Wild turkeys

It was a cold February day, and we had just come home from town. My 5-year-old nephew, Zachary, was with us. He was excited to have “a sleepover” with us at our house in Troy.

We gathered up the groceries and Zachary’s things from the car, and started to head inside. Then Zachary stopped, staring curiously down the driveway. He pointed and said, “What’s that?”

They were turkeys, or wild turkeys to be exact.

There were several of them. A few were making their way through the deep snow, a couple perched in a nearby tree. I was amazed when a couple of them took off flying.

In fact, turkeys can fly up to 60 mph, and as far as about a mile per flight.

It was not unusual to see so many turkeys together all in the same place. They require lots of mature hardwoods, more specifically the nut-producing species (such as oak or beech), along with pines. This makes Maine (and our backyard) a prime location for turkeys.

Early in Maine’s history, Eastern wild turkeys flourished in York and Cumberland counties. By 1880, though, much of southern Maine had been cleared of trees and 90 percent was made up of farmland, so the wild turkey population plummeted. This, and unrestricted hunting were thought to be the two major factors.

Later, as farming declined, the woods regrew. Now, farmland in those areas covers only about 15 percent, and attempts were made after World War II to reintroduce wild turkeys. In 1977 the efforts succeeded. In the 1980s more turkeys were brought to Waldo and Hancock counties, and now the state’s wild turkey population is estimated to be 40,000 birds.

Wild turkeys are so plentiful in Maine now that hunting permits will be given out over the counter, rather than through an application this year. The season runs from April 30 to June 2.