After wasting days jeeping hand-raised wild turkeys out to appropriate habitat, one fish and game officer, who liked to fly his J-3, decided to save time by flying the birds to their new homes, and just push them out the door.

The initial experiments with chickens resulted, basically, in the parking lot bombing; the birds just curled up in a ball, all the way to the ground. Probably never opened their eyes.

Undeterred, they decided to make one last try with a turkey.

It, too curled up, probably with its eyes screwed tightly shut.

But after a bit, it looked out, opened its wings, and glided down to a safe landing n the brush. So the restocking program successfully continued with aerial dispersal of turkeys.

Apparently, they’re still doing it in Yellville, Arkansas at the annual Turkey Trot Festival, although the air drop hasn’t been officially sanctioned for several years.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, all.

Interestingly enough, turkeys can fly. Like most ground-nesting birds they don’t fly often or for long distances unless being pursued, but they glide like you wouldn’t believe.

The broad-breasted turkey, selectively bred over the years to provide that well-marbled large breast with the least food input that makes up your standard Butterball turkey, can’t fly after about four months. Their bodies grow faster than their joints and bones do, and it takes a lot more wing area to support a 40lbs bird than what nature has provided them.

I know, more than you wanted to know.

– Max