[Skinner222]

One of my favorite rides is a loop through Point Pelee National Park in southwestern Ontario. Yesterday there were four of us out on a beautiful sunny day. We had a pretty good pace line going when up ahead we saw a long line of cars approaching us, moving very slowly. As we got closer we saw what was holding the cars up - 3 wild turkeys. They were walking side by side down the road, one almost on the centreline with the other two flanking it. They looked like 3 feathered gunslingers, slowly walking toward us, holding up the cars. "This is our road and you'll pass when we say you can pass!" We slowly approached them, laughing all the way, when the turkey in the centre started squawking at us, and the one on the right moved to let us pass. We slowly rode by and it was then that I realized just how large these birds were. Their heads were about even with my brake hoods. I'd hate to hit one of these things if I was moving fast. We saw a few more wild turkeys on the way out of the park but none as defiant as those 3!

Cheers!
K

 

[love4himies]

I've got a bunch that live in my backyard. If you want me to send you some, just let me know where you live and I tell them where some good seed is waiting for them.

 

[mmoose]

Yep. Turkeys are nothing to mess with. Solid mass that may not move fast.

(Last summer, sweeping right hand downhill, ~35mph leading a group of about 10 and I see a line of birds crossing the road. Barely had time to yell a warning and sit up to catch wind. Couldn't brake hard, not sure if the folks on my wheel were sitting up also. But I did have time to gobble loudy once. That gave the birds time to take wing...which has it's own concerns... So while we go thru just fine, I realized that as lead rider, I was not the running back...I was the full back. Hit the line, make a hole for eveyone else and make sure that I fall out of the way.)

 

[rm -rf]

You got away easy.

 

[cactusgarrett]

My area has an protected wooded area with a great 10mi run thru it - plenty of opportunities to be surprised by them. I get a kick out of everyone saying they are so hard to hunt, yet all i'd have to do is un-click and decapitate one with my cleat. PITAes.

 

[mpre53]

Guy I know had a tom attack his own reflection in the quarter panel of the guy's pick-up. Took off a lot of the paint with its spurs. Good idea to give any tom a wide berth during mating season.

 

[relayer66]

They knew it wasn't hunting season. If it was, you wouldn't see them around.
Those things can fly, too.

 

[Srode]

Tough critters they are - spurs on their feet are nothing to mess with - very sharp, used for defense. (Tastey too!)