Hit by a wild turkey this morning

25mph on a dirt road heading to work the scenic way. Standing on the pegs to better negotiate a path thru some ruts caused by heavy rains the night before. The turkey, a hen of around 10#, exploded out of the brush to my right and hit me mid-thigh, causing me to sit down hard on the edge of the pillion seat. Never lost control, but was disappointed that the bird hadn't him my Jesse bags. She might have been in the freezer right now!

Stiffening up now. Time for Motrin and beer.

Pete

suicidal criiters can sure suprise, good thing it was't a doe! Had a rabbit, jack, jump out of the woods a few days ago and whack my boot and rear wheell, scared the crap out of me. Wabbits are big out here.

Glad you're ok. Turkey hunters can't get them to come in. They should just try a motorcycle call instead.

I've had two close calls with turkeys (birds) this year... a couple more close calls with turkeys driving cages...

NFE

Ouch!

This past weekend, I came around a turn on a gravelly road only to find myself confronted with a pair of Canada Geese and their dozen goslings, right in the road. I slowed down cautiously, and the male came at me, hissing and spreading its wings. :eek1 Managed to get around him without contact.

Most of the turkey's I've encountered, though admittedly not on my bike, are frozen. Getting hit by one of those would hurt.

Wild turkeys (bird not booze) can do some damage.

3-4 years ago daughter and I took her VW to have a cracked windshield replaced.

At the auto glass place they had a tractor trailer combo parked. The passenger side of its windshield looked like someone had thrown a bowling ball through it. Wild turkey had hit it at highway speed. :eek1

Can't imagine hitting one at 70+ mph while on a bike.

Good that you kept it upright and only banged up a bit. Wild turkeys are all over the place here east of the Ct river too.

I ride alot in the Francis Marion Nat Forest near Chas SC. The place is crawlin with turkey-birds. It's a hoot to have one blast out of the woods next to you and fly down the road ahead of the bike. They're smart as hell, but you wouldn't know it the way they drag race me down the road! I let them win whenever it looks like I'm gonna get shit-on!

I rode in the GranFondo bike ride in New York last Sunday and just missed a wild turkey. Would have been a mess, no ATGATT on the bicycle, just fingerless gloves and helmet. Spandex does help you slide though.

Pilot training in the air force many years ago, classmate hit a turkey buzzard at 250kts right side of canopy, instantly killed the instructor pilot. Bird was estimated to weight 20 pounds, after taking instructors head off bent ejection seat back 90 degrees. Not a pretty sight

Had to brake hard on our way to Mendecino when one crossed the road right in front of me. A non issue really but funny because I was expecting a deer to do that....

One of my dad's customers was killed by a turkey on a father/son trip. It hit him in the head and he was wearing gear.

NEVER used to see turkeys around here but I saw two while riding today.

yea Wild Turkey can be pretty dangerous. Its best to stick to something smoother like Old Crow!

Got back from 1850+ miles May 20th and the only close call I had was a turkey running out in front of me, somewhere in eastern GA.

How big are wild turkeys?



Get anywhere near this?

most of the turkey's I know are in cages, glad you didn't run into on of them

2 or 3 years ago, a local rider hit (was hit) by a turkey. Flew up from the side of the road. Riders estimated speed was 45 to 50 mph. Hit him in the upper body, took him off the back of the bike and killed him. Wearing a jacket and a helmet but not ATGAT. Never heard if it was the impact with the bird or going off the bike that did him in...

Hitting anything that big at any kind of speed is gonna be ugly.

I saw numerous wild turkeys riding in the Smokies - particularly the BRP North of Asheville. They were always running up the sides of the roadway - sometimes up steep embankments at impressive speed - serious drumsticks on those things.

They run as fast as 20 MPH and fly up to 55MPH, they are at the fast end of the level flight list...

Funny that they hit vehicles, they have 270 degree vision...

Dave (Consumer of malt beverages and purveyor of useless information tonight...)