Until they were hunted to the brink of extinction in eastern Ontario throughout the first 75 years of the 20th century
Thanks to the conservation efforts of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the National Wild Turkey Federation, who began to reintroduce the birds into Canada about 25 years ago, there are now about 100,000 turkeys estimated in eastern Ontario, and about 13,000 in our area. Those are good numbers and testimony to the fact that these big birds are pretty wiley.
Gotta be a turkey to beat to a turkey who's hunting a turkey!
5 comments:
That is such a good outcome, Susan. And to know that they are doing so well in your own area, too. They look quite chunky birds, not as tall as an emu/ostrich but as solid as a wild pig maybe. How do they cope when the pastures are all covered with snow?
Hi Julie -they are large birds,... and renowned for being quite clever.In winter they tend to roam in large flocks, and take cover in the woods in dense brush where the snow isn't as deep and they can scratch through it to forage. As you can see by their size, it seems to work for them!
The first time I saw one in the bush it scared the dickens out of me. Good photos of these wonderful birds!
Ooo, thank you for that answer, Susan. Now to check out what else you have been up to this week.
They certainly look as they're doing well there. It's good to know that they've got a decent foothold. (Clawhold?)
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