blake
Life Member
Turkey Hens making regular visits
WORLD-HERALD
Four wild turkey hens found suburban Omaha life to their liking this month.
They even found a favorite eating spot, returning so often they should have earned frequent diner credits.
The big birds started showing up at Jim Beck's house near 126th and C Streets about a month ago. They'd peck at sunflower seeds and shells dropped by squirrels from a feeder in a maple tree, then stroll down the driveway and feast on milo, cracked corn and other grains from a bird feeder perched atop a 4-foot post.
"They know right where to go," Beck said. "They're here for about 15 minutes and then they head out."
Beck, a City of Omaha street construction supervisor, said the turkeys typically stop by to feed at sunrise and before sunset. The big birds apparently roosted at night in trees near an industrial and commercial site northwest of 120th Street and West Center Road.
They've loafed longer in the neighborhood on weekends, when traffic is lighter, and haven't appeared too concerned about dogs, kids and passersby, Beck said.
Two of the hens appear to weigh 15 to 20 pounds, said Beck, an avid waterfowl hunter. The other two are smaller.
Urban sightings of wild turkeys aren't uncommon in recent years.
Nebraska's turkey population has grown 500 percent since 2002.
Turkey hunting is a hot ticket in Nebraska. Permit sales were a record 12,283 in fall 2007. Spring 2008 permit sales were a record 33,922. Hunters bagged a record 9,429 turkeys last fall and 19,896 in the spring.
Nebraska's statewide turkey archery and shotgun seasons resumed Monday and continue through Dec. 31. It's illegal to hunt in Omaha city limits.
