A distress text from my Mom is not something to be ignored, especially when this picture is attached:
I opened my text, saw this thing in her backyard and her one word sentence, "Help!" We ran out to the car, my son faster than anyone in his quest to save his Grandma from dastardly birds that do not belong to her and in a minute we were standing at her fence asking if the bird was still there.
It was a turkey, just out for a Saturday jaunt, and I did not know this, but turkey's can fly and that is how this one landed in her completely fenced back yard.
My son and husband shooed it down into the old chicken coop, and then my husband went down the street to tell the neighbors their turkey was found, did they know it was missing? While he was gone, the turkey took flight and perched precariously on the edge of the back fence, distressed and making worried calls, and obviously thinking of jump/flying down the hill.
The neighbor arrived and we asked how she usually catches it and she replied, she doesn't really. It's one of two and she can usually lead one of them home with their food pan, and the other will follow. Well, we only had the one, and it decided enough was enough, it was leaving.
It took off in a half falling, half flying way, and the neighbor shook her head in distress. They are her mother's pets, and she will be in trouble if she loses them while her mother is in Europe.
I wonder if a turkey is a good pet? I honestly thought they were raising it for food!
Turkeys are a daily way of life here on the ridge. Flocks exceeding twenty birds travel around pretty much wherever they choose. And yes, to see a flock get startled, fly up into the air, and all end up roosting on a Doug Fir, is a sight to behold. They can do a lot of damage to a garden, but-and you already knew this-bowsers help immeasurably, because they like to chase turkeys. Turkeys know to give our complex a wide berth.
ReplyDeleteWe are not fans of hunting, never having had a weapon beyond an air rifle, in the thirty years we have lived here. Some do hunt the turkeys, and then must cook them for a prodigious length of time, to make them palatable.
I'll tell my Mom to get a dog! It'll be a toss up to see which she likes least: dogs or birds.....
ReplyDeleteI wondered what happened! That is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI was just there for dinner tonight and I swear I could hear the turkey's gobble...I was freaked out to have my back to their yard!
DeleteIn my very limited experience, turkeys are not very nice. They probably think the same about me, though, so take my thoughts with a large grain of salt.
ReplyDeleteI think so....as my husband was helping carrel the bird, he said, "The answer to our question is yes, turkey's have large talons." I started to laugh at the same time I moved further away from the bird!
DeleteI enjoyed reading this, I wasn't aware that turkeys could fly.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
What a funny story. I didn't know turkeys could fly either. Your poor neighbor - I hope she catches the crazy bird.
ReplyDeleteWishing you continued success with the A to Z challenge,
Jocelyn
Gosh pets! I think a little dog or kitten would be better able to corral. LOL!
ReplyDeleteUmm, and according to WKRP in Cincinnati and Les Nessman (I think) they can't...Remember that episode! Oh well, that was a fictional show. LOL!
That takes me back! I loved WKRP. I'd have named one of our children or our dogs 'Bailey' but my husband said there was no way!
Deletei guess they have to fly--how else would they have turkey shoots ;)---cute story
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you just crack me up!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I try!
Deletei didn't know turkeys could fly:)
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Happy A-Zing!
How does one get stuck with turkey sitting duty? This reminds me a little of a story about a guy in town who was cat sitting for his neighbor's indoor/outdoor cat while they were away for the week. He was outside gardening while the cat was sunning itself and suddenly a bald eagle swept down and took the cat and was gone before the cat-sitter had a chance to react. He had to tell the neighbors that their cat had been taken, which he felt terrible about. About three weeks later, the cat wandered back home, a little thinner and with partially healed puncture wounds in its side, but otherwise unharmed.
ReplyDeleteThe craziest thing is yesterday when I was sitting out in my Mom's turkey-less backyard, a huge eagle was doing low fly-bys of of her house. Kind of freaked me out and made me worry about our smallest dog!
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