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Brenda Valentine NWTF Spokeswoman |
Fowl gone foul
True but unbelievable stories are the ones I find myself retelling the most.
I begin with a personal testimony of the sound mind and truthful nature of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers who relayed the details of the story to me. I have known Officer Clay Riley for more than two decades; he is an honorable and dedicated game warden with no history of partaking of hallucinogenic drugs, so I accept his word as the gospel truth.
Late summer is usually a slow time for game wardens and dogcatchers in Henry County. However, one Friday afternoon in September, a call came in about a wild turkey attacking customers in the parking lot of the Little General convenience store. Customers locked themselves in vehicles and peered out the store windows in fear of getting flogged by this offensive bird.
Officer Riley answered the call after the city animal control officer asked for assistance. Upon arrival, Riley determined the offender was in fact a buzzard and not a wild turkey. The injured bird was unable to fly but still very mobile. It was a real rodeo around the parking lot until Riley, armed with a dip net, wrangled the critter and sent it to a bird rehab center at our state park.
The following Monday another call came in to the city animal control office from a man complaining there was a wild turkey in his driveway. He said the turkey had chased him around his yard and was now standing guard, making it impossible to get out of his house. It was Labor Day, the office was closed, so no one responded.
The irate caller reported the turkey again the following day, saying the same vicious wild turkey was sitting on his porch and wouldn't let him out. Plus, it had attacked his car, pecking the tires until all four went flat. He demanded to know who was going to buy him new tires, since this feathered beast had ruined his.
The dog catcher and game warden showed up at the home of the complainer expecting to find another buzzard, however it was indeed a wild turkey hen in the man's yard. The bird was easily apprehended, showing no signs of aggressive behavior and without a smell of tire rubber on her breath. She was taken to the same center as the injured buzzard.
Caretakers at the rehab center noted the hen was uncharacteristically sleeping all day and roaming around all night. Without a doubt, they attributed her weird behavior to the lifestyle of her former captors.
Local police officers confessed to seeing known drug users in the area walking the streets at all hours of the night, leading a group of four turkeys wearing bandanas around their necks. The police never dreamed they were actually wild turkeys.
Hopefully, the other turkeys escaped to the wild, and the mixed-up hen isn't teaching her habits to the other inmates at the rehab center.
Another reason why wildlife should remain, well, wild — and humans should leave them well enough alone. But when the two mix with less-than-desirable results, thank the Lord for our conservation officers. — Brenda
Keep up with Brenda and her adventures at www.brendavalentine.com