RIP Mr Turkey
By MrsJ
@SophiaMorros (5046)
Belews Creek, North Carolina
October 18, 2023 3:54pm CST
February 17th I found this guy casually putzing around my deck. I marvelled at the anomaly and took a few photos.
We’ve seen flocks of hens stroll through the neighbourhood pretty frequently over the years, but we had never seen a lone tom.
Over the past several months he has been a regular visitor. He’d disappear for weeks at a time but then would turn up again. Wandering through the neighbourhood. Nothing seemed to phase him. Traffic would honk when he meandered into the road. I used the leaf blower to clear debris off of my driveway while he was visiting and didn’t even startle him.
Unfortunately, he was a little too unconcerned with the modern world.
Someone shared on social media that Mr Turkey was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
It was bound to happen…playing chicken (turkey?) with traffic tends to not end well.
18 people like this
16 responses
@AmbiePam (85627)
• United States
18 Oct
That is kind of sad. We’ve got a turkey people keep hoping gets hit by a car. It keeps chasing children (there have been recordings). I find it funny, but I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be outraged. It doesn’t hurt them, it just chased them. The kids have been around thirteen so it hasn’t left anyone in tears. Little kids aren’t left alone on that street so they seem to always be protected by their parents.
5 people like this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
We had a rooster that was evil and would attack anyone foolish enough to wander into his space. We got rid of him before he seriously hurt someone.
3 people like this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
I don't know if he was old, but he was not afraid of anything. Not even a healthy respect for anything that might be dangerous.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
I miss him hanging out around my window while I'm working!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325983)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Oct
I've been transcribing my Mum's diary from 1957 and at one point she took 30 turkey hens and 15 gobblers to town. We used to breed them for sale. I was astounded when I first learnt they were wild there. Our 'bush' turkeys are quite different.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325983)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Oct
@SophiaMorros The turkeys my Mum had looked exactly like yours. Our bush turkey was quite different.
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
Wild turkeys are an entirely different animal from the domesticated varieties. As a general rule, they are really good at surviving and are really hard to find during turkey season (in early April there is a 1 week youth season and a 1 week open season).
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
I would not have put that past my husband.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28762)
•
19 Oct
I used to live on a fairly large lake. We had a pair of wild turkeys that basically lived on our dock for the 5 years we were there. They were both friendly. They loved to sun on the dock, and scratched around for mussels on the edge of the lake. I enjoyed them a lot.
I'm sorry he won't be visiting your deck anymore. 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28762)
•
24 Oct
@SophiaMorros
I understand.
I had a little red fox who had babies 3 years in a row next to the creek that ran by the edge of the property. I loved watching the babies play. One year, I found evidence of an attack from what I believe was a coyote--it killed the mother. I found all the babies, and took called the wildlife people, who took them to a rehab center until they were old enough to be on their own. Made me so sad, she was a good mom and always careful to watch her little ones.
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
The road he got hit on is a main road with no shoulders and lots of curves. He was in the habit of wandering through one of the blind curves between 7 and 8 when everyone is trying to get to work and school. I don't walk out of our neighbourhood because it's just too risky.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62254)
• United States
19 Oct
So sorry to hear that. We have a chicken running loose in our neighborhood, and we have people who think the 25 MPH speed limit is merely a suggestion. I’m worried that the chicken might not get to cross the road successfully one day, too.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
Our street Ts into a main road with a 50 mph speed limit. The road has no shoulders and is curvy. My daughter got hit by a deer (seriously, even the insurance adjuster agreed) in the same stretch where Mr Turkey met his demise.
She was not going 50...not unless she floored it pulling out of our street. Even then I don't think the car she was driving at the time had the oomph for that kind of acceleration.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
19 Oct
oh, how sad! i reckon not all give leeway to critters. i hope he didn't suffer.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
20 Oct
I think it was quick. I'm thankful he didn't cause anyone to run off the road and wrap themselves around a tree.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40568)
• United States
19 Oct
Aw, that's too bad. I thought maybe you were going to have him as a "special guest" at Thanksgiving. 
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
19 Oct
I was wondering if he would survive through the holidays.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
He definitely was not aggressive...not like our roosters have been.
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
I don't know. It's pretty likely that the other local fauna took care of it.
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
He was a little too bold and brazen about wandering in the road.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5046)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
23 Oct
We see flocks in the back pretty regularly, but this was our first tom. I miss seeing him outside of my window while I'm working.
@xFiacre (12609)
• Ireland
18 Oct
@sophiamorros We had a golden pheasant who used to come calling but I fear he was either bagged for the pot of fell foul of a fox.
1 person likes this
