Posted on 03/02/2026 12:48:45 PM PST by rexthecat
Along the sloping banks of the San Lorenzo Creek in Hayward, steps from the oldest Japanese garden in California, chaos unfolds. The creek is a favorite gathering spot for the Bay Area’s wild turkeys..
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
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A few years back, my wife and I went horseback riding in the Shenandoah Mountains near Bedford, VA (home of the national D-Day Museum) These people were awesome. The guy running the place was an honest to goodness horse whisperer, and they were very unconventional in the care of their horses. But he talked to them like people, and they seemed to understand just exactly what he said to them.
Anyway, their horse riding wasn’t the usual fare you get at a lot of places like that, where all you see is the rump of the horse in front of you, everyone walking slow in single file. I had ridden a little bit, and understood how to ride, not let the horse figure out they are the boss, that kind of thing. My wife and I went riding with the owner and his wife one morning, and it was a gorgeous late summer day. There were four young girls (maybe 11 or 12 years old) there for a birthday party ride, so we all went out together.
We stopped on the trail at a place he always let the horses drink from a little muddy pond, so we all let the horses walk up without us trying to make them go somewhere, and on their own, all spread out around the hole just a few feet in, put their heads down, and began drinking.
We were all talking, and suddenly I realized none of our horses were moving or drinking. They had all raised their heads and were completely motionless with their eyes all looking at the same spot, and the guy said quietly “Everyone stay quiet. It’s a snake.”
I was looking all around but couldn’t see it. But I saw something that looked like stick poking out of the water about half a foot at an angle.
It was a Copperhead.
The guy said in a low voice “Okay. Everyone pull gently back on the reins and lean back a bit to let the horses back out...which they did.
When we had retreated a distance, the guy saw I could ride a little bit, and had my wife go with the little girls and his wife off on their own, and he and I just went everywhere.
In my life, I had never had the opportunity to really ride a horse, in my past, it was more like walk a horse and be a passenger.
But this guy was running his horse up and down, through the woods, the front of his hat flattened against his forehead, but...I wasn’t that good, so I just...rode my horse here and there on my own as he dashed about. God, how I loved it-it was really riding a horse!
Then, we came to a large meadow at the top of this elevated area, several hundred yards across, with knee length golden grass, and a copse of trees at the far end.
The guy said to me “Have you ever galloped a horse?” I said no, and he said “Would you like to try?” I didn’t have to answer due the ear-splitting grin I was wearing, but I said “Yes!” and he took off in a gallop, and my horse ran right behind trying to catch up!
I was bouncing up and down in that saddle, really slamming down because I had never done it, but we got to the middle of the field and stopped. Heh, I am grinning right now just thinking of it!
We turned to continue up the gentle rise of that meadow to the trees, and we saw a turkey. It was trotting, but as we approached, it began to really run fast, its whole dark body raked forward at about a 45 degree angle! Astonishing! I had never seen a turkey do much more than mill on the side of a road and such, but this thing was moving!
Then, when it was about 50 yards from the tree line, it suddenly spread its wings and took off! I had no idea turkeys could fly! And the wings seemed so...stubby and wide, not broad at all. It didn’t look like it could fly, but it did. I felt startled in kind of the same way I did the first time I saw a huge cockroach take to the air to escape as I tried to flatten it with my Navy boondocker!
I will say, that was a day of firsts for me! Galloped a horse and saw a turkey fly!
We went to Camp Meriwether, on the Oregon coast not too far from Tillamook. Good times.
I enjoyed my time in Scouting...as you said, good times.
Interesting point!
Love your stories! You are the world’s most interesting man, lol!
I have turkeys down here on my acreage in Alabama, but they’re more wary here because everyone hunts them. I’ve had a few fly away from me when I guess they saw me thinking I was after them, but I was doing something else and didn’t even notice them until all that crazy flapping to get away. Almost gives me a heart attack!
In a month or two the hens will be looking for a place to lay up and brood. I can sometimes hear them put-putting in the woods. I try not to disturb them as I want them making babies here.
I do enjoy seeing all the goofy young turklets!
I have to admit, seeing wild turkeys clustered all around waiting for me to throw peanuts to them is a bit unnerving! I have heard they can really hurt you if they go at you, and I don’t doubt it.
With them all standing motionless around me only feet away, eyeballing you with those turkey eyeballs...
We have acres of oaks and tons of acorns which they love. We see many but have never fed them.
My parents live on the edge of a forest area. I've seen a big flock of turkeys a few times pecking for food nearby. A few years ago when I went home to visit, there were 2 males duking it out on a neighbors patio during mating season. It must have been quite the show if they were home.
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