I guess some of them die of natural causes. Having said that, according to RI Fish & Wildlife turkeys completely disappeared from these parts in the 1900s “following changes in habitat and unregulated overharvest.” But given how the newly restored turkey populations are taking over city streets, chasing cars, and blocking ambulances, I’m not sure how picky they are about the habitat.
The problems have gotten pretty bad to our north, and I see no reason why this won’t start happening here. Check out the frequently hilarious documentary “Turkey Town” which explores the explosion of the local turkey population in Massachusetts and the consequences caused by the rise in turkeys. Brookline sure looks a lot like the East Side, and the turkeys in this slightly altered photo are part of a robust rafter currently calling Swan Point Cemetery home. On the other hand, it’s clear that Brookline has also embraced these hooligans.
Wild turkeys were reintroduced into the rural areas of Rhode Island back in 1980 when the Department of Environmental Management imported 29 turkeys from Vermont. It turns out that turkeys lay lots of eggs, are very good parents, and can adapt to a variety of environments.
The DEM explains the turkey hunting season in RI and it is fairly limited. The film features one likeable hunter who simply enjoys eating wild game but confesses that killing anything makes him sad. And he goes on to make a very good point: “Every wild animal dies an awful death, every single one, we just don’t see it.”
Go here to watch “Turkey Town” by filmmaker Aynsley Floyd. It’s only 30 minutes long and includes a turkey anatomy tutorial describing many of the less delicious parts of the turkey like wattles, dewlaps, caruncles, and snoods.
I think this may be in our future.
What happen to the turkeys that live at Exxon Mobil in Riverside RI, they came near my house everyday, a big group, know they are gone, they disappeared did the Bird fly get to them?