Get Stuffed! The History of the Turkey

[@HemlockRidge]

I live on some acreage in a rural area. There is a flock that takes a large circular route, that traverses my land about once a month. It varies between about 10 to 20 birds that walk down out of the woods behind my house, across my parking area, around my house, and into the woods below. It makes me happy to see them.

[@lamplighter5545]

I see a flock near my office. Work is near home, in a medium-sized city, but there are woods around the corporate park. When I was a kid, despite being outside all the time, I never saw a wild turkey (or a deer), but I see them now.

[@marymarysmarket3508]

Turkeys are quite skittish. They are not seen often but certainly can hear their strange rattle. Sounds like several people are hitting sticks together in an uneven rhythm. We didn't know what the sounds were when moving to our country acreage. Out from the tree line..at sunset..came about 30+ wild turkey. Nice sight.

[@snapdragon6601]

@HemlockRidge - I wonder why they travel around in a big circle like that? They couldn't be migrating to a warmer climate if it's just from one side of the property to the other. There wouldn't be any noticeable difference in temperature, plus I'm pretty sure migrating birds only do so when the seasons change. Not every month. Maybe they're alternating feeding grounds, like cows or sheep do out in the pasture. 🤷

[@MBMCincy63]

I grew up in a suburban area with a large wild area between the streets, and it connected to the nature park down the hill. Often would see a small 6-10 group of turkey crossing from our driveway to the back into that area about 1-2x a summer, fall time. And as development removed more wild land, saw more deer sabotage our bird feeder and gardens.

[@lamplighter5545]

@@marymarysmarket3508 -- They may be skittish, but you wouldn't know from the turkeys near my office. They walk around like they own the place. Folks give them a pretty wide birth, but you can get to within 25 or 30 feet before they react at all.

[@gardnep]

My father raised a batch of turkeys for my aunty who was a local poultry supplier. They were supposed to be harvested at 14 lbs but she did not come back for months and then complained about these 28 lb turkeys.

[@beebop9808]

Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains back in the 60's it was an extremely rare thing to run across a wild turkey. It's a beautiful thing to find them plentiful all across the south east today!

[@ericjohnson9468]

There are HUGE flocks even in the SF Bay Area nowadays… to the point you must drive slow to get past them. Yet I remember how rare they were as a boy in the Virginia piedmont… even in the countryside.

[@paulburley7993]

They are everywhere in great numbers here in Southern Ontario 🇨🇦

[@glasshalffull2930]

In Virginia, Back in the 1970s, my brother asked me if I wanted to go turkey hunting. My response, “Why not go Abominable Snowman hunting.” The fact of the matter is that both of us had spent about a decade hunting and camping and had never seen a turkey or any turkey sign.

[@paulburley7993]

@glasshalffull2930 Same story. In Southern Ontario we never had coyotes, opussum, cardinals, turkey, rarely deer never mockingbirds and couldn't imagine the threat of feral hogs. Things have changed! 🇨🇦

[@glasshalffull2930]

@@paulburley7993 OMG-You have feral hogs up there too!!! 😬

[@garyK.45ACP]

Wild turkeys have a made a huge comeback and are now in areas where they never were originally. They are thriving even in suburban woodlots, golf courses and farmland across the country.

[@jayshaw63]

Turkeys from Missouri were reintroduced here in Wisconsin in 1976. They are now literally all over the State.

[@garyK.45ACP]

@@jayshaw63 I live in a suburban area of central, east coast Florida and turkeys wander all over our neighborhood. We see them in our yard almost every day.

[@MrTaxiRob]

driving through the rural Midwest I see them running across country roads from Minnesota to New York

[@fabricdragon]

as a side note: the turkey head and wattle color is very close to "Turkey Red" a color every quilter knows. since the red textile color was in high demand throughout history, i cant help but wonder if that influenced its name.

[@JrGoonior]

“As God as my witness. I thought turkeys could fly.”

[@HM2SGT]

Oh, the humanity! Turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement!

[@cherylbootsveld1620]

A classic WKRP 😉

[@garywagner2466]

Still one of the funniest TV episodes ever, with Les doing the commentary. “Like sacks of wet cement.”

[@joanhoffman3702]

“Oh, the humanity!” 😂😂😂😂

[@mikedavis8499]

Wild Turkeys can fly

[@gordonstewart8258]

Two years ago, here in Kenosha, WI, a wild turkey moved into the neighborhood. He became something of a local mascot, and was given the name Karl. This last summer, two wild turkeys, at least were seen. if this trend continues, we may have quite a flock in a few years. Sadly, Karl will not be part of it: he succumbed to the dangers of urban road traffic.

[@georgemarcouxjr6192]

I live in central Wisconsin. They are everywhere.

[@douglasgriswold2533]

Why did the turkey cross the road?

[@kurtjk01]

@@douglasgriswold2533 To get run over?

[@QuantumRift]

@@kurtjk01 Yep, they are about that stupid.

[@HM2SGT]

The Monday of Thanksgiving week and Lance is giving us the bird! (and we're grateful) 😉

[@Lightning613]

🤣

[@MarianneKat]

I see wild turkeys in my backyard nearly every day. They had 22 babies this year😊

[@-DeScruff]

Same! I'm kinda thankful for them, there are more deer wandering into my backyard these days, and that means ticks. But Turkeys will eat ticks so ;D

[@jbrhel]

I live in upstate NY. Lots of forests and you'll see a flock from time to time. I'll get after one of the 46 million turkeys with the family on Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@slickbama8322]

You deserve "A major Award!" for the Bupuss's dogs reference.

[@boathousejoed1126]

I see wild turkeys all the time in Connecticut! Have even seen them fly up into the trees to roost!

[@goodun2974]

Yup, seen dozens roosting at night. I stopped on the road to let a flock cross and was counting them, but lost count at well over 60 turkeys!

[@ewittkofs]

Thank you for such a great and thorough history of the humble Turkey!🦃

[@edwardloomis887]

Drove through the outskirts of Concord, Massachusetts in 2015 or 2016 and watched a large adult male turkey walk into the middle of a two-lane road. Traffic both ways including me stopped, and several females and juveniles crossed while he stood like an Army running formation road guard protecting his people, then he followed them off. Nature adapts.

[@petuniasevan]

There are a lot of wild turkeys around here in northeast Wisconsin. There's a flock that delays our route to work on a well-traveled suburban road on occasion, and one day another flock snarled up traffic in downtown because they just stood in the road and gaped at the cars.

[@goodun2974]

Her in New England I tried to count a flock that was blocking the road but lost count after 60 something birds!

[@deetrvl4life875]

"How can I soar like an eagle when I work with a bunch of Turkeys?!" haha Happy Thanksgiving to THG! ❤🦃🐖

[@davidrudd9846]

Just happened to look out my window this dreary misty south Texas morning seen 10 to 15 wild Turkeys in my back yard

[@bitcoinski]

I really dig the Turkey Trot Trivia...Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 🦃🦃🦃

[@brocknspectre1221]

I’m happy to say that here in Vermont, turkey trots still stop traffic as flocks of the wild birds roam our forests and front lawns.

[@mrs.g.9816]

Before I retired to Vermont, I lived in White Plains, NY, which is a really big city. Just a few miles north of White Plains, however, I could see a few wild turkeys. I even saw two wild turkeys at a bus stop in Elmsford, NY. There was a young guy waiting for his bus. He was wearing a grin as he shared his sandwich with the turkeys. My father said seeing turkeys was very rare when he was a kid in the 1930's, so he was glad to see turkeys near his house in Poughkeepsie. I love birds, so I don't eat turkey. Instead, I cook homemade pork sausage with sage and other herbs and a cornbread stuffing on the side, and that fills my house with Thanksgiving aroma!

[@nukelaloosh4795]

i'm on the other side of the tappan zee bridge in rockland co. & they are all over the place along with deer

[@mikewithers299]

Growing up in upstate NY I've seen more quail and pheasant than turkey. I've even seen deer on hillsides days before open season started. But im with you, sausage or ham tastes so good for dinner.

[@natw6857]

Always an interesting video on this channel! Thought he might have mentioned the story of three strikes in bowling being called a Turkey. Guess I’ll have to wait for the The History of Bowling video for that one :)

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Wild turkeys are prolific in southern British Columbia as well. I don't know if they are native there or whether they were introduced.

[@dannystaton5386]

Happy holidays history dude

[@bwayne40004]

We had a farm from the early 70s to around 2009 and until the late 90s or so I never saw wild turkeys. However, by 2000 you couldn't miss them. They'd graze in the fields like cattle, be in the woods and trees, from nowhere to everywhere. I've seen as many as 30 plus in fields after the combine runs grain. I also raised heritage turkeys. Bourbon Reds. Pretty birds!

[@russwoodward8251]

WIld turkeys roam our little valley and it is a joy. Thanks History Guy!

[@ronalddevine9587]

Great video, Lance. My maternal grandparents came from Hungary, and they never ate turkey.

[@edkeaton]

Very fascinating video good Sir. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and information with us. Have yourself a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving! 👋😎🎉🦃🍗🥧🍂🍁🙏

[@johnschnellbach986]

Florida man here. Turkeys now flourish here. Every time I travel by highway to Orlando, you will see turkeys grazing along the road.

[@stevecannon1774]

My brother-in-law is a volunteer at the Empire Ranch in Southern Arizona. He has pictures of lots of turkeys (Empire Ranch is part of the Bureau of Land Management)

[@Mr.NaughtyPants]

Hey THG the first documented Thanksgiving was held by the Spanish around 1565 between Pedro Menendez and Indians of Florida. Being than Spanish history is totally ignored and we who grew up here are only fed the English version of their history here in America. One two hour episode of, Secrets of the Dead, Secrets of Spanish Florida. Explains the first Spanish Thanksgiving where turkey was served along with deer and other animals. This was well documented by Spanish priests and sat in the Spanish archives in Madrid for all these years until a American researcher decided to read it. Now the history of the American Thanksgiving has to be rewritten. This Secrets of the Dead documentary is the best one they ever did and the longest one. It is the best video history of our country pre English and worth watching. They did a great job with it. So' it was Spanish Conquistadors and Florida Indians who were first, not English pilgrims.

[@2dub2steady]

Thanks for this, Minorcan

[@joeceru1107]

I came to say this same thing. The Spanish had a mass with the Eucharist which literally means, Thanksgiving. As such my family starts our Thanksgiving just the same.

[@larrylewis3573]

Dear Sir, Thank you for a very thorough history of the turkey. The visuals which accompanied your history were superb. Thank you for all the work you put into this presentation. All very timely and enjoyable. Sincerely, Larry Clarence Lewis London, Ontario, Canada.

[@kimfleury]

Very interesting! This is one of those things I've just taken for granted my whole life. I didn't even know I wanted to learn more about it until you uploaded this tutorial. Thank you! I appreciate you!

[@randytessman6750]

Love the mention of a 'Christmas Story" at the start ;) another great video !

[@orbyfan]

As God is my witness, the first thing I think of is WKRP in Cincinnati.

[@jamesfracasse8178]

Or when it comes to fixing a heater 4:21!

[@bear_82]

I was laughing so hard I had to pause the video

[@randytessman6750]

best episode ever@@orbyfan

[@-jeff-]

Happy Thanksgiving THG! This is a piece of history you can really gobble up! 😋

[@marksieber4626]

🤦‍♂️

[@anti-Russia-sigma]

😁

[@GreggDurishan]

I worked for a while for a company that claimed the widespread tradition of turkey dinners on every american table didn't happen until they invented the frozen turkey bag. I never bothered to investigate, but it's at least plausible that it wasn't for the every-man until storage and delivery issues were overcome.

[@markadams7046]

When I quit eating beef and pork, I often turned to turkey burgers, ground turkey, and turkey sausage. It motivated my parents to start using ground turkey when making stuff like spaghetti with meat sauce, as ground turkey taste just about the same as ground beef in the sauce and is usually cheaper.

[@civwar054]

Jam packed episode! Brilliant as always.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Good Monday morning and Happy Thanksgiving History Guy and everyone watching

[@AveryMilieu]

My mother was researching a series of stories she intended to write - it was back in the 60s, I suppose. She came across a detail that in diaries of early settlers Turkey meat was referred to as "bread" because the breasts could be sliced like bread and toasted, spread with jam or honey...

[@ghowell13]

Ok everyone. Say it with me: You jive turkey!!! 😂😂😂 I miss Sanford & Son... Happy Thanksgiving to The History Guy, your family, and everyone else in KZbin land. Thanks for another great video ❤

[@jasong428]

That's S, A, N, F, O, R, D, period. Perfect in every way and unable to be made today.

[@matthewpoplawski8740]

@ghowell, this was a greeting I received this past Thursday: HAPPY THANKSGIVING JIVE TURKEY!!

[@koboldlord]

Thank you for this interesting look at the turkey. A humble but important bird.

[@captlazer5509]

Omnivore? Eating worms and snakes? We're consuming dinosaurs, I shall call it Jurassic Thanksgiving.

[@danm936]

Yes sir and they are delicious. Rise my mammal brothers.

[@jamesfracasse8178]

Spare no expense 😅😂🎉 1:22

[@moodist1er]

They eat road kill too..

[@jimmythatguy]

This was yet again well done, thank you very much for the birb knowledge

[@grahamrankin4725]

When we moved to McMinnville OR in 2013, we encountered an annual event in July, Turkeyrama. According to locals, at one time, they did drive turkeys down the street from area Turkey farms to the railroad siding where they were shipped to Portland and other parts of the West Coast. By 2013, the large turkey fatms were gone, devastated by avian bird flu decades before the 2022 outbreak in your video. The festival was canceled by the Covid pandemic.

[@patrickdurham8393]

I sit and drink coffee on the porch every morning before work to listen to the 30+ turkeys peeping and clucking in the yard.

[@cathiwalker3852]

I have lived in Southern Michigan all my life, and growing up on the farm never saw any wild turkey. They were planted here in the early 90's, I think. They have flourished, but sadly the Quail have disappeared.

[@kraneiathedancingdryad6333]

Got em all over the place here in SD. .... This thanksgiving will involve a pre sliced ham and some mashed taters 😋 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 🦃🦃🦃🦃

[@mikewithers299]

My kinda dinner right there 🍖 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours

[@stornkolson]

Thg, thank you! Your nature stories are the best! I love turkeys

[@hardlyb]

After 40 years of Thanksgiving turkeys - my wife and I became engaged over our first Thanksgiving meal together - my wife announced a couple of weeks ago that she never really liked turkey. So we're having roast beef this Thanksgiving.

[@roberttelarket4934]

I haven't ever eaten a wild Turkey but would love to!!!

[@timbernie]

In SE Michigan, there are wild Turkeys everywhere. Never seen a wild hog. But, I have seen upwards of 15 Turkeys at a time....

[@jasong428]

Saline here. They are everywhere. Never remember seeing them as a kid on the 80s-90s.

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you and thank you for making content.

[@amadeusamwater]

I thought I read a story once where some fellows herded a large flock of turkeys from Missouri to California. Got most of them through. I wonder if THG saw anything about that in his research?

[@the80hdgaming]

They released a bunch of wild turkeys in my area of northern Ontario in 1984... I heard them in the forest around my farm for years... I finally saw my first flock of 5 about a year ago in Oct-Nov 2022

[@evensgrey]

Here in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada, the wild turkey population is doing quite well. So well, in fact, that in recent years we've had problems with the resident of on elder care home being attacked by them if they go outside for a walk.

[@crispincain5373]

Happy Thanksgiving, History Guy

[@markpaul-ym5wg]

I found a fossilized turkey leg along with some corn grinders in middle tennessee a few years ago.The Cherokee had killed and eat it.The bird was a young gobbler, because the leg bone had a spur on it.Thanks history guy.

[@slughunter20]

I was a bit surprised when at about 17:15, you mentioned our hometown newspaper, "The Daily Times". Another great show from THG. Learned more about turkeys than I ever thought I wanted to know.

[@JonesNate]

5:22 -- My auditory dyslexia heard, "... conquistadors fighting them in Mexico," and I got mental images of conquistador luchadors, wrestling with turkeys. 🤣

[@HM2SGT]

🤔 Well, dinosaurs evolved into turkeys... so the conquistadors were fighting a T-Rex or velociraptor!

[@fearthehoneybadger]

If Benjamin Franklin had succeeded in making the turkey the national bird, what would we be eating for Thanksgiving? Eagles?

[@curtismcelhaney2512]

Eagles for sure

[@benkrom2737]

CROW 😂

[@678friedbed]

turkey. people used to actually eat eagles also. it wasn't until just recently that eagles became illegal to hunt.

[@rembrandt972ify]

@@678friedbed My father was quite a fowl hunter. One year, I asked him what Bald Eagle tasted like. He said it was like Spotted Owl with just a hint of California Condor.

[@ghowell13]

​@@benkrom2737🏆 for underrated comment😂😂😂

[@MightyMezzo]

My late father was an avid fisherman. On one piscatorial pursuit a turkey took off directly behind him. Said he jumped about six feet in the air.

[@christineparis5607]

In Texas, on our ranch, my husband and I were trying to get the Thanksgiving dinner at 4 am, waiting for the turkeys to come to the corn we put down My husband got bored and started smoking to pass the time, and realizing that turkeys are suspicious of smokers, jibes him to stop smoking. ..while we argued over who was making the most noise (and smoke!), a huge flock of turkeys came by, but decided to keep moving after hearing crab at each other...luckily, my sister in law was a true professional and got a turkey in ten minutes...it was very good, but I don't enjoy hunting. I love to go exploring and find indian artifacts and fossils...more fun, less blood and gore....

[@navret1707]

Here in the Blue Ridge in Western NC turkeys are all over the place. History tidbit: George’s friend Bennie, the cat with the square glasses, suggested the turkey as the National Bird instead of the “scavenger” Bald Eagle.

[@GeoffryWK]

Ben Franklin wanted to make the Turkey the National Bird. Good that the Bald Eagle got the honor!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

5:08 Apparently not, according to WKRP 🙂

[@mikeklein5184]

In the last few days I have seen a few videos on this subject and your presentation was, as usual, the most informative, interesting and humouress even though the others covered the same points. Just didn’t you didn’t dip deeper into the Bird Olympics.

[@terrywestbrook-lienert2296]

Happy Thanksgiving, History Guy to you and your family! And thanks for that detailed, delicious history 🦃🦃

[@positrondesign6514]

I can assure you that wild turkeys live in Connecticut and they can fly. Once while driving in the woods past a reservoir a wild turkey tried to fly across the road. It bumped off of my windshield and then flew over my hood 1 meter from my face! It was beautiful. Eventually it gained enough speed to fly away.

[@mercster]

Happy Thanksgiving, History Guy! Thanks so much for the video.

[@flkoolguy]

I am one of the Americans who eats turkey year round. I use ground turkey in almost every dish that traditionally uses ground beef.

[@SlipShodBob]

We as a family have had a turkey from a neighbouring farm for the last 50 years unfortunately this year they have stopped as they had found the last few years stressful as they struggled find people to pluck and dress the turkeys plus with avian flu around several farms have lost their who flocks of birds some weeks after taking the orders due to compulsory culling. This summer a poultry farm about 6 to 7 miles away which I think hammered the decision home.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

I've never cared for turkey. Since my wife is working and 2 of our 3 kids aren't coming home for Thanksgiving this year, I've already discussed dinner with our son (who is coming home). It'll be medium rare porterhouse steaks on the grill and loaded baked potatoes for us on Thursday!

[@peddler931]

Wild turkeys must be expanding their range. The are now common on the Canadian prairies. I don't recall ever seeing them as a kid in the 70s.

[@kimfleury]

A lot of the extirpated wild fowl are indeed returning to their former habitats. I never saw canada geese when I was a child in the 1970s, but they've come back with a vengeance. In my area, on the US/Canadian border, there's a project to bring back the native raptors. A few years ago, a Canadian posted a photo of an American bald eagle that took up residence on the Canadian side of the river. An American wittily commented, "We'll give you back your geese if you give us back this eagle " 😂

[@danielbeck9191]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

[@MrPh30]

And the Osceola turkey is one of the most interesting as a game bird also, the license hunt packages is quite costly for them,and thats nice as tthe value of the bird makes them more valued and looked after.

[@TM-ev2tc]

Have A Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

[@always_b_natural703]

Fun fact: In Nicaragua, the local name for turkey is chompipi! How wonderful is that?

[@mattgeorge90]

One of the best channels on KZbin ❤

[@Howiesgirl]

"G#@ D&$% Bumpuses!!!", lol. Those dogs were the bane of Mr. Parker's existence. I've watched "A Christmas Story" every year w/out fail ever since it was first on. I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't see it. I have a few old holiday movies I have to see to make my holiday season feel "right". Even though I'm pushing 60, those old shows make me feel like a kid again. 😊

[@debbralehrman5957]

I have seen Wild Turkey on the back roads outside of Flagstaff, AZ. There still out there

[@jeffreygao3956]

Bringing dinosaurs into a history focused channel, this is gonna be awesome! Turkeys are my favorite birds!

[@johnatwtr]

For the record, the first English Thanksgiving in America was observed at Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in December 1619.

[@jchow5966]

Thank you!!!!!

[@superdupercooper5826]

I remember the wkrp disaster while living in cinncinnati.

[@TRIChuckles]

My favorite episode!

[@carywest9256]

Every year in Cuero,Texas there is a turkey trot. Can't remember the month,but all it takes is a google search.

[@davidmcmahon4633]

Wow! While I was watching, you got around 130 likes! and worth everyone of them.

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Operation 4 Paws CO 🐾 🇺🇸 🦃

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Time to grub on some knowledge!😊

[@HM2SGT]

*Something to be thankful for*

[@deedub760]

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

[@LMacNeill]

The Bumpus' dogs. I wonder how many people will get that reference. 🙂

[@BenjySparky]

THG you rock! Peace

[@colleencrouch4346]

Walnut Creek, CA, has wild turkeys in some of its residential areas.

[@danagius2827]

Come to Staten Island , Please come and take a wild turkey. Dozens of wild turkeys have to be relocated every year to up state New York. They are big and beautiful birds but have a lot of stubborn attitude. So, I guess you can say they are true New Yorkers.

[@tomhorn6679]

SGT York became sharpshooter expert at the local turkey shoot.

[@paulburley7993]

There is norhing more culturally traditional than turkey for Thanksgiving supper here in Canada. We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Newfoundland in 1568.

[@chelseawhite7117]

3:10 I’m just here to point out the subtle pun of “fledgling trade routes”

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Made me hungry + thank THG🎀 Shoe🇺🇸

[@cliffmiles8862]

Thanks!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@JeffreyGlover65]

If God didn't want you to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat 😎

[@BladesDark]

That doesn't even make sense

[@Ammo08]

Turkeys were almost extinct here in the Missouri Ozarks due to timber operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of our turkeys were imported from I believe Mississippi. Wild turkey are strange creatures...I was once trying to call in a coyote using a wounded rabbit call...what I got was two jakes tearing through the woods towards me. Domestic turkeys are not real bright, but they aren't as stupid as people think. My dad did not like turkey, he wondered why we thanked God by serving an old bird, as he put it, rather than a really good steak.