The Blank Blog: Deer and Turkeys

Photo by James W. Blank Jr.
I told you about Jim Blank's eye for White-tailed Deer. Well he's done it again. Look carefully and you can see that she's eating something off an oak. Leaves or baby green acorns, perhaps?


Photo by James W. Blank Jr.
The doe and fawn check him out. Remember the discussion awhile back on the blog of the use of white tails in various species to get predators to take their eye off the ball so to speak?

The fawn is in the midst of a dandy example.

It's also a cue that they're likely to take off at any second.



Photo by James W. Blank Jr.
If you look carefully this guy doesn't feel nearly as exposed as he looks. He's peering through a few stalks of tall grass. Besides he's well aware it isn't hunting season.

Photo by James W. Blank Jr.
Now I have people telling me every other day about the flocks of turkeys that walk through their yards. Yards decidedly not in suburbia but still. And here is yet another example of turkeys having a great time foraging in a yard.

There is an adage in Wisconsin which plays to the difference in wariness of deer vs wild turkey. It goes something like this--A deer sees a man and thinks he's a stump. A turkey sees a stump and thinks it's a man.

These two fowl are pretty positive they're seeing a man.



Photo by James W. Blank Jr.
This Tom (see the "beard" coming off his breast) has spied something obviously delicious and hasn't caught on yet.


Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.
Delicious or not, he's spied the photographer and has begun a slow turkey trot for the bushes.



Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.
Followed briskly by a couple of his buddies.



Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.
The second group, is heading the other direction. Though Mr. Middle there has spied a goody and is taking time to nab it so things haven't gotten too scary yet.



Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.
Here is Sneaky. He is tippy toeing for the other side of the tree.


Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.
My, my, left turkey is distracted. He is still pecking away over there.



Photograph by James W. Blank Jr.

Suddenly he looks up and realizes he's being left behind. He finally gets it together and heads off with speed. Note most of these Turkeys are male. The hens are off doing family business.

P.S. In the it's-always-something category-- I've been unable to access my email box for over 24 hours. So I'm not ignoring anyone, I just can't get there. :-)

Donegal Browne