Critique Wild Turkey

[Palouse]

Recently spent a couple of days in Jacksonville, in southern Oregon. We were staying at a Airbnb 10 miles out of town on a working cattle ranch. There was a flock of about 15 wild Turkeys that let me get close enough with my 200-500. Just about at dusk (6 pm) hand held, so auto ISO was my friend.

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[Bear Dale]

That is very interesting to see these wild turkeys Nick. Are they very skittish birds and hard to get close to?

 

[Palouse]

You can't walk up to them or make rapid moves around them. They will slowly but decidedly move away. But they can walk up to you if you are very still. I had a half fence to screen my moves but they still left the open ground for the woods.

 

[Louis Champan]

Good ones Nick, they're visiting you before Thanksgiving....Really like that last shot, nicely done.

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Louis. I'm not at all fond of store-bought turkey, but wild turkey is another thing! Haven't seen much of them on the Café.

 

[RonS]

Good shots Nick. Have never seen wild ones that I can remember.

 

[Palouse]

Good shots Nick. Have never seen wild ones that I can remember.

There's a nice article in todays Spokesman Review about their status in Washington: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/20/turkeys-in-washington-invasive-species-conservatio/

 

[RonS]

There's a nice article in todays Spokesman Review about their status in Washington: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/20/turkeys-in-washington-invasive-species-conservatio/

Good article Nick, thanks for the link. I grew up in Spokane, relatives all over Moscow, Pullman, Colfax, nothing bigger than a grouse back then. Used to flush them out with a combine during harvest time.

I talk to Spokane most mornings (a ham thing) and may bring it up. We visit there several times a year, will keep my eyes open.

Have run into a wild, or at least loose, peacock over here. They are nasty, not afraid of anything.

 

[Hylander]

Great shots!

 

[Palouse]

Thank you, Bill.

 

[Bear Dale]

There's a nice article in todays Spokesman Review about their status in Washington: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/20/turkeys-in-washington-invasive-species-conservatio/

For an Aussie, that was an engrossing read.

 

[fishbio]

Apart from their heads, they're beautiful birds.

 

[bsinc1962]

Nice shots Nick. The third one is particularly well done.

 

[frdjohns]

Nick - from the title I opened this half expecting to see a bottle. Just kidding - nice set.

 

[Pa]

Good catch, Nick. I had heard that they are pretty tame in parts of the West, especially California. Not so around here. We have a pretty good population of them in the forests around us, but they are very skittish. Getting a good photograph requires stealth and a long lens.

 

[Palouse]

Thanks all.
As the Spokane article suggests, these reintroduced birds seem to have lost the wariness that is associated with native/natural birds.

 

[dossy]

Nice captures, Nick!

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Dossy.

 

[West]

Never seen them in the wild. If I was into hunting, they would be on the menu.