Yeh, but them Congonese would tell you anything!

Well it is time for me to take some leave. Tomorrow morning I take off to our old south to hopefully slay a wiley Eastern wild turkey. Will probably be a 12 hour or so drive. Have you all got any transplanted birds there, maybe NZ? Muzza, you got turks? If so, who amongst you have hunted these big birds?

Turkeys are considered BIG GAME in the States. My shotgun is smoking still from a weekend of patterning. So is my shoulder...

BTW- if I get one it will be my first! No virgin jokes please.

We only have this protected native bird.

I give you the...TAH-DAH..."Scrub Turkey"...

We also have the plains turkey up here, but its realy a bustard. I have a pic somewhere I'll rustle up.

Goodluck Ann, hope you get one!

I found some pics on the net but they had a copyright on them so I thought "better not" Here's a link to a site for the Australian plains turkey or the Australian Bustard. Bustard

Fairly common here in the NT, protected however.

Shaun,

That thing really does resemble our wild turkey. How big are they?

Bakes, your link isn't working.

You only live once Bakesy.
As long as we aren't making money from them.

The only turkeys we have in Oz are the ones who are running the country!

Ann - the only turkeys we have here are the domesticated version of your wild ones , just regular farmyard ones gone wild. Naturally enough we have a Government full of similarly stupid creatures , but what country doesnt?

Our turkeys are not hard to hunt - find were they roost , sneak up at night , dazzle them with a light and chop their heads off with a machete...
Or you could actually hunt them and shoot them , but they really arent that great a game bird , most unlike your ones .Few people here hunt them at all.

Their are American wild Turkeys on the North Island but they are anything but hard to get.

The Turkeys in Washington and Oregon are also easy as pie. Just walk through the woods and beat on a hupcap with a stick. When you hear one, walk over and shoot it. Almost as easy as Canadians (Geese ) or Pigeons.

FC I didn't want to get Saeed in the shit, but if we don't make money of them....

Let me be the first to say it - Australia is a land full of Bustards... fat bustards , thick bustards , old bustards , ugly bustards , why the list is endless. Did I mention naked bustards with watches and hats ...?

We have wild turkeys on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Introduced of course. They survive as there are no foxes on KI.

Muzza - I saw lots of turkeys when hunting red deer on North Island and during the day they were very alert and moved off as soon as they saw us. From several hundred metres.

Hunting during the day hardly compares to spotlight shooting any animal or bird.

No doubt about it NitroX , turkeys that have been hunted get smart fast , but mr average free range turk isnt overly smart . I have to agree on the spotlight issue , although possums get wise fairly fast and turn away from the light .

How can I hope to soar like an eagle
When I associate with a bunch of turkeys?

The pics of the bustard, doesn't show its size well. They are quite a big bird, tasty I'm told but only the black fellas can LEGALY hunt/eat them.

Anne, i hunted turkeys in NZ last year, they were everywhere - even managed to bag a 'feathered' one .

And your implication here, young lady , is ..?????

I see two birds , but which is the bigger turkey?

Don't you go getting Sam pissed off mate, I want her in a good mood while she is mounting my stag!

I've seen mounts of the turkeys tail, fanned out, I quite like them. Did you mount that one Sam?

OOOOOPPPPPS

Nah bakes - turkeys dont really intrest me, taxidermy wise.

I was on the peacock hunt at the time and this guy popped up.



The ones you see mounted from the states have fake or freeze dried heads, feet, legs and god knows what else. More like a jigsaw puzzle than art. (dont want to offend any US taxo's with that comment - its just the way i see it)



Oh, and Muzza - just doin a bit of fishin.

My Goodness Sam, where's your Camoflauge? Where's your camo hat, your face mask, your shirt, your camo pants, your gloves, your socks? Where's your camo wrapped shotty? How can you shoot a Turkey dressed normally? Don't you watch the videos on TV? That's impossible.

What will happen to Cabelas when the word gets out and people stop buying all that stuff?

SSShhh , dont spread that around or the whole outfitting industry will fall flat on its overpriced butt.

Samatha

Did you eat the turkey?

Nitrox, the bloke who took me cuts the breast off only.

That poor turkey had no chance in hell mate.

Imagine you being a turkey, and used to see other turkeys - feathered and none feathered varieties - and suddenly you see a gorgeous creature looking at you.

Wouldn't you stand wide eyed and appreciate it?

BANG! One dead turkey, that'll teach you.

Sam,

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the welcome Saeed.

Anne.... Good luck with your turkey hunt...

I understand that you have been talking with Jackie Burns regarding turkey hunting...

She's a close friend of mine and she is a VERY skillful turkey hunter and an excellent source of information..

I've been known to shoot the occaisional gobbler in the face myself... .......

Only one way to shoot turkeys; 45/90 Sharps!

How about this bustard?

So what does aussie bustard taste like?

Tastes like a cross between a bald eagle and a whooping crane...

Arent those two species protected by law ?

That what I call living dangerously!!!

I guess if the bastard eating the bustard is hungry enough, it would taste like a feed from the finest resturant!