The Turkey Saga
And into our yard walks a turkey. I think I’ll call her Din-Din.
Din-Din is friendly, probably she’s spent time as somebodies pet. She looks like a wild turkey although I suspect she’s a domesticated breed as she’s quite large and far too friendly to be a wild version, a Broad Breasted Bronze would be my guess. I saw her ‘friends’ down the road, a flock of about 30 or so turkeys marching down the middle of the road wreaking havoc in traffic. It’s my guess that Din-Din is nesting somewhere nearby, and has escaped the flock to have some privacy while raising the new generation.
I grew up on a farm where we often grew and raised turkey, it was always a bit of disaster…between the bears, weasels, owls and dogs in the neighborhood we never had much success. And although we tried hard, I don’t think a turkey ever made it to dinner. We had lots of predators. But even our ‘domestic turkeys’ were never as friendly as these ‘wild’ ones. And as far as I can tell, turkey is not native to this area.
I went to my winter garden earlier in the week and was appalled at the damage something had been doing to the garden. My swiss chard was mangled, the peas that had started to grow were decimated along with the other seedlings that had started to sprout. Far too much damage for slugs, maybe mice? I was at a loss. And then I saw Din-Din and it all became clear. We have a new menace in town.
I’m sure who ever released these turkeys into the wild had only the best of intentions. But the ‘releasors’ didn’t stop to think about the big picture. Gabriola is already bombarded with pests, we have no predators, and more pests is a problem.
The deer are cute when you first move here. It’s only after you see them munching on the new flowers you bought to brighten up the yard that they don’t seem so cute any more. Impossible to keep out. The raccoons, so sweet with their little bandit eyes, until they open the pest proof lid of your garbage can and rip apart your garbage and leave a stinking mess. Or there’s the 2 am dog taunting sessions through the plate glass window. Impossible to keep out. Peacocks, well they fly onto your deck, decimate the flowers to you tried to protect from the deer, poop everywhere and then leave without even a display of thier plumage. Impossible to keep out. And the stray dogs, packing up and attacking neighborhood cats and livestock, chasing deer into traffic, and getting into the garbage. No dog catcher and impossible to keep out. And we now have a new pest in town.
On the coast, Turkey is brought into stores 4 times a year for the holidays where turkey is traditionally served. Trying to find turkey off season, at a reasonable price, to meet the demand for our pies is proving to be a challenge. And yet I have one on my doorstep. Teasing me. Taunting me. Telling me that she will be my new pest that no fence will keep out, and reminding me that I can’t do anything about it.
I suspect I will have to garden under-cover this year if I am to have anything resembling a garden. Cause there’s a new pest in town. Her name is Din-Din. And it looks like she’s here to stay.