Wildwood 

Nah, I don't drink and ride. But was riding just around dark tonight and had two separate incidents with turkeys. The first was almost a close call - one adult and several young-uns were on the right side of the road, the other adult was on the left side and decided to join the others as I was approaching at a good speed. He took to flight at the last second and saved us both from possible injuries. A few minutes later there were 4 adults that I saw well in advance.

More than 6 Wild Turkeys while riding and I still got home safely -- that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

jcm

Don't try feeding them...

You might search BF for "Don't Feed The Swans"

DougG

I think there's been a huge increase in the turkey population all over lately. Up to a couple of years ago I had never seen one around here, and a couple of weeks ago I ended up being chased by one while out running. I don't know what he would have done if he'd caught me, but he was right behind me for quite a distance before giving up the chase. I'm sure that anyone who saw me would have been laughing their a$$ off!

Little Darwin

I like that...

Get the micrometer out... we need to figure out if this is a close call, or only "almost a close call"



BTW - Where are you (and DougG) from? I don't even know what the range of the wild turkey is... Since I have moved to the east coast, I wonder if I am almost close to the right neighborhood.

Just kidding...

Actually I am curious about the area, because I have never seen a turkey in the wild, but rode by a turkey farm last week... it made me wonder.

wolf_river_mike

I topped a hill the other evening and two fawns and a doe were standing at the edge of the road. One of the fawns was suckling, The mom and one of the fawns went one way and the other fawn went the other. About the time I got to where they were, you guessed it, the lone fawn darted across the rode to the side her mom was on. I had to brake pretty hard to keep from running over the little one. You really gotta watch em.

mollusk

Yesterday morning just after sunrise I had to slow down so that 2 adult wild turkeys and a large number of young ones (perhaps 10?) could finish crossing the road. I don't worry too much about them or the turkey vultures who are smart enough to get out of the way. The sandhill cranes, on the other hand, are sometimes very stupid. I've ridden close enough to them that I could have slapped them as I rode on by. I'd hate to hit one of them at speed for various reasons, not the least of which is self-preservation.

That reminds me of something that I saw on a ride over twenty years ago and it has something to do with wild turkeys. Way back when Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the American Bird and not the Bald Eagle. While the Bald Eagle does fish, it is also a carrion eater. Apparently this one poor unfortunate eagle was dining on a fairly quiet road near where I live and was hit by a Sheriff's Deputy cruiser and killed a few minutes before I rode my bike on by on an otherwise beautiful Saturday morning. That poor deputy had the dead eagle on the trunk of his cruiser and I am sure that he was looking at a mountain of paperwork to fill up the rest of his weekend.

Just so you know, Bald Eagles are pretty common where I live. I have even seen them perching in my yard and I know places where you are almost guarenteed to see them.

mollusk

I've just got to know this: Does your screen name refer to the Wolf River in Wisconsin? I've rafted the part in the Menominee Reservation a large number of times and open canoeed (sp?) the part just above that as well. Now I live too far away to enjoy that.

goaliedad30

I was out the other morning riding with my son and as we're descending a hill at around 35mph, a family (6-8 of them) of wild turkeys races out into the road. I hit the brakes hard, and they eventually scattered. Clueless birds!!

I kept thinking "how am I going to explain to my wife that I got dropped and hospitalized by TURKEYS!!"

DougG

I live about 20 miles north of Detroit, in an area that is very suburban and developed, but still lots of woods in the area. When we first built our house 20-some years ago, there was little wildlife that we directly saw. In the last few years, on my early morning runs I have seen not only wild turkeys, but foxes, minks, and even a coyote. Plus the usual varmints: skunk, raccoon, porcupine, opossum. And don't even mention the #@!% deer! My county leads the state in deer-car collisions, and they have done a number on my wife's flower and vegetable garden.

I haven't had many encounters while biking because I just started doing more riding this year and haven't done it much in the early hours.

Wildwood 

I'm just west of St. Louis in an area where there are several "wilderness reservations". I don't consider myself to live near the "wilderness" but the large tracts of undeveloped land are very nice and conducive to low traffic roads.

I think one reason Ben wanted the turkey as the national bird was that its range was virtually the entire lower 48 (less desert areas & high mountains).

NOS88

My brother is a die hard turkey hunter. He does his scouting work prior to the season on a mountain bike. According to him, for some reasons the turkeys are less wary of him when he's on the bike vs. just hiking. It must work for him (but not the turkeys), because he gets one every year.

oilman_15106

I like that...

Get the micrometer out... we need to figure out if this is a close call, or only "almost a close call"

Is almost smashing into Bambi's mom at 25 mph and when passing the thing slapping it on the rump an "almost a close call" ?

Little Darwin

I was in a car yesterday and saw a couple of wild turkeys on the median of I-81... So, now I can join the crowd as having seen a wild turkey.

WorldWind

Had Ben Franklin gotten his way, the National bird would have been the Turkey. I only mention that because that is the extent of my knowledge regarding wild turkeys. And any resemblance to any current political observation is purely coincidental. I have on the other hand had run-ins with peacocks. The only thing funnier than startling a peacock on the trail and having them display for you is to have them turn and run down the trail in front of you.

My favorite trail to take friends on for a little novice night ride is one in the Santa Cruz hills that goes from Black road, off of 17 out to Lake Ranch. The trail skirts the property where a large flock of peacocks live. At dusk just after the sun drops the birds start calling. For the uninitiated it sounds very much like a human sacrifice is taking place just off in the woods as we ride buy. I have had people get off their bikes and go into hysterics right on the spot. The trail is a narrow single track through very dense impenetrable madrone trees and manzanita brush. Caught in the middle of the pack of riders they are trapped with no place to run. After some wine and cheese and reassuring talk at the reservoir the newly initiated calm down and we all have a good laugh.

duhhuh

Momma and two fawns right out in front of me, truly a close call. Had to hit the brakes hard to keep from hitting them. Had this experience with deer and turkey both several times this year. Hazards of where I live I guess. Beautiful scenery and wildlife to view on the rides, I surely am not complaining.

stapfam

Don't have turkeys in the Uk, except at Christmas, but we do have pheasants and Partridge. Nothing worse than riding at night and Having a well camoflagged pheasant go up from under your front wheel. If you want to see night life- then get out on the hills at night and use stealth to creep up on the cars in the car parks in the middle of nowhere.

Or as happened to our group once when we came across a group of foreign girl students out on the Hills for a walk -Topless.

boyze

Been watching 3-4 turkeys out my home office window this afternoon. A doe and 3 fawn will be out later to munch on some apples. Almost took a turkey out the other night on my ride. Had a doe experience a week ago on a back road near home. Was early am and she didn't move until I whistled at her. The closest I've come to going down this summer from a wildlife experience is a woodchuck that darted across the road in front of me. Wouldn't have been pretty for either of us. A few years back a buck almost took me out during a very early am ride.

wolf_river_mike

mollusk, I'm in West Tennessee east of Memphis about 40 miles.

nedgoudy

About the only way I would see a wild turkey
in the burbs of Los Angeles is if I had been
drinking or smoking some powerful stuff.

That having been said, I did see a Bob Cat
during the middle of the day about two years
ago on a 60 mile ride through one of the Mtn.
passes here between Glendora Mtn. Road and
Mt. Baldy and back.

And we get our share of Racoons, Skunks and
Possums. My dog Rosie nabs a possum every
summer in my (her) backyard. Usually in the
middle of July for some reason.