Wildlife: Turkeys

Support The Show 👇🏻
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035680/support

Ready to uncover the wild, wacky, and wonderful world of turkeys with us? This episode promises to enlighten you with fascinating turkey facts, debunk myths, and even provide you with a mouthwatering turkey sandwich recipe. You'll be surprised to learn how these peculiar creatures consume small reptiles, how gobblers play a unique role in raising young ones, and how they're actually quite different in appearance from the hens. Turkeys are not just the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table, they're a complex and intriguing species that deserve a second look.

Ever wondered how turkeys got their name? Ever heard the myth about Ben Franklin wanting the turkey as the national bird? We're here to satisfy your curiosity. Beyond that, we'll delve into the role of turkeys in history and culture, tackle myths, and discuss traditions like the presidential turkey pardon. But we'll do it all with an ironic twist, as we wrap up the discussion by preparing a delicious turkey sandwich, a delicious paradox if you will.

We're thrilled to welcome our special guest, Donnie, an expert turkey hunter who shares his experiences and pro tips from Montana and Alaska. Get ready to be fascinated by the social dynamics of turkey flocks, the concept of a "pecking order," and a hilarious anecdote about turkey mating. You'll also discover the story of the largest recorded turkey, a whopping 86-pounder that fetched a hefty sum at a charity auction. So, buckle up for this unforgettable trip into the world of turkeys, packed with fun facts, intriguing insights, and a dash of humor. Remember to subscribe and check out our website for more exclusive content and merchandise. Raise a toast to turkeys, and let's get this party started!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:48

Uh, why? Why? Hey, oh, it's okay, man, Don't worry, I'm not with the. It is indeed, you know, and it's the season for business and stuff, and I'm not just with all that turkey talk. You know, you hit a car, a lot, they're just trying to talk you turkey, or whatever. And then you go to, you know, smoke a cigarette outside, and people are like why don't you quit? And you're like, damn it, I can't go cold turkey, what the hell. But yeah, all that drive turkey talk.

Speaker 2: 1:17

And as well as the well-known turkey gobble, there are also kikis, tackles, clucks, chumps, hums putts, yelps and purrs Puts. So lots of turkey talk.

Speaker 1: 1:32

Yeah, man, whoa, that was a lot of turkey talk. That's turkey, kikis, I like the putts, putts, like a putts. Yeah, that's a good one. There's so many fun things about turkeys. I'm telling you, these birds are amazing and I'm going to say something here.

Speaker 1: 1:48

When exploring the world of turkeys OK, there's a lot of information on these motherfucking birds, dude Like a lot. And also when you type in turkey, there's all this other stuff that comes up about the country turkey. So it's like it's such a what a word, what a noun it is. It's a large. Ok, here's what the dictionary says anyway. So, and then, just so you know, the dictionary also says that plural is turkeys. So, anyway, a large North American bird that is domesticated in most parts of the world. That's it, that's what it says about them. There is two types of male turkeys gobblers and jakes, jakes being the younger, gobblers being the old, old dogs, usually the rulers of the roost. You know, gobblers are large body birds with a dark coloration, at times appearing almost black, and bright sunlight. Their feathers cast a brilliant bronze or metallic iridescence. And go, turkeys goblers have a featherless red head. Yeah, weird looking, fucking red head. Turkeys are weird looking, right, like it's not just me.

Speaker 2: 2:52

No, definitely looks like prehistoric kind of sketchy dino bird or something Right I?

Speaker 1: 2:59

actually did read. I don't have the notes on it, but somewhere it said that, like turkeys and chickens split at some point, like way, way back. So they are a pretty old bird.

Speaker 2: 3:11

You know being bred to eat. They're much larger. The wild turkey can actually fly up to 25 miles an hour. That's in run up to 25 miles an hour, Damn 25.

Speaker 1: 3:22

That's insane.

Speaker 2: 3:23

Yeah, I want to see wild turkey races. Yeah. Oh that's happened somewhere with wild turkey.

Speaker 3: 3:30

Right.

Speaker 1: 3:31

All involved, right? Oh, my goodness, sponsored by. Hey, you know what's funny is like? I think there is such a thing as turkey races. I know there's pig races in red outside of red lodge, right?

Speaker 2: 3:43

Yeah, I've never been, but I didn't get that. I think I've had to have sprouted from alcohol.

Speaker 1: 3:50

Yeah, I'm assuming. So yeah, I know, but there was something that I did see that was like a, like a turkey. It looked like a turkey race, I don't know, but it also could have been a turkey run or something, but that could also been like some sort of like marathon. I'm assuming too. Yeah, no, turkeys are turkeys are crazy. Ok, and you know, they're not all. Just, it's not all about the snoods. You know what I'm saying. So like, not like us humans.

Speaker 1: 4:20

And adult gobbler called Tom's can have a beard that's up to seven to nine inches or more in length, and you know it's kind of like this. It really does look like a beard, it's like a furry feather that's with them like their whole life, from what I understand. And females can have beards, but they don't grow very long. They're not like the bearded lady in the circus, I assume, when they do, right. So young gobblers called Jakes you know their beards are under six inches, so this defines that, I am assuming, you know. And they. And then they also say that typically gobblers hang out away from the hands during the summer, since they take no part in raising their young. These guys eat turkey. I'm turkey, dad. Yeah, what's going on?

Speaker 2: 5:01

And they don't take care of the baby turkeys that are called polts.

Speaker 3: 5:04

That eat bugs, seeds and berries? No, they do not.

Speaker 2: 5:08

No, the adult turkeys will even eat small reptiles. They have a much more varied diet.

Speaker 1: 5:13

Yeah, yeah I didn't know. They're dead, they're dead, deadly dad turkeys, yes, and also, like I've seen a video of a turkey ate a lizard and I've seen a chicken eat a lizard in real life, I feel, or like a bug. Let's say something like that it's, it's a thing, these things happen, um, hey, hey, weird fucking turkeys.

Speaker 2: 5:33

I don't, I'm not even going to ask the context.

Speaker 1: 5:36

No, I know Well things have happened, but not weird things like you may be thinking, my friend. Hens, on the other hand, are more brownish in coloration and smaller in size, and gobblers. They have a head that is more blue gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head. Occasionally hens will have a beard, like I said, but it is thinner than one gobbler, than a gobbler's, and is quite often kinked. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not the same extent as gobblers.

Speaker 1: 6:04

I'm assuming the gobblers are attracting the females, you know, and that's that brings me to this. You know, and on you said, like you said, the babies are called Polts, turkey, slang terms that I looked up. I don't know like what regions these come from, but they're like hunter slang terms, I feel. And one is thunder chicken. I've heard that one, I feel. So that's kind of me. Thunder chicken, hammerhead, I don't know why. Boss, tom and Mr Waddles, all right, and yeah, those are all for mature gobblers. Jive Turkey, though. On the other hand, as defined in the dictionary of source, what does Jive Turkey mean? A jive turkey is someone who is unreliable, makes exaggerations or empty promises, or who is otherwise dishonest. The phrase is associated with 1970s culture in general right. So the other, the other part.

Speaker 2: 6:56

Walker, for sure a little before our time, but still. Yeah, yeah, good night. And what have you Right? What about the whole? Line in an oscillated turkey, the adab Turkey. It possibly only found on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and a much brighter and bolder colors, but I don't know what's good times on in Mexico because I'm unsure. Otherwise, you know an oscillated turkey kid? Well, it's very unlikely that would be a jazz turkey.

Speaker 1: 7:24

Well, before we get into this oscillated turkey here, the 70s slang is synonymous with chump and is also a popular name for a softball team in Yonkers. Apparently is the jive turkeys and they gave an example and I'm very grateful for this because I was kind of like, well, how do you use it properly? Yeah, these sorts of things and the example they gave, as in honky suck, a jive turkey, motherfucker, I don't think that was on good time, yeah.

Speaker 2: 7:55

I don't think so.

Speaker 1: 7:56

Yeah, maybe shaft, I'm unsure. Um oscillated turkeys. Back to that one, I feel like these may have been in a Montezuma Zoo, my friend, along with our Eastern wild turkey, as I think they're called that we're used to as the wild. Yeah, yeah, think about it, montezuma Zoo. They said they had turkeys, man, and yeah, yeah, they fed them the. Yeah Right.

Speaker 2: 8:17

This is probably kept. Some of the turkeys in the wild turkeys, yeah right, this is probably kept. Some of the the prettier oscillator.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Turkeys. Yeah, they're pretty, pretty neat looking. They compare them to peacocks and they do say they're pretty particular in where they live. They're not as like Hardy as our turkeys, we know. You know, our turkeys survive on what um Scientists like to call mast, and that's what they classify their food. Aside from the lizards, I'm assuming a mast is just defined as, like you know, the stuff you find in trees like acorn, nuts, berries, pinecombs, things of that nature. They're not picky eaters and they cover a lot of territory.

Speaker 1: 8:54

You know, they're also fun fact. They're diurnal, meaning that they're awake when we're awake, you know so when they're out waddling around and stuff like that, and. But they're to the point that they're a little crazy. My friend, you want to hear a crazy funny thing about turkeys? Yes, okay, well, if they're like just not paying attention, because sometimes they do that shit, they're turkeys. You know, they're just like us, they're. They're a little smarter than you think. So they they get caught up in the moment to start doing stuff, you know, and if they they look up and they see the sun coming down, they just start bolting for a tree. It's like automatic, like they do not fuck around when it comes to nighttime they get up in them trees. Okay, they nest in trees as well. As my point, and I remember yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Predators, and I have you, and yeah, so you know the wild ones in here. Yeah, I mean, it's all.

Speaker 1: 9:40

The best ones are just waiting to be. Yeah, some of them are kind of neat looking, though I mean like One fun. I didn't Bother taking the note on this because it's something that people say but then they don't know. Okay, like they always talk about Ben Franklin and the frickin turkeys, right, like how he was right. Yeah, well, he did say that the turkey would be a better option than the bald eagle, as he called. The bald eagle, basically a bully who stole food from other birds, didn't work honestly, like the turkey, the noble turkey, he said. Who would protect his bond barnyard from a pack of wolves or some shit like that? But it's pretty true, because turkeys can be quite aggressive, which I'll touch on later. But nonetheless, ben Franklin actually said that the better choice for the seal would be Moses, for some reason. So he did not say that the turkey should be on the seal, he just said it would be a better, right option than the bald eagle people. So stop saying that shit, but it's still, I did say it was a much more respectable bird.

Speaker 2: 10:40

Yeah, he was never actually quoted. Yeah, so for sure that's one of those. It's kind of much like the. There's a story that was widely circulated I think I learned a new word, I hope I'm pronouncing it apocryphal oh, nice. So it was widely accepted by people because it was circulated by the media, but there's no like actual basis in fact, and that was that they were waiting to kill a turkey for Thanksgiving. The Lincoln's were, and Abe's son I think it was Tom he came really fond of it and thought of it as a pet and then he spared it. But yeah, apparently there's no actual record of that. And oh, really was spreading media, though just kind of like a oh it's feel good story. That's total bullshit. But you did read about, the turkeys have been part in since Hoover, I think it was now each year. Oh, wow.

Speaker 2: 11:35

No, I did not, he is. Yeah, turkey is pardoned and not to just live out its days on a farm here, there, here they're everywhere. Yeah, yeah, all right, hopefully not the sorry farm, oh.

Speaker 1: 11:51

Yeah, no, that's, uh, that's a. That's a real farm anyway. We should, you know. If it's not, we should like Buy a farm someday, oh. And then just you know, I have like a nice sign and just say the sorry farm, and then all the things that will have there will be like Animals that got rejected by the people.

Speaker 2: 12:11

Anyway, Well.

Speaker 1: 12:14

I don't know. You know I'm saying it's, but hey, you know. Another fun thing I read. You know you're talking about the purring and all, and the purr in a turkey is very similar to a cat, like the meaning in all, it's a very like Personal turkeys are very like, they're smarter than give them credit for my friend.

Speaker 1: 12:33

They actually form like strong bonds. They have a super tight social group To the point to where, like, if they get disconnected with their social group, they literally just freeze in place and won't move because there's so like their anxiety. They just can't do it right. I even yeah, I even. I even heard a story and then read up on it a little bit.

Speaker 1: 12:54

But anyway, this woman, she had a turkey she adopted, adopted as a poult, which I know that now that's what they're called, I don't know what stage there's, three stages of pulse, okay, but I don't know anyway nonetheless.

Speaker 1: 13:06

So she had this turkey from when it's very little and she had like a golden retriever or something right, and they're, you know, raise the turkey, their buddies, and it was all fine, dandy. And then turkey, no, hits about a year or so old and she's like, well, this is kind of stupid to have this turkey in my house and like, for one, I'm sure that's something she was thinking. And then she was like and it should be a turkey. You know, some ago put it on the turkey farm right or whatever the fuck, and so puts it with some turkeys and Apparently, when once she left and was gone for a while, that turkey just sat there and wailed like squawked in place for like Two days until the woman came back, grabbed the turkey and reunited it with the dog and once it got around, the dog done totally fine, back to turkey business. Whatever that may be, yeah, dang.

Speaker 2: 13:52

That's gonna Make me feel bad about the next Borset black and turkey sandwich I make with fontina pesto, shoulder bacon and arugula and a fresh baguette. Yeah, but I'm still. Yeah, sorry, turkeys, I try get attached to you. I love animals.

Speaker 1: 14:08

Oh right, you're awful tasty. Yeah, hey people, you want to pin the minutes on that. That's a recipe. It's a real thing. It's sought after. I swear you want to eat these sandwiches. Hey, you ever heard of how turkeys got their name?

Speaker 2: 14:25

Yeah, he read something, but I didn't even write it down, so please enlighten us oh all right, it sounds like a plan.

Speaker 1: 14:31

Hey, so you know, there's some. There's a couple other stories, but this seems like the most solid one I found. And so, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, they encountered the already domesticated economy, turkey. They apparently like the burden. Apparently, turkeys were among the plunder. They took back Spain yeah, that's great.

Speaker 1: 14:49

Around 1519, by 1541, the birds had arrived in England. In those days, the Turkish Ottoman Empire was at its peak and English had turkey with a capital T on their mind. The English gave the Turks credit for any number of new imports maize was Turkish wheat and pumpkins were Turkish cucumbers, though both were actually new world plants. Like in New World, meaning the Americas, that would be like South America all the way up. Guys, when they talk New World, my friends, yeah. So, to paraphrase Cindy Otter 2012 book, pumpkin, the curiosity, curious history of an American icon. If it was exotic, chances are it got a Turkish appellation. So the new bird was soon being called a turkey cock, a name eventually shortened to turkey. Yeah, so basically, because it like came from turkey, they just called it like a turkey chicken. Big kind of deals what I'm getting out of this. And it as it arrived, they can then, you know, it carried over into the New World, america, and now we just call it a turkey, and that's what it is.

Speaker 2: 15:52

Okay, people, nothing else and yeah around in the early 1900s. They were hunted, while turkeys were hunted down the 30,000, holy shit. And then, thanks to programs set in place to restore the populations, up to Roughly seven million.

Speaker 3: 16:09

So dang that's why I'll take easy, but that's 30,000.

Speaker 2: 16:12

That's not many. She's across.

Speaker 1: 16:17

It's definitely not. And like, on the other end of that stick I did read a thing but I didn't write it down. And now this makes more sense because I just thought it was fucking weird and I didn't want to talk about it too much. But there was a turkey mating program in like 1940. I think you're 1960. That's quite a range, but it was back then and it was really strange and they were talking about how, like, the snooze were such a big part of their mating behavior and the colorations.

Speaker 1: 16:44

Because, as most people don't know, the snood is the most desirable part on a Jake or Tom and it does change colors based on their mood, attitude. You know, it goes from like blues to bright reds and even like a white, I think I don't know. But turkeys are like red, white and blue, yet again. Kind of an American bird, you think, but that's just what we call American colors. So, nonetheless, pretty cool Thing. But snoods do they? They grow in length, all stars sorts of things. So like, the longer the snood, the more attractive it is to a female turkey, a hen, okay. So you know, the fucking Tom with the 12 inch snood is gonna get more play than the Jake. What's a 4 inch snood. Simple play guys. It's a real fact and I don't know if they If they say anything like send snoods or anything in the in the middle of this courtship.

Speaker 2: 17:40

Yeah, well, I'm glad you do the other research on, like the turkey mating stuff. I don't know what you know that pops up on the computer at work.

Speaker 1: 17:50

Oh my god hey, yeah, hard facts. So, hey, weird thing speaking at Turkey, all this turkey talk and jive it in such a, I just figured, why not get off subject, because it's what I do a weird law that existed in Turkey. You want to hear it? Yeah, I bet you do. Okay, it's not. Yeah, no, anyway, I think you'll appreciate this. Okay, a law existed in the odd, in Ottoman Turkey, that made plucking unripe olives punishable by two years of imprisonment. Yeah, that's the olives. Yes, yeah, I agree, there are.

Speaker 1: 18:32

You know, turkey breeds are reported to the DAD-IS whatever the hell that means food and agricultural organization. That's a part of the United Nations. Apparently there are 32 breeds of turkey in the UN, united States and Europe. That's the total breed count, apparently. I thought it'd be fun so to look up the names and I thought the funniest name of a turkey breed was the Jersey buff. I was kind of funny and then I also found that the coolest turkey name I thought was the slate turkey. Okay, pretty cool turkey. It's kind of like a grayish blue color. I know it's like neat, almost like some Detroit Lions. It's like a lion's turkey. They should have that. Why don't they have a slate turkey during Thanksgiving for the when the Lions play, I'm gonna get it. She'll have a bunch of chase, the marines.

Speaker 2: 19:21

They did. The Madden would serve to duck in at the Lions games. You know, whoever won gets them.

Speaker 1: 19:27

I got the turkey.

Speaker 2: 19:29

But then he he backed to turn duck in. But which is a? A turkey and a duck or, I'm sorry, a Duck and a chicken inside of a turkey? Oh, I thought that was. I stopped there. Why don't we just put that Contraption inside of a cow and then put that inside of a whale?

Speaker 1: 19:49

Yeah, might as well, all right. No, that sounds about right. I don't even.

Speaker 2: 19:52

I thought that was like a joke, that was like on cartoons or something, but it's real no two duck is a very real thing and I guess, like the guy, was someone in Louisiana and he told you know a few here there around Thanksgiving and then, once Madden started talking about it, it just went nuts and still is. I mean, I try it.

Speaker 1: 20:10

Yeah, shit man. Hey, you know it's weird about that. I think you know we were talking with the Lions and this is a little bit related and unrelated, but didn't somebody like have their like defensive line trained for Barry Sanders by like chasing chickens, not turkeys? Oh my god, holy shit. Yes. Whoa, whoa whoa wait a minute. Hey, bro, we're getting a call right now from our good friend of the show, donnie Hill. Folks, what up, yeah, what up, donnie, how?

Speaker 2: 20:51

you doing bud, can I complain? How about you, my friends?

Speaker 3: 20:58

We're back breaking, but it's work, you know yeah, that's right. Everything's good.

Speaker 1: 21:02

Decide that right, well, yeah, for sure, man. Hey, today we're here to talk turkey, donnie, you're, you're a specialist, you're our turkey correspondent, our wildlife correspondent, especially in Montana and Alaska. So I just, yeah, and you let you, you love, you love to hunt turkeys, you just love turkeys. You also have turkey preservation, correct, all these things.

Speaker 3: 21:27

Yep.

Speaker 1: 21:28

Yeah okay. Sure, alright. So I was gonna try and do a call and I'm gonna see if you can tell me what the call is. Alright, sounds like a clock, it's like a putt, it's a tur Clock, that thing. Yeah, okay, okay, hey, hey, good job man. It's like the hand when, yeah, yeah, alright, alright, what are some turkey calls?

Speaker 3: 22:00

that you know and use. My favorite one to use is probably the Kiki Run oh oh and which is, oh and knows so my favorite of the turkey sounds upon researching.

Speaker 2: 22:12

Yeah, it's not just the gobbles, it's the keys, they're included.

Speaker 3: 22:16

Yeah, and when you're calling in a hen, for some reason it just seems to work the best. When they're really deep in mating season they really, like the Tom, seem to get really fired up when you give them a good Kiki Run right to the face.

Speaker 1: 22:35

Kiki, run to the face, right to the gizzard, right in the gizzard yeah.

Speaker 3: 22:41

Alright that's fantastic.

Speaker 1: 22:43

The Kiki Run was one of our favorites, so that's a good one, bro. Yeah, that's the one Owen discovered. Is there any other tips or tricks to this turkey thing that we need to know? I know they're pretty smart.

Speaker 3: 22:58

Per's work really well too. The other thing is, their eyesight is unbelievable. I don't know if it's a wives tale or not, but it's been said that they can see you blink an eye at a hundred yards. Man, I actually read about that, yeah, yeah, that's why everybody you always see guys in full ghillie suits and stuff like that when they're hunting turkeys. Because you gotta think like a bush.

Speaker 1: 23:24

Right, they're pretty nice, george, or no? Just joking. Sorry, then the let. So they are pretty clever though, huh, yeah, so that's right on, Pretty smart. Yeah, you got any questions for Donnie or Turkey Correspondent here in the field.

Speaker 2: 23:45

What's the best way to cook a turkey?

Speaker 3: 23:48

There we are. Yes, well, wild turkey I like personally. I like to pull the breasts out and then I like to soak them in buttermilk for like a day to get some of the gamey flavor out, and then I cut them in one inch cubes and I like to deep that prime man. They're good. Bread them deep that prime, they're delicious.

Speaker 2: 24:08

Damn, that's what's up.

Speaker 3: 24:09

I've never tried wild turkey. No, it's delicious. Oh, come on, you've tried wild turkey. It's not the same kind of wild turkey.

Speaker 2: 24:16

Yeah, it's the kind that makes you run out of a lamp and then you have lighting fires downstairs. Yeah, there you are.

Speaker 1: 24:23

That's the story in itself. Right on, man. Hey well, thanks for talking Turkey with us, Donnie. Hopefully we see you again on the show.

Speaker 3: 24:32

No problem yeah. Oh yeah, I'll be back. We'll talk about deer or something next time.

Speaker 1: 24:37

All right, bro, sounds like good news. Hey, even if we talk about the deer lady or something, we'll bring you on and talk some deer.

Speaker 3: 24:43

Sounds good, there we go.

Speaker 1: 24:44

There we go, All right man.

Speaker 2: 24:47

Love you guys. Take it easy, Love you brother.

Speaker 1: 24:53

Okay. So you know, let's see here. Wild turkeys are opportunistic foragers. You said they eat all this shit. You know they include a lot of different things for some reason, which all makes sense to me Insects, worms, snails, frogs, berries, all these things like that was yeah. So most is what they just classify as masks. And then let's get on to some more fun stuff Packing orders right, they have a thing called a packing order. A turkey flock becomes socially organized, with each member holding a rank in a so-called packing order, which is established and maintained by aggressive behavior. Ugh, aggressive turkeys. Birds establish a packing order at a young age while still in a brood flock. The larger, more aggressive turkeys hold the higher positions. After it's established, the packing order remains fairly stable for a long period. The dominance relationships within the social organized flock change when the member dies. I mean it happens when a ranking turkey becomes weak, or anytime a lower ranked turkey defeats a ranking turkey in battle. That's when it changes, right. So that's how a packing order works.

Speaker 1: 25:54

They're like beef and peck each other. You know, like fuck you. I'm the turkey on the block. On December 12, 1989, the biggest turkey ever recorded weighed 86 pounds. What the fuck? I can't even really totally look at that. That's insane, holy shit. Yeah, dude, I don't even know that's like a large pumpkin or something, but the fuck is even going on. So it was at a competition. They call it a stag turkey. It won in London. Its weight was equivalent to a baby rhino. Holy fuck. Try to find a picture of that. I swear I should have. The turkey named Tyson belonged to Lee Croft Turkey's LTD. It was eventually sold for $6,692 at a charity auction in 1989. So that's like 40 grand that turkey sold for Damn 86 pounds. What the even fuck, donnie? Tell me about that Mount Mount Donnie, or I don't even know. Deere eating Donnie. He's our friend in Montana. He hunts turkeys. Ever seen turkeys as fucking? 86 pounds, donnie.

Speaker 2: 26:59

Maybe. Well, again, the wild ones are way smaller. That was like a. Yeah, I wonder if that one Did it, say where it was from, because Minnesota raised the most turkeys 40.5 million birds in 2021 for over a billion pounds of turkey meat.

Speaker 1: 27:18

Yeah, I don't know. It just said that it won a contest in London.

Speaker 2: 27:22

Oh, it was in London yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:24

But I don't know if that means that's where it's from. Who fuck knows?

Speaker 2: 27:26

Okay, let's go. Texas has the most wild turkeys, at over half a million, really.

Speaker 3: 27:32

Huh, montana is estimated to have 120,000.

Speaker 1: 27:36

Montana.

Speaker 2: 27:38

Yeah, yeah I believe that. Which an adult turkey, has roughly 5,500 feathers. Hey, that works.

Speaker 1: 27:48

Yeah, I know that's a lot of feathers and turkeys are the feathers, many feathers. Hey, you had a friend named Rain too feathers, I bet you. He liked turkeys.

Speaker 2: 27:57

Yeah, very much so. And I would go eat over at his and Jenny and Taylor's house for Thanksgiving. And she met a delicious bird and got to ask my big brother and two feathers.

Speaker 1: 28:08

Yep, that's why I brought it up. God rest, um. Alright, hey, he would appreciate this story. Good old Rain Um, foxboro, massachusetts I'm assuming this was in a paper Rampaging turkeys are terrorizing mechanic street, having attacked or intimidated residents over the past couple of weeks and so far have lived to capture Deborah.

Speaker 1: 28:27

So born says she was attacked by two turkeys August 24th while for a walk. The turkeys ran at me. She said. I started running. I'm kicking at them. They're not backing off at all. It means nothing, she said.

Speaker 1: 28:40

The turkeys then backed her up against the tree in front of the house of Megan Nelson, where they continued to assault her. Oh my God, one of them flapped his wings and then dropped. Kick this turkey dropped. Kick this woman. So, um, yeah, that's exactly the quote. One of them flapped his wings and then dropped. Kicked me A turkey said Suborn. He got off the ground and kicked me with both of his feet square in the chest. That's when Nelson came out of her house. I heard gobbles and screams, nelson said. Both women retreated indoors and Nelson hurled a pair of rubber boots at turkey, scaring them away. Yeah, apparently the neighborhood has been taken over by a rafter of three turkeys. It must be what they call a group of turkeys or something I don't know. We should look that up.

Speaker 1: 29:22

Suborn said that two days later the turkeys beeline toward her and her husband in the driveways they prepared to go to work and pecked at their car. Peter Foley reports seeing the same rafter of birds attacking an elderly man who had been knocking, knocked down on a mechanic street by these turkeys. These things are no joke, foley said. If they ever did that to a little elementary school kid, that kid would be traumatized by these fucking turkeys. And they were also called bad apples. Here's another quote there's bad apples, there's bad people, there's bad turkeys. These turkeys are bad. Suborn says All right, so you know. This goes on, but they call them a gang of turkeys. When people are intimidated by the birds and retreat, it makes them more aggressive, is what they say. So if a turkey comes at you, fucking kick it, dude. It's got this little head. Just kick the goddamn thing. I know it might be scary, I don't know, maybe they're. Do they have talons? Can turkeys rip you up like an ostrich or something like that?

Speaker 2: 30:21

I would assume. So Fucking turkeys. Yeah, that's not a thing. Okay, now I'm not gonna feel so bad about eating that turkey sandwich.

Speaker 1: 30:30

Yeah, they like fucking gang up. I've seen a bunch of stories like that. Actually we're turkeys. There was roving gangs of turkeys like scaring elderly people. There was one where they like flocked outside of some community center and we're making all the old people hide inside until they got rid of them and shit. I'm like Jesus turkeys.

Speaker 2: 30:48

Damn, there's a grip of them over by North Park sometimes.

Speaker 1: 30:52

Yeah, good old Billings, montana. Yeah, turkeys I remember that we had turkeys in our alley. I forget. Like there are really are a lot of fucking turkeys in Montana, especially out east, I feel, eastern Montana.

Speaker 2: 31:05

Yeah, I thought my boss up in Bozeman at the shipping place. I thought he was fucking with me. He said they're going turkey hunting in Ecolaca Montana and I'm like there is not a place called Ecolaca yeah they're.

Speaker 1: 31:21

Yeah, that's like actually Ecolaca. My friend is right by where I was born and raised. Kind of deal, yeah.

Speaker 2: 31:29

So I just thought they were messing with the California.

Speaker 1: 31:32

Oh, like it's weird.

Speaker 2: 31:33

Yeah, oh.

Speaker 1: 31:34

Timbuktu's over there, right, right, oh, my God, anything to think of that? Yeah, ecolaca, no, that's fantastic. Hey, here's some quick facts about turkeys, my friend, and then I'm just thinking we might wrap it up. Turkeys have great hearing, but no external ears. They have a field of vision of about 270 degrees and are able to see in color, but not very well at night. That's why they're probably in the trees. They can see movement almost 100 yards away.

Speaker 1: 32:04

Turkeys are social animals. They enjoy the company of other creatures, including humans. Turkeys can recognize each other by their voices and more than 20 unique vocalizations have been identified in wild turkeys. You touched on a few of them, my friend. You're a turcologist, I feel. Now. They are incredibly curious and inquisitive animals to enjoy exploring. Turkeys are highly intelligent animals who, just like the dogs and cats in our homes, are playful individuals with unique personalities. Oh, and, in your sandwiches they are incredible. Oh, hey, damn it. I went back. Yeah, it's kind of shaming and fucked up. Turkeys form strong social bonds, show affection towards one another. Yeah, they kind of love you Turkeys. Be lovey-dovey yo. Turkeys are gentle creatures who enjoy social life and after.

Speaker 2: 32:49

This is like attacking and keeping old people inside and out of general like this is the first time I've polar bird.

Speaker 1: 32:55

It's a total different list. Well, you know, they made a group on the wrong side of the pond, I don't know, or the river, the stream, the fucking, what not? Yeah.

Speaker 3: 33:05

So apparently they're gentle creatures, yeah.

Speaker 1: 33:09

Would it air your swamp? Good touch my friend In the wild mother turkeys naturally raised their chicks for five months and fiercely protect them from danger while the dad's off fucking eating mast or something, Right, yeah. And then here's the other. They had some facts of how fast which kind of shocked me 55 miles an hour. And then they run 25 miles an hour. Then he did tell me my Mount, mount Mount Mandoley, montana, mount Mount Mandoley, whatever the fuck we're going to call him one day, he is a turkey hunter and he said that once they see you man, they're gone and you like turkey huntings hard. It's not like they're very like in tune with where the fuck everything is. So it is a thing.

Speaker 1: 33:49

Here's someone ended on this note, owen, and it's by a poultry specialist. This is a quote or like kind of an opinion. Dr Ian Duncan argues that turkeys possess marked intelligence and have complex social relationships and both visual and vocal means of communicating with each other. Turkeys have been observed to display an overwhelming amount of concern and emotion for an injured or dying fellow bird. I also read a story where there was a dead cat in the middle of the street somewhere and a bunch of turkeys like were rolling like formed a circle and kind of clocking around it in unison, almost like mourning it. So there's your turkey sandwich, owen Right.

Speaker 2: 34:36

Right. The average American eats 18 pounds of turkey per year.

Speaker 1: 34:41

Charlie Brown would say good grief.

Speaker 2: 34:44

He would, he was, he was doing his national turkey level response. I don't know if that's, I'm assuming that means eating. I'm not like Dancing around a dead cat, you know. I mean I'm not going to feel too bad because even if I was a vegetarian, someone eventually would tell me like oh. Ruda baggers are best friends with cucumbers, so you shouldn't need a. I don't even know if I'm out of Ruda baggers. Anyway you get my drift.

Speaker 1: 35:10

Yeah, I do understand what you're saying. Nonetheless, you know there's a lot to these turkeys on. They ain't no jive, okay, and they're definitely not as dumb. You know they get this whole like oh, I'm a dumb, fucking turkey. Chickens are dumb, oh and okay. Yeah, chickens are stupid. But turkeys smart, Kind of cool Wouldn't want to own one, don't want to get attacked by one. Sort of remind me of how aggressive geese and peacocks can be. To an extent, I suppose you know peacocks are pretty dangerous for little kids and we'll like fuck your cars up and all sorts of stuff. I imagine turkeys may do that. So beware of these turkeys. Maybe they're not as friendly as we think or maybe they're just, you know, tired of our shit.

Speaker 2: 35:52

Right, and my petition really has not caught on for there to be a town named Jive in the country of Turkey. But you know, let's get on board with that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:02

I don't know, one step at a time. My friend, you know what I'm saying. Um, all right, hey, people, don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe, share all those things. We have links for a subscription where you will be receiving, like you know, stuff that other members or other people who aren't members won't receive. You can do all this by clicking in the show notes below or by going to pitlocksupplycom, where we also have a lot of different things, like I tell stories, shirts and you know, some of the artists on pitlocks supply. We're stacking up some gear and we got all sorts of shit coming. So, check out the website, follow, share, like anything else Someone I don't know, but we really appreciate you guys. This is great. Uh, shout out to all our folks in England. I did see Tel Aviv on there, uh, recently. So, you know, shout out to. You know, whoever is out there surviving that weird shit in Israel. You know, maybe they'll listen to this one.

Speaker 2: 37:01

Much love everybody.