This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

TURKEY ON THE TABLE DIFFERENT FROM TURKEYS IN THE PARKS

Millions of Ohioans will soon gobble up store-bought turkeys. But how many know that wild turkeys are flourishing in the Buckeye state, and are here year-round?

Wild turkeys inhabit each of Ohio’s 88 counties, and they are commonly seen because the big birds do not migrate. Females, or hens, usually nest on the ground in places like Cascade Valley Metro Park in Akron, Hampton Hills Metro Park in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, Liberty Park in Twinsburg, O’Neil Woods Metro Park in Bath and Sand Run Metro Park in Akron. Breeding starts in early spring and the young, called poults, will stay with their mother until fall or the following spring.

The wild turkey is the largest game bird in North America, ranging from 3 to 4 feet tall and weighing up to 24 pounds. Farm-raised turkeys, the center of a typical Thanksgiving feast, are twice the size of wild turkeys and usually cannot fly because of their size.

Find out what's happening in Stowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wild turkeys can reach flight speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, and the noisy birds do more than just “gobble” – they can bark, peep, yelp and even croak like a frog.

Less than 100 years ago, Ohio didn’t have any wild turkeys due to farming and loss of habitat. Turkeys were trapped in other states by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in the 1950s and reintroduced, first in the forests of southeast Ohio.

Find out what's happening in Stowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Stow