Mesmerized

[scn]

I have never had the luxury of watching a big gobbler go about his business for any extended period of time. Usually when one is close enough to really observe I am about to hyperventilate as I try to keep from screwing up the encounter. Since it is pretty rare for me to be hidden in a tent, I don't have the luxury of relaxing and watching nature for a while. My seekone neighborhood pet has certainly provided some fun watching the past few days.

We have five bird feeders out plus a bunch of ground scattering on top of the snow for the songbirds that are having a pretty hard go with this much snow. We have had a yard full of birds all week and they have gone through the bird seed. Midweek, the gobbler that wanders through the neighborhood started making visits to the feeding area. Watching him at 20' with no ill intentions has been a blast.

This morning he fed pretty early. I had a couple of empty bird feeders to fill up, and waited until he had walked off. I retrieved the feeders to fill, only to see that he had just moved away in between my wife's car and my boat. He stood around while I worked on and replaced the feeders. I had some black sunflower seeds left over, so I tossed a couple of handfuls in his direction. Rather than running off, he came on in and started to eat on them.

Wonder if I can get him trained to eat from my hand before the season opens? That would make for a circus of a video to grab him around the neck opening morning!

JK

 

[Gravey]

You might be able to get him to walk right into the frying pot.

 

[megalomaniac]

There really is something captivating about them and their antics. Exactly why I had my own penned easterns for 5 years in my backyard. I never get tired of watching them.

Yesterday had a mixed flock with 7 toms, 2 hens, and 2 jakes on the pipeline I was hunting in south MS. One tom spent the entire time pushing around and harassing the other toms.

Had a lone hen come by me an hour ago scoping out potential nesting sites for this spring. She had the most beautiful solid powder blue head of any hen I've seen.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

they get tame quick if food is involved. an old boy near here has them running to him when they hear his squeaky garage door opening. the birds now associate that with shelled corn. deer not much better. was in a wedding once and the deer came right up to the bridesmaids, eating their flowers.