You're right, Mooh -- wild turkeys were re-introduced here (mid-Ontario) in the early 90's. I'll never forget that first close encounter, jogging on the skidoo trails through the reforestation areas -- she'd suddenly run out from the thick underbrush and cut in about 10 feet ahead of me on the trail. Kept pace with me for a good half mile -   'bout scared the livin's right outta me at first too. I'd never seen a feathered creature so large and so close to home -- figured it must be an ostrich. Or maybe an emu .... 8-)

Today, gaggles prides (flip, what are they called ....) flocks (I hope) of wild turkeys are a common sight here -- conglomerating in the fields and forests and even the city parks in Barrie, holding up traffic as they cross the roads in single file etc etc. Strange-looking birds, but they do command respect!

The wild turkeys have an interesting relationship with the other wildlife around here too. Jogging on those same snowmobile trails early in the morning one winter's day, I'd taken a sidetrack through the forest trying to find out why the crows were cawing up such a godawful ruckus. Found them -- a whole flock of 'em perched in the trees, screeching and croaking away ... and sure enough, right in front of them was a whole herd roost sheesh flock of wild turkeys, also roosting in the trees on the other side of the path. Puzzled, I stood there trying to figure out what it was about the turkeys that excited the crows so much, when all of a sudden a WOLF -- no kidding, an honest-to-god-timber-wolf (they were also hunted to extinction around here till reintroduced in recent times) -- ran by, at the edge of a farmer's field just beside where those turkeys were roosting. WOW! I'd never seen a wolf in the wild before ....

So, what was going on there, d'ya think?   Were the crows warning the turkeys that the wolf was nearby? Or were they giving the wolf strategic information ie "Your brekkie awaits, right up here in the trees ... and we're on stand-by to clean up your scraps!"   Hmmmmm .....

Anyway, thanks for listening to my turkey stories, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving one and all!

daylia