When the area where we live was laid out, it created a woodland corridor 1-2 hundred feet wide between houses on adjacent streets. Animals use this as a secluded travel-way searching for food and rest areas. Turkey, pheasant and other birds as well as deer, raccoons, skunks and coyotes are frequently seen using the corridor. Today a tom and four hens came out of the woods and walked through the yard. ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) They headed to an apple orchard across the street. ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) As I was looking at GardenStew posts at the time, it was convenient to browse to a turkey call web site. Cranking up the volume on the computer, I issue a few turkey calls. The turkeys came back and searched for the unseen birds. ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) They stayed around for about 10 minutes till one nipped a leaf off of a potted caladium. Time to go I said. They soon left. ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) Jerry
Fascinating! I would never have thought to use the computer to call turkeys. You do have a beautiful back yard, with or without the wildfowl.
What a great set of pictures Jerry. I wouldn't get any housework done if I had that corridor outside my window.
How fortunate for the local wildlife that that corridor exists. I have read that wildlife do need connections between wild areas to get to and fro. How fortunate for you as well!
And to think my parents used to try so hard to raise turkeys from eggs. Really such a hard work with lots of casualties. And you get oven-sized ones coming to you! Not fair!
Jane, thank you, the turkey calls were known because hunters use them during the hunting season. The birds are extremely curious about other turkeys. Droopy, since most consumer turkey are farm raised, the wild turkey are typically fatter than when they were hunted to put food on the table. Eileen, after a newly fallen snow I go out there and look at the different animal tracks, there is a lot of activity we do not see. Mary, we also have a similar corridor at work, with a stream, many animals came to drink and rest. Frank, a tom can also be called a gobbler, a stag, or for immature males, a jake Calin, Those big turkeys also look weird sitting in trees at night. Do people eat turkey eggs? Donna, thank you, I also do titmouse calls and squirrel warning calls Jerry
Jerry, We have a lot of turkeys around here. As well as deer, racoons, skunks and groundhogs. They don't come in to the city too much, but I work in a lot of close-to-rural areas where they are commonplace. Turkeys are funny creatures, and can do damage to ornamental gardens! A week or so ago, I went inside a customer's home for a few minutes and when we looked out the window, we saw a hen and four chicks following. I scooted em off before they could get comfortable in the garden!I really don't need their assistence with my pruning!
Hmm, I don't think we eat tyrkey eggs. First they seem to be too valuable. People in the country usually try to hatch them. It's not like chicken eggs, one a day. But I think they also use some of the eggs when making noodles, or pastry or something.
Jerry great pic's. We have a few turkey families passing threw our pasture and going for the apples of the wild trees we have. They had also found our raspberry patch and made quick work of that. With the summer being so dry I just let them have a feast as I am sure food was had to come by. I too spend many hours watching out our back patio doors for wild life. For the last week we have had about 8 Blue birds feasting on the bugs they find in our pasture. I love watching them. But soon they will be gone. Yesterday as I was watching the crows out my front window eat the peanuts I put out for them. A Hawk about their size came swooping down over their heads and scared them. The crows headed for the trees and not the Hawk. Which I thought was pretty strange. Then one of the crows flew down to get a peanut and sure enough if the Hawk didn't do another swoop fly over and scared him off. But they never went after the Hawk. Very strange indeed. One thing about eating wild turkey is you need to cook them for a long time to get them to be eatable. They have really tough meat. I suppose it's because they get a lot of exercise living in the wild and our domestic turkey's do not. I love a good photo opt like yours.
