Skip to main content
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
  • See & Do
    • See & Do
    • See all
      • See all
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
      • Accessibility
      • Arts
      • Attractions
      • Downtown
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Live Music
      • Parks
      • Shopping
      • Stories
      • Weddings
  • Outdoors
    • Outdoors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Hiking
        • See all
        • Nature Walks
      • ADK Guides & Tours
      • Birding
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Cross-Country Skiing
      • Cycling
      • Downhill Skiing
      • Fishing
      • Golfing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Mountain Biking
      • Paddling
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
    • Eat & Drink
    • See all
    • Cafés & Coffee Shops
    • Craft Beer & Cocktails
    • Restaurants
  • Events
    • Events
    • See all
    • Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
    • ArtWorks ArtMarkets
    • Can-Am Rugby Tournament
    • Celebrate Paddling ADK
    • First Night Saranac Lake
    • Plein Air Festival
    • Winter Carnival
    • 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
    • Stay
    • See all
    • Cabins & Cottages
    • Camping
    • Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
    • Resorts, Hotels, Motels
    • Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
    • First Time Visitors
    • See all
      • See all
      • Accessibility
      • Downtown
      • Getting Here
      • Greater Region
      • Stories
      • Seasons
        • See all
        • Spring
        • Summer
        • Fall
        • Winter
  • Local
    • Local title-header
      • Live Here
        • See all
        • Meet the Locals
        • Real Estate
        • Town of Harrietstown
        • Town of North Elba
        • Town of St. Armand
        • Village of Saranac Lake
      • Do Business Here
        • See all
        • Chamber Job Board
        • Essex County IDA
        • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
        • Professional Services
        • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
      • Community Initiatives
        • See all
        • Arts & Culture Master Plan
        • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
        • Saranac Lake Brand
        • Village Community Development Department
What can we help you find?
  • See & Do
      1. See & Do
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
        3. Accessibility
        4. Arts
        5. Attractions
        6. Downtown
        7. Health & Wellness
        8. History
        9. Live Music
        10. Parks
        11. Shopping
        12. Stories
        13. Weddings
  • Outdoors
      1. Outdoors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Hiking
          • See all
          • Nature Walks
        3. ADK Guides & Tours
        4. Birding
        5. Boating
        6. Camping
        7. Cross-Country Skiing
        8. Cycling
        9. Downhill Skiing
        10. Fishing
        11. Golfing
        12. Ice Fishing
        13. Mountain Biking
        14. Paddling
        15. Snowmobiling
        16. Snowshoeing
  • Eat & Drink
      1. Eat & Drink
      2. See all
      3. Cafés & Coffee Shops
      4. Craft Beer & Cocktails
      5. Restaurants
  • Events
      1. Events
      2. See all
      3. Adirondack Snowshoe Fest
      4. ArtWorks ArtMarkets
      5. Can-Am Rugby Tournament
      6. Celebrate Paddling ADK
      7. First Night Saranac Lake
      8. Plein Air Festival
      9. Winter Carnival
      10. 3rd Thursday Art Walks
  • Stay
      1. Stay
      2. See all
      3. Cabins & Cottages
      4. Camping
      5. Inns, Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts
      6. Resorts, Hotels, Motels
      7. Vacation Rentals
  • First Time Visitors
      1. First Time Visitors
      2. See all
        1. See all
        2. Accessibility
        3. Downtown
        4. Getting Here
        5. Greater Region
        6. Stories
        7. Seasons
          • See all
          • Spring
          • Summer
          • Fall
          • Winter
  • Local
      1. Local
        1. Live Here
          • See all
          • Meet the Locals
          • Real Estate
          • Town of Harrietstown
          • Town of North Elba
          • Town of St. Armand
          • Village of Saranac Lake
        2. Do Business Here
          • See all
          • Chamber Job Board
          • Essex County IDA
          • Franklin County Economic Development Co.
          • Professional Services
          • Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
        3. Community Initiatives
          • See all
          • Arts & Culture Master Plan
          • Downtown Revitalization Initiative
          • Saranac Lake Brand
          • Village Community Development Department

Something to Gobble About

Watch Video
Be prepared with helpful travel tips!
Alan Belford
November 28, 2013

            We have once again reached the time of year when turkey is in the forefront of our minds and in the center of our plates, and it is worth considering the Wild Turkey which makes the Adirondacks and New York State its home.  Turkeys range across much of the country and all of the state and are common in the region.  I regularly see them when I’m out birding, hiking, or conducting research, and often find them in the fields near both Gabriels and Bloomingdale. 

            Their commonness was not always the case even just a few decades ago after overhunting, introduced disease, and loss of habitat decimated turkey populations across much of the country by the end of the 1800s.  But smoldering populations in places such as Pennsylvania managed to stay alight, and reintroductions in many states including New York bolstered these growing populations.  The Wild Turkey is a conservation success story. 

Turkey - Larry
Turkey - Larry

            And they are an interesting species at that.  Part of their success in bouncing back is due to their resilience in living with people, making good use of agricultural lands and fields which border their woodland homes.  Agricultural fields provide left over agricultural mast and insects which are a suitable complement to the naturally growing beech nuts, fruits, seeds, insects etc. which they find in the woods.  As such, Wild Turkeys are often found in edge habitats where mature deciduous forests border fields and forest openings. 

            Turkeys feed on the ground where they scratch and forage for their varied diet.  They run extremely well and often choose running to flying when frightened or threatened.  They do roost in trees at night and watching a flock land for the evening or depart trees in the morning is often a comedic experience.  The heavy birds are not graceful in flight and often crash through the branches as they seek to land.  Despite their lack of skill in the air, young turkeys can fly by about two weeks of age thanks to the rapid growth of their wings and flight feathers.  This allows them to spend the night in trees out of the reach of many predators such as coyotes, foxes, and the like. 

            The mother broods and cares for the chicks as they grow, sheltering them, but the precocial chicks are largely responsible for finding their own food.  This is important given that Wild Turkeys usually have between 8-12 eggs and can have as many as 20.  Such large numbers would be impossible for a single parent to feed.  After all, the young remain with their mother until the winter while the father has no part in raising them. 

turkey - displaying
turkey - displaying

            The male’s feather-rattling display is well known as they strut around with arched wings and fanned tail sometimes gobbling to attract females each spring – you may know some people who try similar tactics!  The breeding season starts in March in the south while it is later this far north, and the males will breed with multiple females during the spring and then busy themselves feeding all summer.  Besides his long tail feathers and pink wattle, the male’s wardrobe also includes a long “beard” from their breast, and a small percentage of hens can also grow a straggly beard as well. 

            Turkeys are active during our long Adirondack winters and can often be found foraging in fields and the edges of fields in the snow.  The big (males often weigh between 15-20 pounds) dark birds are obvious against the white landscape.  Their large tracks are also impressive as they search for food – usually in a flock.  They are a striking species in our forests and one whose conservation success is good news at this time of celebration.  

           

Turkey - Larry
Turkey - Larry
turkey - displaying
turkey - displaying

Related Stories

Fall Flavors
Saranac Lake is Fall-tastic for Kids!
Best Off The Beaten Path Fall Foliage Finds
Saranac Lake Adventure Travel
Three Fantastic Fall Hikes in Saranac Lake
A Fall Vacation with Hot Sara
Norman Ridge Ride
Fall Fishing in the Adirondacks
Lost Among the Rows
A Decidedly Different Fall Day in Saranac Lake
Fall Events
Fall Fun in Saranac Lake
Decidedly Different Saranac Lake
Cycling Loops in Saranac Lake
Finding Winter Finches — and other Cold-Weather Species
The VIC's Black Pond Loop
A Day on McKenzie Mountain
A Fall Hike up St. Regis Mountain
Fall Paddling in the Adirondacks is Amazing!
Beat the Heat!
Saranac Lake Trail Running
Fall for Saranac Lake
Hiking and Birding in Bloomingdale Bog
The VIC: it's luxury hiking!
Three of Saranac Lake's Best Paddling Routes
Paddling Jones Pond in the Fall
A Fall Hike Up Mount Baker
An Evening Paddle on Lake Clear Outlet
Azure Mountain Adventure
The Great Adirondack Corn Maze
A Fall Paddle on Little Green Pond
A Fall Paddle on the Floodwood Loop
Top Three Loops for Foliage
Five Fab Fall Viewpoints
Fall Migration is in High Gear!
Fall Seasons Cold Water Paddling
4 Go-To Paddling Destinations for Fall Foliage
Gorgeous leaves, all access
Be there at the finish!
An Evening Paddle on Middle Pond
Crossbills and Boreal Birds
McKenzie Road Bouldering
Not just a walk in the park
Slow paddle to Oseetah
Cross Country Skiing in Lake Clear
Enjoying Late Fall Cold Fronts And Their Migrants
Great Fall Birding!
Dia de Muertos at Pine Ridge
A Fall Paddle On Lake Clear Outlet
The Possibilities Of Fall Birding
A Fall Hike on Baker Mountain
Fall Events: a blaze of glory!
Zooming Around in the Fall
A Ride That Takes You Off The Beaten Path
Wonderful Weddings in Cool Places
Gray Jays!
2015 Most Popular Blogs
Shopping without the stress
John Brown's Other Bodies
Excellent October Birding!
Five top tips for cooking the hunt
Brighton: Dusk 'til Dawn
Unleash Your Inner Picasso
Paddling and Hiking Around Little Green Pond
Camping in the Cold (Disclaimer: This is NOT a How-To Guide)
A Cool Adirondack Adventure
Daddy Longlegs Love Burlap
Fall Warblers and Other Migrants!
Upcoming Fall Events
Enjoying Late Summer Wildflowers!
Hiking with the Crew up Baker Mountain
Saranac Inn, golf with a taste of Scotland
Learning to Love Every Season
Wedding planning with the pros
Two sides of the Trifecta
Four Seasons of High Points
Fly our Adirondack skies
Where to find hot beverages
The First Ski of the Season!
Healthy Holidays, Adirondack Style
Birding Along Lake Colby
Saranac Lake Remembers the Great War
A Guide to the Great Indoors
Fall Paddling; Being Ready for the Cold
The biggest Cure Tour of them all
History Comes Alive in Saranac Lake
Learning to Identify Fall Leaves
The Horse Knows The Way
Paddling and Snorkeling Little Green Pond
A Red Phalarope at Little Clear Pond!
Searching for Fall Warblers and Other Songbirds
Boat Trip Massages: Two Roads to Wellness
Paddling Little Clear Pond
Paddling Lake Clear Outlet
Hiking and Exploring Azure Mountain
An Evening Paddle on Moose Pond
A Great Place to Break Down
Adirondack Paddling, Choosing the Right Paddle
Adirondack Paddling - Choosing The Right Boat
Roughing it in style: a tour of White Pine Great Camp
Our lakes were born for boating
Something to Gobble About
Ducks and Otters at Lake Colby
Muskrats!
Hiking during Hunting Season
Goodman Mountain
Ducks on the Pond
Snow up high on McKenzie
You Don't Paddle Into the Wind
Five things you can do in Saranac Lake on Halloween week
Hiking St. Regis Mountain
Fall at the VIC
Panther Trifecta
A Fall Paddle on Jones Pond
A Fall Hike Up Baker Mountain
Sparrows Along Lake Colby
Going to Church
Visitors in My Yard
A Hike Up Panther Mountain
Where the leaves are on fire with color
Artist at Work Studio Tour this week
The Colors of Late Summer
Fun family events for fall foliage season
Scarface Mountain Adventure
Bloomingdale Bog Birds
Late Summer Yard Birds
What can we help you find?
Sign up to receive more information.
Enter Email
Do•Stay•Eat•Shop•Events
Work Here•Contact Us•DEI•Media Kit•Privacy Policy
39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Powered by the Regional Office of
Sustainable Tourism
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
We’ve got the best ideas for things to do on your next Adirondack adventure, and we will deliver them right to your inbox! THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING! Your next adventure awaits you in your inbox! Tell us more about what interests you, and we can help you plan your next trip.
MANAGE YOUR PREFERENCES