Free Republic

Changing conditions caused by climate change pose a potential risk to eastern wild turkeys in North Carolina and other Southern states, new research shows. Reluctance by the species to vary when it begins nesting could put that cycle out of sync with evolving weather patterns, threatening the availability of food and protective vegetation, according to a newly published study in the journal Climate Change Ecology. “There are implications here for turkey populations if individuals are inflexible in their ability to shift their reproductive activities, as resources are certainly going to change in the future,” said Chris Moorman, a professor in...

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Postal Service are investigating whether a Sacramento County mail carrier bludgeoned a wild turkey to death with a pole — and whether his actions were justified. According to KCRA, turkeys freely roam the Northern California neighborhood and typically “mind their own business” — but lately, they’ve been particularly aggressive toward delivery drivers, and their behavior has residents divided. “I love the turkeys,” neighborhood resident Debbie Eastman told the outlet. “They’re just a little friendly part of the neighborhood.” However, other residents say that they’re terrorizing the community. “They are pests and...

Kentucky authorities indicted nine people Tuesday on charges of spiriting away what one prosecutor called more bourbon whiskey than a person could drink in a lifetime. Prosecutors say the scheme led by rogue distillery workers lasted for years and involved tens of thousands of dollars' worth of whiskey but began to unravel when whiskey barrels were discovered behind a shed.

KENTWOOD IN THE PINES – An airborne wild turkey struck a motorcyclist on state Route 79 yesterday. Two turkeys were walking across southbound Route 79 near Royal Drive about 11:15 a.m., said Officer Brian Pennings of the California Highway Patrol. One turkey began to fly and struck a southbound motorcyclist in the chest. The impact caused the rider of the 2001 Harley Davidson Softail to cross into the northbound lanes and go into an embankment. The 56-year-old man hit a manzanita bush and rolled over twice. He was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered abrasions to the right side of...

Six months ago, Free Republic was riding high, and I was proud to be a part of it. It was coming off having blown the cover off of Dan Rather’s use of forged memos against the President. The President was well on his way to winning re-election. It was a great time to be a Freeper. However, things have changed. It started with the justifiable removal of ALIPAC. I supported that move by Jim Robinson, but the ugliness directed towards Alberto Gonzales. He was accused of everything under the sun, and Senator Mel Martinez was viciously attacked for speaking Spanish...

WOBURN, MA -- A wild turkey is causing problems for almost all the residents of a Woburn, Massachusetts neighborhood, but one woman is accepting him with open arms. "Tom" turkey, who appears to weigh in at about 20 pounds, has been so fearsome that some residents are afraid to leave their homes. Police have tried to run "Tom" off, but the turkey continues to return. Sharyn Newell, however, has befriended the bird and trained him to climb up her back and onto her head.

Just three weeks after his last night as anchor of the CBS Evening News, on Wednesday night Dan Rather will start his new job as a full-time correspondent on the Wednesday edition of 60 Minutes, the very program sullied by Rather's September hit piece on President Bush based on forged memos. Rather's first story: An interview with retired GE Chairman Jack Welch and his new wife. Rather hopes to boost the ratings of the 59th-ranked prime time program so CBS keeps it on the fall schedule and thus provide him with a job. Rather told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gail Shister...

A surprisingly resilient wild turkey downed power lines in Tomales last week, causing a four-hour blackout. The turkey, by all indications, is still alive and at large. Tomales residents Margaret Graham and Walter Earle were drinking tea and reading the paper shortly before 6:45 a.m. last Friday in their home when they were startled by a loud explosion and brilliant flash of light from outside their window. Running outside, they discovered three downed power lines and a dazed-looking turkey walking in circles on Hwy 1. The couple watched as the turkey ambled into the field across the road from their...

WELLINGTON -- Officials say a wild turkey flew into a primary power line at 19th Street Thursday evening, causing a loud bang and a brief power outage for business owners and residents living on the city's north side. Wellington Fire Chief John Lloyd says while it may seem unbelievable that a turkey caused the outage -- and not a squirrel as its tradition -- the department "has the feathers to prove it." A two-man electric power line crew responded to the scene just after the fire department just after 7:30 p.m. According to Bob Lambert, electric utility director, the crew...

AUGUSTA — A turkey that bloodied and dazed itself after pecking and scratching a parked SUV likely thought his own reflection was a rival turkey vying for the attention of an accompanying hen. At least that's one of turkey hunter Michael Bitar's theories. Bitar, whose 2002 Ford Explorer suffered deep scratches on the bumper and paint, is hoping to track down and bag the bird that caused $1,500 in damage. Bitar said the tom turkey, which was accompanied by a hen, saw his own reflection on the shiny SUV. "When I came out, he had his claws on my gas...

Police Chief Tim Richards learned Friday to never get between a turkey and its dog biscuit. Richards and Patrolman Warren Ellsworth went to the Frost Hill dump to investigate a burglary.Ellsworth said somebody cut the bolt from the gate, went in and stole a chain saw from one of the buildings.“When we pulled into Frost Hill there were four wild turkeys that wouldn’t get out of the road,” Ellsworth said. “We had to drive around them.”While the police officers were at the employees’ shack talking to supervisor Alison McCrady, the wild turkey flock sauntered up to the doorway.McCrady said turkeys...