A visitor at our house

[upthesaukee]

Please see the attached photo... It's one thing to have a visitor show up for a meal, but when it turns out that he is a real turkey and you have to hide behind the front door just to get a good look at the turkey...Fortunately he didn't eat me out of house and home like some other turkeys can...Sorry Son! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_12_14.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSXXXXXX42US)

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Did you invite him to dinner? :laugh:
Great photo, he looks like a real ham.

[upthesaukee]

I thought about it, but my friends the Winchesters and Remingtons weren't available to help with the invitation.

[Mee-n-Mac]

I thought about it, but my friends the Winchesters and Remingtons weren't available to help with the invitation.

.... you could have called me :) While I wasn't up there, my buddies Smith and Wesson were.... :D

[upthesaukee]

Next time... I could have used their help. We discussed that tonight while playing four handed solitaire, me and my friends, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and I. W. Harper. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_4_13.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSXXXXXX42US)

[Mee-n-Mac]

perhaps next time ... I always try to keep my buds S&W far separated from Jim, Jack and his friends. I see you think the same (wisely). When them guys get together it can be a real bang ............ No wonder those turkeys live past Thanksgiving ... :D

[ApS]

Of course, one is entitled to put most anything they want in their yard, but what is that device the turkey is "hiding" behind :confused: ?

I think I had a similar device on my 1963 MG Midget (until it fell off on I-93).

[SAMIAM]

You're still better off to buy your bird in the supermarket.Wild turkey,while tasting much like its domestic relatives,is much tougher and requires longer cooking times.Same goes for venison.Farm raised red deer are tender and delicious....their wild cousins dine mostly on bark and acorns in the winter months and are much tougher.As for bear meat..GEESH....you wouldn't eat a dog would you?

[Pepper]

Of course, one is entitled to put most anything they want in their yard, but what is that device the turkey is "hiding" behind :confused: ?

I think I had a similar device on my 1963 MG Midget (until it fell off on I-93).

I recognize the device, having several in my yard - it is a Bird Feeder Pole, complete with Squirrel Baffle! Since you can't see the feeder on top, it surely does look like a tailpipe and muffler, though! :laugh:

[trfour]

Next time... I could have used their help. We discussed that tonight while playing four handed solitaire, me and my friends, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and I. W. Harper. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_4_13.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSXXXXXX42US)

"Great Shots Uppy" ! :) :) :) :)

[upthesaukee]

A.P.S. Pepper is right, it is a pair of thingees back to back on which you can hang bird feeders or flower pots or whatevers, and the black round thing keeps the squirrels from climbing up. What it doesn't do is stop the black bear from bending the doggone thing up like a pretzel!!! Hence the lean after the man of steel got done straightening it out.

My buddy is still around...check out the tracks...I got a pretty close look and at least the head and neck area lead me to think he is actually a she. I don't think it is a "jake" or young male. It went up into a tree next to the house in early afternoon to roost...impressive sight to see. picture really doesn't do it justice. At dark it was up in a tree behind the house. Evidently it likes the neighborhood...sunflower seeds on the ground, trees in which to roost, water in the stream from which to drink, and a big yard in which to deposit Turkey Dookie (great phrase, Grant!). The latter is darn near the size of Goose Dookie and just as plentiful... Just glad cows don't fly!!!!!!!!

[Misty Blue]

Dare SAMIAM:

Man you are right about Turkeys! My wife says that she won't cook one unless it looks like a butterball!

But about the deer. My daughter and I just had venison steaks...Marinated in Kraft Viva Italian overnight and cooked fast on the old webber. Man it don't get better. Never, ever overcook your deer!

As for bear meat, I agree with you. Sorry YOGIE.

Misty

[Rattlesnake Gal]

My daughter and I just had venison steaks...Marinated in Kraft Viva Italian overnight and cooked fast on the old webber. Man it don't get better.
It does if you use Good Season's Italian! ;)
Make it fresh, make it yourself. Mmm.

[upthesaukee]

I have always been amazed by the way animals (wild & domestic) can find a way to entertain, amaze, or put me (us) in awe. But this turkey...the railing it is sitting on is only 3.5 to 4 feet long. How close it to my window ? And by the way, the entire front of the house is glass like that one window. (whole new thread on how this cold weather effects the heating of the place). Anyway, my pal is still around and has done a good job of flattening the snow around the feeder.

[goosejr]

I love discussing traffic jams on our commutes to work with my friends to the south. They always laugh when I say that I usually have to stop and let the wild turkeys cross the road on my way to work, but I am serious. A while troop of them cross the road like they own it. Too funny.

[Mee-n-Mac]

I have always been amazed by the way animals (wild & domestic) can find a way to entertain, amaze, or put me (us) in awe. But this turkey...the railing it is sitting on is only 3.5 to 4 feet long. How close it to my window ? And by the way, the entire front of the house is glass like that one window. (whole new thread on how this cold weather effects the heating of the place). Anyway, my pal is still around and has done a good job of flattening the snow around the feeder.

Well it seems your heat loss is your new friends gain. By March I suspect you'll be on a 1'st name basis. Seems the least she could do is help around the house while you're heating and feeding her. Now I'll be impressed when I see a pic of the turkey with a shovel in her beak :D

[upthesaukee]

I was concerned about the snow and the turkey, but right on cue this morning, as the snow slowed down and I was out cleaning off the back roof, my pal came down for breakfast. I had thrown a little seed out for it, hoping it would come down and find it. It did, and didn't seem to mind me doing my thing. So I grabbed by camera, and with it up to my eyes,dressed in my snowmobile suit with a full fleece hood on, I started to take pictures. How close did I get???? Well, I snapped one pic, then I moved forward and snapped another pic, and then I moved forward and snapped another pic, and then...

[upthesaukee]

I took a few more steps forward and snapped one last shot before it figured maybe I had got too close for its own comfort (you see Mee-n-Mac, we still haven't exchanged names or shook hands/talons yet!!) and flew off. the last pic has two arrows showing where I stood on the left, and where the turkey was on the right. Distance?????? only 9 Feet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

That's it Upthesaukee, keep fattening her up. ;)
Let us know when to come to dinner! :laugh:
Maybe you will be as lucky as we were and have it lay eggs in your yard. That was pretty cool.
BTW, what did you name her?

[upthesaukee]

I was thinking of being totally formal and using 3 names:


Putcha Ina Roasta !!!!! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_13_8.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSXXXXXX42US)

[mcdude]

Upthesaukee: Don't forget that Turkey Cooking Recipe (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15017/201turkey.jpg) that I passed along back at Thanksgiving!

[secondcurve]

Unfortunately, feeding a wild turkey will increase the odds that it will lose its instinct to fend for its self. Also, the turkey will become less wary of humans and this could put it on someone's dinner table this spring. I know you mean well, but it is a bad idea.

[upthesaukee]

Actually, it's eating the seed that the chickadees, nuthatches, finches, etc knock out of the feeders. I threw one handful out this morning. Actually, it's amazing to watch it go under the trees in our yard and eat what has to be very small seeds of some sort. We have poplar, oak, maple, pine, and birch in the yard.

What really amazes me is the fact that there are herds or groups of turkeys in the area...we've seen them cross the road. This one is solitary, and doesn't appear to be a male...no beard...no wattle.

I actually have had a few emails from friends saying "put out hay" or "buy grain". I won't do that, and I won't stop feeding the song birds their sunflower seeds and suet. I won't put out grain or hay, and I won't feed deer, and I take down the feeders when the bears come out in the spring, when natural food appears.

I do know what you mean and I agree, Secondcurve.

[ApS]

Two summers ago, there was a letter-to-the-editor making reference to a NH wildlife agency wanting to ban bird feeders. Not because they made the bear population dependent on handouts, but because the birds were dependent. Nothing's appeared since.

Our local (and permanent-resident) winter bird population has a rough time of it -- especially right now with everything covered up. A greater danger to bird populations is the cute, but badly-designed commercial bird houses (and entries) that appear in stores. Houses should never get full sun, either -- it kills the nestlings due to overheating.

I find a great enjoyment in having the birds come to my porch. I've even got a squirrel-resistant mega-feeder for them when we're absent. (No bears to date).

I confess to being absolutely fascinated by birds, with their 104° body temperatures, temperature-controlling feather plumage, mastery and grace of flight -- of course, and their antics. They're really the mini-remnants of Earth's dinosaur age!

Outlawing bird feeders would result in mass Civil Disobedience fer sure.

They'll have to pry my bird feeder from my cold, dead, hands.

[ApS]

Just received a message regarding bald eagle injuries related to the hurricanes this Fall.

It's not the strong winds that got them, but eagles will pick the tallest trees in which to build -- or rebuild -- their nests. Many of those trees are down due to the hurricane(s).

Last year, Western Florida reported an upsurge in disabled and injured bald eagles being brought to rehabilitation centers. The injuries are from fighting amongst the eagles themselves -- as they try to get the best new nest locations, which is to start soon.

An Audubon chapter here in central Florida is energetically promoting its "Stamps for Eagles" program to keep eagle rehabilition on-going. Any stamps -- used, new, foreign, even stamped postcards -- are being collected. (She even asks that you use anything but those most-common 37¢ stamps on your letters -- try 20+10+4+3 -- now that's devotion).

Audubon
P.O.Box 3259
Lake Placid, FL 33862
Attn: "Stamps for Eagles" Program

[KBoater]

The eagles in my area of FL survived the storms better than many people. There nests got thinned out but still exist and they are busy fixing them up for nesting in March. Osprey nests did not survive as well but they are busy in construction.
One of my NH thrills was boating along the shore, looking up, and seeing an eagle directly above me on a branch. He then proceeded to take off. I've seen Osprey in NH but never a nest. Does anyone know were there is on?

[SIKSUKR]

Two summers ago, there was a letter-to-the-editor making reference to a NH wildlife agency wanting to ban bird feeders. Not because they made the bear population dependent on handouts, but because the birds were dependent. Nothing's appeared since.

Our local (and permanent-resident) winter bird population has a rough time of it -- especially right now with everything covered up. A greater danger to bird populations is the cute, but badly-designed commercial bird houses (and entries) that appear in stores. Houses should never get full sun, either -- it kills the nestlings due to overheating.

I find a great enjoyment in having the birds come to my porch. I've even got a squirrel-resistant mega-feeder for them when we're absent. (No bears to date).


I confess to being absolutely fascinated by birds, with their 104° body temperatures, temperature-controlling feather plumage, mastery and grace of flight -- of course, and their antics. They're really the mini-remnants of Earth's dinosaur age!

Outlawing bird feeders would result in mass Civil Disobedience fer sure.

They'll have to pry my bird feeder from my cold, dead, hands.
APS, keep on feeding those birds for they are wonderfull creatures to watch.They bring a lot of enjoyment to countless people.Surprize,I'm with you on this one!! SS

[upthesaukee]

A contractor who is working on a house across the street from me and further back into the woods stopped by yesterday (Fri 1-28) and we talked about the turkey. He thought that it may have a bad leg...I don't think so, because it will scratch gravel along side the driveway or dig in the snow with either foot (leg). What he has seen is a rather large herd of turkeys (Heard of Turkeys, of course I heard of turkeys...but seriously folks, take my wife....PLEASE....oops...I digress, again) up where he is working and they spend a lot of time browsing in a field up there. He has seen a solitary hen turkey come out of the woods on several occasions and be chased away from the flock by other hens. He figures that this turkey is the same one (she does cross the street and go up through the woods). I still won't feed her directly, and she seems perfectly capable of flying up into the trees to roost. She also eats "natural" food from the grasses and tree "stuff" by the edge of the woods.

I guess what the contractor has told me just points out one of the inevitable truths in life...Even a real turkey(s) can be an idiot at times, like kicking out one of their own....

[KBoater]

A few years ago we had our usual heard? of wild turkeys in the trees and on the grasses during the fall. Later on after Thanksgiving the local farm relieved itself of all its domestic turkeys except for the favorite Gertrude. One day, a lone wild turkey started hanging out with Gertrude. The attraction may have been Gertrude’s feed. I’m not sure of the final results for both birds since this snowbird did fly south from Wolfeboro to warmer weather shortly after this occurrence.

[mcdude]

Hi Upthesukee:
Could this possibly be the same herd of turkeys that I see along Alton Mt. Road? I've seen them as far up as the farm at the top of the mountain with the flock of cows! (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=4968) ;)

[upthesaukee]

Could be. They have been hanging around by the house across the street from me that is up by the "D" trail that runs from Alton Mt. Rd to Jesus Valley Rd. It's not that much of a stretch for them to go straight up the Mt. to the Morse's Farm. It wouldn't be that far for a gaggle of crows or a pod of pigeons if they were to fly straight.

[KTO]

Mmmmmm.....Tuurrrkkkeeeyyy! http://www.marnin.com/images/homer/homerburgers.gif