Historic Hood River

Comments

1. charlott

   21st November 2012 @ 08:01 AM

   Picture says it all………………Aren’t they beautiful????????

2. l.e.

   21st November 2012 @ 08:23 AM

   Turkeys are a beautiful bird.
   Not the brightest but they are beautiful.

3. Arthur

   24th November 2012 @ 03:42 PM

   Did anyone see the turkey President Obama pardoned last week? It was white, almost featherless, and had very little in common with these birds.

   I also learned this weekend that "wild" turkeys were not native to the northwest, but were introduced within the last 60 years as part of a nationwide program to bring the wild turkey back from near extinction. They seem to be doing very well here– I see them all the time up on Burdoin Mountain and in the Hood River mountains between here and Mosier. Does anyone know details about their local introduction? Or are we just seeing escapees from farms like this one?

4. l.e.

   25th November 2012 @ 09:19 AM

   Arthur….if you google "Washington State Wild Turkey Management Plan" you should get some good history. It is a google doc. so the link is too long to post here.

   "Introduction began in the early 1900’s. In the 1960’s wild trapped turkeys from Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming were introduced and they have maintained their populations naturally."
   Merriam’s, Rio Grande and Eastern were the common species used.

   I am surprised the turkeys have maintained themselves here where I live, because our winters with deep snow and cold are not always kind to animals and predators are plentiful.
   They like to hang around the oak trees and farmers’ back yards.

   In the 60’s they had been introduced onto an island in the Columbia River and I remember during the 1964 flood turkeys roosting in the trees with water swirling around them.

   Their coloring really is beautiful and what some see as dull brown, is a shimmering bronze.

5. Bill P.

   14th January 2013 @ 10:15 PM

   Could these be Dave Cooper’s patened turkey’s from Parkdale?

   Bill P

6. David Benedetti

   9th February 2016 @ 08:11 PM

   I’d agree with Bill P. to suggest these are Dave Cooper’s turkeys.