HENRYS FORK — As I sat watching a flock of wild turkeys fly into some mature cottonwoods to roost for the night, I heard a limb break. I had just taken a picture of three roosting turkey on the limb when a fourth decided to join them – too much weight.
All four regained control of themselves and were able to catch themselves and grab other limbs or fly to a new perch. This had probably happened to them before, and it was probably just part of growing up.
Three turkeys roosting on a branch that broke off after a fourth bird tried to land on it. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
These four birds were part of a loose flock of 200 to 300 located on private property near the confluence of the Henrys Fork and the South Fork of the Snake River.
They spend their fall days feeding in stubble fields during the day and then about dusk, after the sun sets, they fly into the large trees. Most of them will land first about 20 to 30 feet off the ground and then make short flights to get near the tops of the trees to spend the night.
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It is an awesome sight to watch them working their way up the tree, and occasionally, one will fly all the way from a field to land high in the tree. By the time more than 200 birds are in a small grove of trees, most of their talking quits, and it is time to get some sleep.
Part of more than 200 turkeys in an ag field near the Snake River. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
While they are feeding during the day, most of the mature gobblers (males) get together into a flock and seriously feed. The “jakes,” immature males, chase each other around while they stay with the hens and this year’s hatchlings.
I have been watching this specific flock of birds for several weeks, and they appear to be in family groups. While feeding, a hen will be with about five or six young ones, indicating that this year was a good survival year for them. The hen will feed with the chicks, but you will often find her standing on a log or a mound of dirt, watching over her brood. If she sees danger or something amiss, she will cackle and take off running or flying into nearby brush. Several hens have become used to my truck and will feed right next to me with their broods following them.
A hen watches for danger as her chicks feed nearby. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
In my recent travels, I have found large flocks of turkeys near Ririe, Plano, Roberts, Moody Creek (east of Rexburg), Chester and Ashton. Most are on private land where they can feed in the stubble fields — with large cottonwoods nearby to spend the night.
Most of these flocks contain at least 50 to 100 birds, indicating a good hatching season for most areas.
Southern Idaho does not have a fall general hunting season for turkeys, but a controlled hunt will be offered in Unit 68A from Sept. 15 to Nov. 30 in 2025. In talking to several people, they think that it is time to get a general hunt scheduled soon.
A young turkey tries to land on a limb to join its Mom and siblings. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
Wild turkeys are not native to Idaho and were first stocked in 1961 in Northern Idaho with Merriam turkeys. In 1982, some Rio Grande turkeys were stocked, followed by a few Eastern turkeys near Dworshak Reservoir.
Since these original stockings, the turkeys have hybridized together and with domestic white turkeys. In the large flock that I have been watching, I have not noticed any hybrids, but in the flocks near Ashton and Ririe, I have seen several hybrids.
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If you go looking for flocks of turkeys, you will need to get permission to go on private property, but they can be exciting to watch. This winter, many of them will be coming to the highways and roads to feed. If you see them, slow down, because a 10-pound bird hitting your car is not a pleasant surprise.
Have a great week, and hopefully by Thanksgiving, we will have ice on Henrys Lake and/or Island Park Reservoir for a little ice fishing.
Just a few of more than 200 turkeys roosting in a grove of trees after dusk last week. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com
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JACKSON, Wyo. — Springtime conjures images of adorable baby animals. Unfortunately, sometimes well-meaning humans feel compelled to interfere with Mother Nature by “rescuing” baby animals who appear to be alone.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) issued a spring reminder discouraging people from intervening when they assume a wild animal is lost, abandoned or orphaned.
“While these folks typically mean well, the sad reality is they are often doing more damage than good when they intervene — and typically, mom was not far away to begin with,” IDFG shared in a press release.
“Here’s the hard truth,” the agency wrote. “Animal parents will periodically leave their young for an extended period of time for a myriad of reasons, whether it’s to search for food, to rest or to divert attention from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. When it comes to wildlife babies, wildlife mothers know best.”
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In short, in an encounter with a lone duckling, gosling, deer fawn, baby bird, red dog or moose calf, do not disturb it. Instead, contact the state’s wildlife agency to report it. In Jackson, call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department at (307) 733-2321. In Idaho, reach IDFG at (208) 525-7290.
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I remember watching a documentary about Idaho’s wildlands. A narrator said there were probably many parts of the state where no human being has ever set foot. I believe that, but I stay relatively close to the highways. If I were 30 years younger, I would probably enjoy exploring the back country, but today, unless a plane takes me in and out, it’s not happening. I can’t say definitively that there is one spot that I find better than others. We’re surrounded by beautiful terrain, however. One place keeps calling me back.
Like a Scene from a Legendary Movie
When I go over the mountain between Gooding and Fairfield, I take time to stop at the overlook above the Camas Prairie. It reminds me of a scene in Exodus, where the Paul Newman character takes an American woman to look across a flat plain leading to Mount Tabor. He explains that’s the site where Deborah gathered her armies. It makes me feel there is something godly about the Camas Prairie. I keep going back to this spot. Sometimes I take along a folding chair and sit and look at the world below.
Slow Down and See the Work of the Creator
Fairfield may be nothing more than a blip as people speed down Route 20, but it’s their loss. On the other side of the highway is some of the prettiest country in Idaho. It’s going to be a lot less lush this spring, but drought conditions haven’t been nearly as severe in the central highlands. But if I’m granted a few more years by the Almighty, I plan to see the prairie for many more springs.
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