# As I have witnessed, wild turkeys can fly. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602 "2014-03-01T15:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/1 "2014-03-01T15:56:11Z")
Though why three of them are hanging around suburban northern New Jersey for two days in the middle of a serious cold snap is beyond me. I’ve seen all three of them fly up to sit on a fence. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/2 "2014-03-01T16:08:20Z")
Yeah, I think they can flutter from point-to-point, but not really fly like an eagle, to the sea. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/3 "2014-03-01T16:14:39Z")
They can do brief sprints. Try dropping some from a helicopter at 2,000 ft over a shopping center and see what happens. _“And there’s a banner that says ‘Hap … py Thanks… giving … from … W … K … R … P!’”_ ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/4 "2014-03-01T16:59:25Z")
Wild turkeys could always fly. They roost high up in trees during the night to avoid ground-dwelling predators. And wild turkeys have excellent eyesight. It’s very difficult to sneak up on a wild turkey. [http://www.turkeymanagement.com/roosting/](http://www.turkeymanagement.com/roosting/) Wild turkeys would be hanging around a suburban northern New Jersey location because there is food source there. It’s been a tough winter. FYI, first the turkeys and then the bears and wolves because that’s where their food source is. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/5 "2014-03-01T18:25:37Z")
Turkeys and bears and wolves, oh my! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/6 "2014-03-01T18:33:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, I think they can flutter from point-to-point, but not really fly like an eagle, to the sea. Maybe my wild turkeys are more athletic. As God is my witness, they are able to fly quite high up in a tree pretty quickly, at least when a car is coming at them at 55MPH. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/7 "2014-03-01T18:36:39Z")
Right into the front door. [http://mobile.newschannel5.com/webapp/news/article/lns/1503314359/wild-turkey-crashes-into-midstate-home](http://mobile.newschannel5.com/webapp/news/article/lns/1503314359/wild-turkey-crashes-into-midstate-home) This hit our local news yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/8 "2014-03-01T18:43:17Z")
those wings aren’t just for eating. they do escape danger and get to a roost in trees by flying. they don’t migrate. they live where they can. in winter they will move around more looking for food and be more visible. in warmer non-snow months they can stay in a smaller area to feed. go look for footprints in the snow, many likely will be bigger than your hand. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/9 "2014-03-01T20:03:29Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > As God is my witness, they are able to fly quite high up in a tree pretty quickly, at least when a car is coming at them at 55MPH. Are you sure about the \*exact \*timing of events, there? I had to stop to let a largish flock amble over the road a few months ago. No, I didn’t ask why they were crossing the road, but they were quite relaxed about it. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/10 "2014-03-01T20:21:15Z")
Those were probably not _wild_ turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/11 "2014-03-01T20:47:22Z")
turkeys will scatter at the slightest sound. like closing a house door while trying to get outside to see them. they will also not move out of the road (providing that you are all zoom zoom), they will make you wait. it’s fun to watch though. wild turkeys will live where they can find shelter; if you are a few city blocks from fields, parks, rail road, river then you might see turkeys feeding. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/12 "2014-03-01T21:13:40Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Those were probably not _wild_ turkeys. Looked an awful lot like 'em. We have so much nearly tame wildlife here (dense forest, just dense enough population to prohibit all but very limited hunting) that turkeys far less skittish than usual would be normal. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/13 "2014-03-01T22:55:31Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Are you sure about the \*exact \*timing of events, there? You mean, did they decide to scatter just _prior_ to being confronted by my bumper? Could be. But I tried my damndest to hit them, and with Thanksgiving coming up (isn’t it always?), I needed a fat bird for my freezer, and Rush Limbaugh wasn’t volunteering. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/14 "2014-03-02T00:18:27Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > It’s very difficult to sneak up on a wild turkey. I snuck up on some Wild Turkey & grabbed it around the neck. Therefore, this is a drunkne psot. Oh, not that kind of [Wild Turkey](http://wildturkeybourbon.com/)? nm 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/15 "2014-03-04T00:18:45Z")
Just north of you, in southern Orange County, a flying wild turkey came perilously close to taking out my windshield about 10 years ago. They’re very…immense…when viewed suddenly and up close. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/16 "2014-03-04T00:30:08Z")
Ughh… they taste like a five-pound chicken breast. I like dark meat. ---
**Author:** ![Sehmket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Sehmket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sehmket)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/17 "2014-03-04T05:05:47Z")
My ex and I were hiking in the way northern tip of Red River Gorge, which is a very quiet part of the park. We weren’t talking, and neither of us are particularly noisy hikers. We round a bend in the trail and startled a flock of about twenty turkeys, most of which flew right up into some trees, some of which ran down a nearby hill, and one crazy guy ran towards us, then past us, then kept running. I guess even among turkeys, there’s that one guy who always does something dumb. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/18 "2014-03-04T05:15:07Z")
that was that day’s distraction turkey for the flock. they get extra acorns for the hazardous duty. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/19 "2014-03-04T06:28:05Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Right into the front door. Or a [third-story window](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqW7olpKkM). ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-i-have-witnessed-wild-turkeys-can-fly/682602/20 "2014-03-04T06:43:15Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Those were probably not _wild_ turkeys. Unless I am missing a joke, those are wild turkeys. They live all over the East Coast in seemingly ever increasing numbers even in the suburbs and they certainly can fly when they want to. I have a flock that hangs around in my yard. You will never meet a more pompous or pretentious bird. I admire them and hate them at the same time. Sometimes I will just walk towards the flock in a game of chicken (well Turkey is a better term) to see who moves first. They will eventually either scatter or fly up into low trees. Wild turkeys are easily distinguished from their domestic cousins just based on appearance and behavior. Domesticated turkeys are about the dumbest form of life on earth and they can’t really fly at all. Wild turkeys are exceptionally smart in their own way and they can fly when the mood strikes. One of the best documentaries if not movies overall I have seen in the last five years is called ‘My Life as a Turkey’. It is about a naturalist who raises young turkeys as their mother and ventures into their world. It is an outstanding piece of film making and a great story all around. I highly recommend it and have never known anyone that didn’t love it. [http://video.pbs.org/video/2168110328/](http://video.pbs.org/video/2168110328/) It is also on Netflix.