Following turkey hunting season, one of our members who is a backyard
naturalist and nature photographer called Wildlife Watch because she was
distressed over seeing one of “her” flock with an arrow in his wing and
body.
She had befriended the family of wild turkeys over time, and she and
her husband were able to approach them, enjoying their beauty. Jackie was
proud of the fact that the turkeys didn’t run away but instead felt
comfortable around her. Believing, as many do, that the NYS DEC would be
concerned about the tom, she placed a call to them and reported back to us
that they were of no help to her or to the turkey. They told her that the
turkey was “probably struck during hunting season (to cover for the
culprit) and that the turkey was living with the arrow all that time!!”
Jackie explained that it had just happened recently and they responded
that there was nothing they could do because there were no witnesses!
Jackie began their search for him but it turned out to be futile, he
has never returned.
Then one by one the others disappeared.
Hunters take what belongs to all – though we believe wild animals are
their own people, so to speak – they leave us with shreds and pieces of
animals of which we’ve grown fond.
If animals were cars or TVs, it would be considered vandalism or theft,
but animals may be legally “taken” by a small minority for a small fee. We
hope to turn that around in time, but to do that wildlife management’s
dependence on the firearms industry has to be replaced with funding from
other sources. to be given rabies shots unnecessarily.
Photos by Jackie M.
