View Full Version : I was attacked today!!
I was out on a short dayhike today in Massachusetts. I was walking along the trail, and there was a thick covering of green ferns on both sides of the trail. Suddenly, I heard rustling in the ferns to my left. I could tell right away from the sound of it that this was no squirrel or chipmunk making the noises - it was something significantly larger. I quickly spun around and turned towards the noise, prepared for the worst. Had I startled a black bear I wondered? As I turned towards the side of the trail, I was a bit surprised to see nothing was there. I paused for a few moments looking around, relieved, thinking that maybe I had just heard a large stick falling from a tree or something of that sort - it was a very windy day today, so that was quite possible. However, all of a sudden a moderately large creature emerged from the ferns and lunged towards me! I hopped backwards, shocked, and threw my arms up infront of my face, which was right where the creature was headed! A split second later, I felt an impact on my forearms, and the creature fell to the ground. Slightly shaken up at this point, I looked down at the ground where the creature had landed. Expecting to see a bobcat or some other predatory animal, I was quite shocked to see that it was... A TURKEY!!!
As I realized this creature was not a serious threat, I took a step back and just watched it. It stood there looking up at me for a second, seemingly as shocked as I was, then turned around and ran back into the ferns. I stood there watching it for several minutes, and noticed that it was not alone. There was at least one more turkey in the ferns. I watched them both until they disappeared and I could no longer see them.
What was this animal thinking? Had it really just tried to attack me, I wondered? Or had I just wandered into it's path of flight without even knowing it? Even now, I still have no idea why a turkey would fly into someone's face. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?
Hahahahahahahaha, that is a great story. I can't stop laughing. I guess the Turkey was pissed, maybe you walked up on it while it was trying to mate?!?!?!?
I've seen wild turkeys go after people and dogs, for no apparent reason. They're not real bright. It's possible there was a nest or clutch close by, but it doesn't take much to enrage that pea-brain of theirs.
I'm assuming that you weren't carrying your turkey repellent? LOL! :D
Two years ago on an AT section hike in North Georgia, I ran into a strange situation. My son, husband, and I were walking on the trail through some thick ferns. All of the sudden, this female turkey bursts out of the ferns, gobbling, and running around the 3 of us in a circle. She didn't stop. Anytime we tried to continue forward, she would get close and flap and gobble at us. After a few minutes, we realized that we must be very close to her nest. We decided to try and break through her path. When she saw we were not stopping, she ran back to the nest. She continued to cuss us out until we were out of earshot!
You probably encountered a nest and it was trying to defend it.
You're apparently not alone!
Wild Turkeys Attack Humans in Suburbia
Toms, Seeing People as Low In Pecking Order, Commit Fowl Play With Spurs
WILLIAM M. BULKELEY / Wall Street Journal 23nov2005
http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/2005/Wild-Turkeys-Attack23nov05.htm
atraildreamer
06-11-2006, 00:42
Time to dehydrate some cranberry sauce, the instant taters, gravy and stuffing are already sold dry... ;)
Hahahahahahahaha, that is a great story. I can't stop laughing. I guess the Turkey was pissed, maybe you walked up on it while it was trying to mate?!?!?!?hahahahahaha, and that turkey probably thought he was competition.............
wilderness bob
06-11-2006, 08:54
This never happened to me personally but, it did happen to my dog Jake while hiking in the Catskill Mountains near my home. I called to him to stay but, it was too late, he was gone. He took off after what he thought was a lone target, instead he ran in to a flock (covey) of about 40 of the noisy, flapping, startled critters. Leaves, sticks and debris flying everywhere from their attempt to "get out of dodge". The whole incident only took a few seconds however, it sent my big brave dog running back towards me with his ears tucked and his tail between his legs. He sat at my feet, gave me that, "I will listen to you next time look" all the while making this little whining noise. He obviously just had the piss scared out of him. I still laugh when I think of it.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
06-11-2006, 09:08
My grandparents had wild turkeys on their farm. Wild turkeys have a social system that is based on a 'pecking order'. The Toms can be quite aggressive if you encroach their territory and are seen as a subordinate or a threat to their dominance. I've been flogged by turkeys many times as I played in my grandparents' meadows.
hikerjohnd
06-11-2006, 10:11
Time to dehydrate some cranberry sauce, the instant taters, gravy and stuffing are already sold dry... ;)
Mmmmmm - Instant Thanksgiving (insert drool here)
mweinstone
06-11-2006, 11:00
is it roadkill if it dies cause your defnding youself and if so can you take it without it being hunting season and without a license?
Here in the development where I live it is not uncommon to find roving street gangs of these marauders. They are not flocks or coveys they are gangs. We are an animal and bird sanctuary and those thugs seem to think that gives them the right to intimidate Mercedes', Lexi(or is it Lexuses) or Cadillacs to the point of flogging any hapless tourist mobile that doesn't show them respect and stop while they do their thing down the middle of the road.
Up here they are second only to our other avian street gang, the dread Non migratory "Golf course geese" who, since they can fly, delight in dive bombing any motorist, boater, golfer, hiker, or soccer mom/kid scramble with uncanny accuracy. They use this tactic on the Turkey Gangs when they happen to stray too far down the mountain and encroach on the Geeses' turf.
The only thing that has kept us from being overrun is the Geese steadfastly refuseing to teach the turkeys to fly!
You ought to see the feathers fly when there's a rumble! The sight of about 35 hen turkeys and 20 or 30 fat waddling geese mixing it up out on the backside of our big earthen dam for control of the firefly concession is a sight to behold!
So, yes, bird violence is getting worse every day! I'm sure I don't have to warn you of the "Tagging" wars that follow along with this dual menace! Here in Big Canoe no person, vehicle, body of water, grassy area, or deck area is safe! I'll leave it to your imagination as to the particular marking devices. Suffice it to say, it ain't pretty and it stains your clothes!
To demonstrate the serious nature of this threat I must share this true account of a recent battle between the "yellow pants guys" that haunt the links around here and the afore described "Golf course geese" gang.
Seems as the yellow pants guys got the drop on the Golf Course Geese Gang and managed(but only after offering up a Trojan Horse gift of goose treats laced with a mild sedative)to stuff all the geese in little goose cells and load them onto trucks and hauled them far, far away to another less golfy lake 'way over in west Georgia whereupon the loosey gooseys were uncerimoniously dumped and allowed to continue sleeping it off.
Well, as the Yellow Pants Guys returned and settled in to their roost down at the 19th hole they looked out their large picture window which overlooks the first tee and to their horror, here comes the ENTIRE golf course goose gang looking for all the world like a bunch of hung over world war II dive bombers and one by one delivered their bombs over the deck, parking lot(full of Y.P.G. Lexi, Cad, Mercedes, and an assortment of SUVs), First Tee, and picturesque little pond behind the first tee, then they rolled out, flew the thirty seconds back to the big lake and, in a display of defiance still talked about in hushed tones, settled down one by one onto the lake they still call home and honked in unison for about 20 minutes. No further attempts on gang solidarity have been made, but shoe cleaning stations have been added at each tee!
corentin
06-11-2006, 14:17
Originally Posted by doobe01
Hahahahahahahaha, that is a great story. I can't stop laughing. I guess the Turkey was pissed, maybe you walked up on it while it was trying to mate?!?!?!?
hahahahahaha, and that turkey probably thought he was competition.............
Or maybe it was a lonely turkey...did you here banjo music in the background?
Here in the development where I live it is not uncommon to find roving street gangs of these marauders....
Classic East side-West side Gang Wars. Tagging. Gangstas. Very entertaining! LOL
I've always found the Wild Turkey pretty smooth, but the bottle could be dangerous if it was flying toward my head. All seriousness aside, we used have a turkey that lived on my grandparents property that used to attack itself when it caught its reflection in the windshield of parked cars. Good thing Ben Franklin didn't get his way or we'd be looking at bronze sculptures of them atop flag poles.
Great story. And the backstory is the wonderful comback of these creatures from near extinction. I've seen turkey, bear and cougar in eastern NC where they were only placenames ten years ago.
BTW, the geese on golf course story reminds me of an uncle, a scratch golfer and avid gardener. Well the rest of the story can be imagined as many brazen Canadas found their fate from his 7 iron. His chest freezer was never without a goose "from the garden"!
Just Jeff
06-11-2006, 18:39
I used to go to a friend's place in Monticello, GA, and they had a goose that would attack cars as they drove past. He would run right up to the car and peck at the tires while it was moving. Not the smartest.
He'd come scare the kids, too, but he'd only peck at their shoes. They'd stand there screaming, too terrified to move, and that goose would spread his wings, hiss, and untie their shoes.
LIhikers
06-12-2006, 18:44
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were doing some hiking in northern NJ. As we went along one trail there was a large male turkey zig zagging back and forth across our path in a way that we had to see him. We stopped and looked down the hill to our left and saw a number of very young ones and several females. I'm sure the tom turkey was trying to distract us so we wouldn't notice the young ones.
I was swooped by a Momma Turkey about a half mile south of the Skyland Stables in SNP about 11 years ago. Seems she didn't appreciate me hiking on the narrow trail while her offspring shared the path about 100 feet ahead.
Took me by complete surprise, throwing me off-balance. I took the hint, and let the babies have their space.
Moon Monster
06-13-2006, 15:00
I've seen dozens of mothers with chicks over the last couple years in Pennsylvania. I saw nine this past weekend alone. They all flew away from me, I guess in an attempt to distract me from where the chicks themselves were going.
A year ago, I was swooped by a mother, but I believe it was near her actual nest (her chicks were very small and could not fly) while my other encounters with families were at random places when the chicks were older.
I've also seen a pair together (I assumed mating), but they flew away from me.
atraildreamer
06-14-2006, 14:09
Remington, 12 Ga, 5 shot, semi-auto w/#6 buck...:eek:
PS: Also works on geese...
Tim Rich
06-14-2006, 14:31
I've always found the Wild Turkey pretty smooth, but the bottle could be dangerous if it was flying toward my head. All seriousness aside, we used have a turkey that lived on my grandparents property that used to attack itself when it caught its reflection in the windshield of parked cars. Good thing Ben Franklin didn't get his way or we'd be looking at bronze sculptures of them atop flag poles.
Wild Turkey always goes to my head.
It also makes me holler hi-dee-ho.
Burns my tummy, also, dontcha know.