• Thursday-What'sUP November 17 - 07:45 pm

I don't recall ever having encountered wild turkeys here in the Keweenaw, but if you travel a bit south of here, you're bound to see a small flock alongside the road or strutting through a farmer's field, like these three caught in the act by Ken Scheibach. This trio can count themselves among the lucky ones, since the turkey hunting season actually ended here in the U.P. two days ago on Nov. 14th. These gobblers are a good reminder that it's time to head to the store to pick up the main course for my Thanksgiving feast.

We have wild turkeys out here. One just crossed in front of me one day this week. I always love seeing them. But I like eating them more. I just don't like to think of them as having to be killed for me to eat them.

Lovely picture--wonderful colors

Mary's 'why'd the turkey cross the road' caption reminds me:

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

answer on What's UP.

We have a lot of wild turkeys residing around our home, one year several of them were eating the grain right along with my horses.

I've passed many turkeys along the roads in the UP.

Amasa stretch, Feltch, Iron Mountian, Sagola
areas to name a few.

we were grouse hunting east of Prickett dam backwater 2 years ago when a turkey flushed instead

talk about stopping the heart ;-)

Haven't seen any in the keweenaw, I think Pricket dam area is as far North as I've seen them so far.

Bob

Why did the turkey cross the road? He needed the exercise; he was stuffed!

One more, why did the turkey cross the road? It was the chicken's day off!

The furthest north I've seen them is Twin Lakes when we were grouse hunting. I can concur with Bob, there's nothing like walking through the woods looking for partridge and kicking up a turkey to get the old heart a beatin'.

A funny story. One time we were hunting with a new (12 yr old) hunter on one of his first partridge hunts in lower Michigan. Some time passed and no birds were kicked up. All of a sudden a large turkey jumped up about 10 feet right in front of the 12 year old. He was so scared he dropped his gun in the mud, he fell in the mud and turned white as a sheet!! After he clamed down he asked, "what kind of partridge do you all grow here"?? We all told him it was a snipe, and the only way to catch one was to go out at night with a flashlight and a blanket and catch them when they sleep!! Scary thing is he believed it for a couple weeks; we still razz him for it even to this day.......

THE HIGH RESOLUTION OF THE PIC IS REALY GREAT;TRUE ART.

Speaking of turkeys!!!!!!!!! The big Michigan/ OSU game is here this weekend---Go Bucks.
The media frenzy is crazy---lots of fun.
Have to cheer for the Bucks---they write the paycheck so we can have our beautiful house in Bootjack.!!

I'd rather give up the Bootjack house than be a buckeye fan!! :P

We used to have turkeys in the back yard when we lived in East Tawas. You could slam the door or clap your hands and they would go up into the trees like a helicopter (or like a big bird). I understand in Ohio they eat buckeyes, since a buckeye is nothing but a hairless nut.

Three years ago I was sitting in my living room and out of the corner of my eye I could see something moving on my deck. I looked & there were 4 big turkeys walking around & looking in my patio door window. I sat there & watched them for a few minutes. Gradually they started to move & I ran to get my camera but I wasn't fast enough. They had moozied on down & they were gone.It was a neat to see. They still come through here once in awhile but never again on our deck.

I don't know when turkeys were introduced into Illinois, (Tom, this is Illinois, Illinois, this is Tom, ha, ha,), but anyway, they are here and their favorite food is the acorn. Didn't know they could fly into trees when something flushed them. They remind me of vultures. In the spring you can see the hen with a slew of babies forming a perfect line, following "mom"! It's just adorable.

Your intro cracked me up, Joanie! Was it on WKRP where they threw the turkeys out of the plane for Thanksgiving, not knowing they couldn't fly more than a few feet?

Driving down 75, north of Gaylord this summer, I had a
momma turkey, and a dozen little ones, cross the
xpress in front of me. I thought at the time she better not
do that very often, the way they drive on that road!

As for the "big game", I'm a STATE fan. How do I cheer
that both teams lose?

It was snowing like crazy this AM in beautiful downtown
Calumet. Anybody want it? I wonder if FedEx delivers?

I live in the Buckeye state and they are called a "Worthless Nut"...they can't be used for anything good. I will be cheering for Michigan, seeing as I am from the good ol' U.P., but don't really care if I am outnumbered. You can't take the love of Michigan out of people that grew up there!!

Marsha, you're right, it was on WKRP in Cincinnati: an appalled "Les Nesman" reported on the carnage that was occurring off camera. One of my favorite moments from a great show.

I did know they could fly up into a tree to escape a predator. Wonder how they migrate (hitchhike down I-75?) ;>)

Musicteacher, I'm an MSU alumnus who happens to live in the Ann Arbor area. My main interest in the game is that it is being played in Ohio, so there won't be extreme traffic in & around Ann Arbor.

A little Thanksgiving advice; Do you know what the key to a perfect Thanksgiving dinner is? It's the TUR-KEY, ha, ha! These turkey jokes are gettin' kinda bad huh? I can almost hear the Captain groaning.

Turkey story:

I was driving down the highway a couple of weeks ago and a turkey flew right in front of me. It actually nicked my truck and landed on the wind shield of the state trooper behind me. The wind shield was shattered so I pulled over to make sure the officer was not hurt.

As I got out and began to walk back to his car, he began to shout. He was not so friendly and ordered me back in my vehicle, in so many words...

When he came to my window he asked for my license and registration. Finally when he returned from his car, he gave me back my things along with a ticket.

Everyone keeps asking me what I got the ticket for...

Flipping him the bird! : )

KJ,
Your sense of humor sounds vaguely familiar. Do I know you? Did you graduate in 1984 from JHS?

And just what was this ticket for, being a good samaritan?? I think I would have to contest that one in court!!

Capt. Paul.
Not everybody that lives in Michigan is a University of Michigan fan.!!!! Go Spartans. !! My brother who played at MSU and his son are also not huge UofM fans.!!

An industrious turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey.
His family was fond of the leg portion for dinner and there were never enough legs for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together. "Well I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!"

They all asked the farmer how it tasted.

"I Don't know" said the farmer. "I never could catch the darn thing!"

Sorry Lorelei, I graduated in '88 down here in Trollville. I must have a twin out there.

Have a great evening everyone!

speaking of eating buckeyes; eat only the candy one, the real ones i udnerstand are poisoneous.

regarding throwing turkeys out the plane- do they still throw ocotpuses on the ice at the joe in detroit? what gets thrown out on the ice at dee in houghton?

turkey? what about chickens? i hear there are some fairly large chicken farms in the UP, one or two south of houghton. can anyone verify.

Joanie, Those jokes were getting bad.

Capt. Paul, That was great about rather give up the Bootjack house than be a Buckeyes fan. I would have to agree.

Nope, not everybody is a Wolverines fan who is from MI, but I am. However, the Spartans do come 2nd. GO MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!