Wild turkeys are NOT flightless. We used to have a fairly large flock of turkeys in this part of Braintree, MA. One morning, they were all lined up on the peak of one of the neighborhood houses and took off when I was a few hundred feet away -- between me and the early morning sun. I had no idea what they were until getting up close. "Holy crap -- turkeys can fly!"

Unfortunately, the neighborhood kids used to buzz them with their bikes and since they are territorial birds, a few kids got attacked. Serves the little delinquents right!

A few weeks later, there were a bunch of uniformed people around (not local cops) wandering in MY backyard on a Sunday afternoon collecting the birds.

"Where are you taking them?"
"Plimoth Plantation."
"Yeah right, you're full of (four letter word that rhymes with baloney)."

Next day, I read they were taken someplace to a rural area in Walpole, MA. They've been gone since -- maybe ten years. I miss the little guys. I worked on the car in the backyard for an entire day and they came and went as they pleased, very close. We had an interesting conversation and they kinda liked Kathy Mattea on the CD player.

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-Tom (DL650AL2) (KA1TOX) (E-I-E-I-O)

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Complaints About Turkey Attacks On The Rise In Brookline

My least favorite wild turkeys encounter was about 1-1/2 or so after having dumped my 03 in the mud (over ice) in the Blue Mountains in November.
It was all low speed but the whole dump occurred rather quickly.
I damaged some ribs and got nice n muddy, picked up myself, the bike and a few broken pieces and continued to ride for a while.
The mess was getting worse and worse so I peeled off from the group and headed out of the mountains for home.
On the way out a group of 6-8 birds thought that they just HAD TO cross the road just as I was passing by. Needless to say they scared the cr@p out of me and I made a few maneuvers that my ribs did not like.

Danged turkeys!
I'd like to eat one of 'em!
I think that I will!

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L2V -- she's a stocker!

Yeah well, they take all the woods away and then wonder why the deer, turkeys, geese, etc. show up where they always have.

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-Tom (DL650AL2) (KA1TOX) (E-I-E-I-O)

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On one of my early morning Blue Ridge Parkway rides a Turkey on the left shoulder took off and flew over me landing on the right side of the road.

It was such a surprise, it took me a few monents to comprehend what had just happened.

Another morning we awakened by a strange noise from our open bedroom window. Outside the window a turkey was standing there, looking up at me playing Romeo to my Juliet.

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

Fair sized population around here. Not uncommon the see while riding the backroads. Not exactly majestic in flight but they do get off the ground.

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06 DL1000
09 KLR650

On average, a flock of turkeys will stroll into the back of my east pasture about one day per year -- sometimes 30 or so of them, hens and poults apparently. Could appear during any season. At a distance of about 300 yards, they look a lot like targets for one of my rifles and they hang around long enough to prepare for them -- but I've resisted the urge so far.

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DL1000K6 Red I believe in ... gravity!
"Everyone brings something to the party."
- Snoopy

I had a turkey go wild and attempt to fly in my kitchen this AM. As I was pushing the last morsel of sausage stuffing up its butt it flew to the kitchen floor. Thankfully it was in the cooking bag. No injuries reported.

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'06 DL 650 "Scarlett"

Target fixator extraordinaire.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” ― George Carlin

Make the world safe for stupid people and you will end up with a world full of stupid people.

Based on my turkey herding episode a few months ago I got the impression they don't like to fly, but they will do it when they get tired of running.

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2012 XT1200Z Blue, 2012 XT1200Z Black

Turkey farm birds are a different matter.

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Pat- 2007 DL650A was ridden to all 48 contiguous states. 2012 DL650A is just getting started.
Nicknames for posting ease on my part, Vee = all DL1000s. Wee = 2004-2011 DL650s. Glee = 2012+ DL650s