Shire like view at the Brooklyn State Wildlife Area
The year of the wild turkey
This year has seemed to be the year of the wild turkey for me. I have been lucky enough to literally see hundreds this year. It started out on a section of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. In early April I was enjoying a Shire like view on a bench when a gaggle of turkeys surreptitiously emerged from the brush.
Happy Thanksgiving – Wild turkeys coming out of the brush in formation at Brooklyn State Wildlife Area in southern Wisconsin
Happy Thanksgiving and the comeback of the wild turkey
Turkeys are making a comeback in the same fashion as bald eagles. I have been fishing, camping, hiking, canoeing the Midwest for over 30 years, and I don’t think I saw my first wild turkey until I was a senior in high school. We were driving to Big Bend National Park, and I saw two out the car window. It has not been until the last five or six years that I have started to see them with regularity.
Turkeys in a farmer’s field in Wisconsin – Happy Thanksgiving
This year I have seen them nearly everywhere I go. I saw them on that day hiking the Ice Age Trail, I saw bunches of them fishing for walleye in Nekoosa, I saw several at Sleeping Bear Dunes, I saw several while canoeing Wisconsin, and I even saw several gaggles last weekend in Illinois.
Gaggle of turkeys in a farmer’s field in central Wisconsin
Wild turkey at the edge of the woods at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
I have heard they have made a tremendous comeback in Illinois, but I don’t think I have ever seen one in the Prairie State. That changed last weekend at Rock Cut State Park. There were over 20 searching for food in the morning in the campground.
Wild turkeys at Rock Cut State Park in northern Illinois
gobble, gobble, gobble
Rock Cut State Park wild turkey walks like an Egyptian
A nice plump turkey grazing for food in an Illinois campground
Enjoy this little photo essay of Benjamin Franklin’s favorite bird. Have a great Happy Thanksgiving holiday, enjoy time with your family, and be thankful of the comeback of the wild turkey.
A few pictures of past turkeys: This gaggle taken from the outskirts of Rapid City, South Dakota
A couple of wild turkeys in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee
Adventure On!
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Happy Thanksgiving my friend! Travel safe!!!
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Southern California Coast: Day 1
Thanks Andi, you too. Have a great time with the family!
We have wild turkeys all over in California. I’ve seen a number of them playing golf. However, I LOVE turkey. I feel bad for them but it’s their fault for being so tasty!
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Louisiana plantation life and history lessons at Houmas House
There are plenty of them to go around thankfully. We can enjoy them in the wild, on our plate, or in a sandwich.
Just bought a fresh bottle of Texas Pete to go on my Turkey tomorrow! Happy trails Ted! Thanks for sharing your travels.
robb714 recently posted..Handling the Holidays
Happy Thanksgiving Robb,
Enjoy that turkey and thanks for reading.
Happy Thanksgiving Ted. I’ve seen wild turkeys a couple f times too -in Sonoma County and I was chase by one while biking one of Canada’s Gulf Islands. It was was a turkey with attitude.
Leigh recently posted..Destination: Misery Bay Provincial Park, Manitoulin Island
Interesting about being chased by a turkey. I wonder if there were eggs or a young turkey nearby. Thanks for the holiday wishes!
I loved this – never seen a live turkey before. Damn city girls!!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted..A bit of Lisbon love
Oh I never get to see turkey in the wild. Mostly on the dinner table. Lol. Happy Thanksgiving!
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..Seeing Prague on Segway