Wild Turkeys in Christian County, KY

Why did the turkeys cross the road?

We've lived in Christian County for almost 25 years now. One of the changes we've seen in that time is a big growth in the wild turkey population. It's not a surprise anymore to see a flock of turkeys in a field. Some of the biggest flocks I've seen were grazing near a river or creek.

I took this photo in 2005 on a county gravel road near Honey Grove. These turkeys walked out of the ditch and strolled across the road in front of our car. It didn't bother them at all when I got out and took their picture. My husband speculated that they had lost their fear of humans because someone had been feeding them.

If they had been frightened, they might have flown away. I saw a wild turkey fly one morning when I startled it on our lane. It lifted off the ground with a great flapping of its wings, achieved an elevation of 15 or 20 feet, and flew into the trees. I was amazed that turkeys could fly like that and also amazed that I had seen one so close to our house.