At 01:18 PM 10/6/97 -0700, you wrote:

>Having come from an area where a flock of introduced (by Fish & Wildlife)
>turkeys roamed the neighborhood, I can tell you it's a mixed blessing. They
>are great fun to watch, especially in spring, but some people really don't
>like them. They are horridly messy, pooping everywhere and travel in really
>large groups. I've seen up to 40 birds in one flock. Additionally, they
>roost high in the trees at night so this can be a problem for those living
>under the trees.

In addition, they can attract hunters. I ran across a flock near Bandon last
year (Oregon coast) in a woman's yard. She wasn't the person who
introduced them,
but she liked them, they ran all around her woods and, as Peggi said, were
tame.

She said she had to chase off hunters one day. Once, but it was enough to
turn
her into an anti-hunter person, apparently. They weren't going to shoot them
in her yard, they were waiting for them to move into a field across the
street.



- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net