Turkey On The Loose
Wild Turkeys were once hunted out of large parts of their range. But they have been reintroduced and sightings are no longer as rare as they were just a few years ago. A female turkey wandering around Park Hill this spring created a huge stir on social media. For weeks she was the source of much merriment, with multiple people weighing in daily with updates and GPS coordinates: “Monaco and MLK around 9 a.m. this morning!” “29th-ish and Bellaire!” “She was at 17th and Holly a few weeks ago.” “This turkey just won’t stop!”
A turkey-naming competition soon followed, with Park Hill resident Katherine Smith Kuhn taking home a trophy for her award-winning entry: Stuffany.
Stuffany was last seen high-tailing it toward Stapleton, where it was rumored she took a part-time job leading Cory Gardner’s reelection campaign. To which someone quipped, “That seems a fitting job for a turkey.” To which Daniel Weinshenker rejoined, “This is a perfect example of why I love Park Hill.”
Park Hill is not alone in the wild turkey revival. Gertrude, who wanders around Bluff Lake Wildlife Reserve, is a regular crowd-pleaser. Last month Park Hill photographer Mark Silverstein spotted a rafter (also called a flock, a gang, a posse and a raffle) of no fewer than 15 wild turkeys along the South Platte bike trail. One of them is pictured above. How many more wild turkeys you can spot wandering around inside this issue? Photos by Mark Silverstein