in their yard for a few days, and we were the next lucky people to be graced with his strange presence. He was a wild, Wild Turkey. Over the next few days, I really started liking the turkey. He followed me around a lot, and was like my little own pet Turkey (not that I have ever said outloud that I want a pet turkey). On day 2, he puffed up his feathers for me for a few seconds, and he looked even bigger. Borderline intimidating, but he settled down and shrunk back down to normal turkey size within a few seconds.
Turkey Dinner? Pet? So many feelings...
On day 3, things got a little strange when I sat on my step to put my shoes on. Apparently, getting down at "turkey height" was a bad idea. Mr. Turkey got overly excited, and began a pretty elaborate mating display. He moved his way closer and displayed just a few inches away. I tried not to encourage him, but Alex came out and started flapping his human wings at him. Mr. Turkey got pretty livid, and no more was he quietly displaying to a potential turkey mate, but defending his potential turkey mate from a strange turkey-human. His actions changed drastically, and he went into territorial mode. I think this was the point in time when he put a big target on Alex's back.
I finished putting on my shoes and going about my activities with Mr. Turkey following close behind, still displaying, a bit happier now that Alex was out of the picture. When I went in the camper, he displayed outside my window, like he knew I could see him. You could hear his loud turkey gobbles echoing through the valley.
This is what a turkey looks like *before* he falls in love with you...
(photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
This is what a turkey looks like *after* he falls in love with you...
Turkey or dinosaur?
A little later in the day, Alex was out at his car, unpacking some things from our trip. Within seconds the turkey jumped on his back and was violently kicking him. I walked out the door just in time to see Alex running for the broom, the turkey hot on his trail. Believe it or not I ran out to defend the turkey from an inevitable broom whack, but Alex was the one that needed defended. I felt like a school teacher breaking up the fight, getting between the two sparring males, eventually having to 'walk' the turkey away from Alex. It was clear that Alex made an enemy here, and from that point on I had to escort Alex around the yard, keeping the crazed bird at bay. The turkey even started attacking Alex's car, but I think he was only going after his own reflection. Eventually the turkey attacked our co-worker Eddie, and started liking a female Fish and Game employee that works in a nearby trailer. He would puff out his feathers as soon as we drove our truck up the driveway, and would disappear into the night, still displaying. Over the next few days, he finally stopped displaying, and became more like a big yard chicken again. In a few more days he disappeared, just as I was about to plan a turkey re-location effort to help him find a real mate. Even though we found a few turkey feathers in a nearby meadow, I can only hope he continued his quest into the valley for a more suitable non-human mate!
This post is a part of WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY!
