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Talking Turkey
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2016/05 - May
Let’s talk turkey. No, not the kind of turkey that could be elected in November, but the kind that roams North Carolina’s forests and open lands, the Eastern Wild Turkey.
Males have dark plumage accented with bronze, copper, and green iridescent coloration. They also come equipped with spurs, used to fight other males for mates. Gobblers or toms (males), and some hens (females), sport a beard, which is a dark, bristly, feather-like protrusion at the neck. Kind of looks like a renegade ponytail. Clearly girl turkeys haven’t heard of waxing strips.
While females are camouflaged with duller colors, gobblers, from the neck up, can change color, red to blue to white depending upon mood. Ben Franklin was right. The turkey should have been the national bird. It’s practically a walking flag.
This time of year, turkey hunting season, young turkeys who used to wander right up to your doorstep, now scatter when a human approaches.
In 1970 there were only 2,000 turkeys in North Carolina. Today there are over 150,000 thanks to N.C. Wildlife’s population management and protection program. But with proper education and licensure, you can hunt turkey until May 7, with a bag limit of two males per season, one per day.
North Carolina Wildlife Enforcement Officer Mark Ray reminds hunters that baiting turkeys, and many other animals, is illegal and unsportsmanlike. While he wants hunters to observe the law, there is something humorous about catching a law-breaker in action. He says, “Sometimes we dress in camo and lay in wait five feet from the bait. Hunters have no idea we are there. I let them use their calls and do their thing. When we hear the turkeys coming, we stand up right next to them.” To date no hunter has died of cardiac arrest or embarrassment, though it’s hard to tell the turkeys from the turkeys.
If you want to know more about North Carolina wildlife, visit ncwildlife.org. If you observe anyone poaching, illegally baiting, or doing anything questionable to wildlife, notify Ray at (828) 200-2836.
