Nov 20, 2009 8:11 pm US/Eastern
Wild Turkeys Run Amok In Suffolk; Hunt Approved
Critters Ravaging Farms, Chewing Up Property, Leaving Behind Large Droppings; First Ever Wild Turkey Hunt To Start Saturday
MUTTONTOWN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Wild turkeys running amok on Long Island have led to Suffolk County's first ever wild turkey hunt for the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday.
CBS
They weigh 25 pounds, stand 2 and ½ feet tall, can swim, run, and even fly at 55 mph. We're talking turkeys here, and on Long Island it seems some have work out their welcome and face a controversial turkey hunt.
Three-year-old Aston Pollatos had the scare of his life playing outside his Muttontown home. His mom, Maria, came running to his rescue, camera in hand, before she snapped photos of wild turkeys advancing across their property running – even flying – toward her son!
"The whole flock just started running after him so then I scooped him up and ran back inside," she told CBS 2.
The wild turkeys were aggressive while looking for food and roosting in their trees. That's when the Pollatos' called out their dog, Sammi.
"Sammi chased them away," said Angelo Pollatos. "They came back two or three more times. They were really afraid of the dog, but humans, they would come right up to you."
After more than a century without them, an estimated 3,000 turkeys from Muttontown Preserve to Long Island's East End now roam, strut, gobble, and preen in woods, farms and backyards. Much like deer , say biologists, they are ravaging farms, chewing homeowners, plants, and leaving behind huge droppings as a result.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has just approved the first ever wild turkey hunt here to coincide with Thanksgiving.
"It's a great time to shoot a turkey [for] Thanksgiving," said Walter Burak, a sportsman on Long Island.
Hopeful hunters like Burak must get a small game license, a $10 turkey permit, and attend a hunting safety class to participate. The wild turkey hunt begins Saturday and ends Wednesday, on specifically designated Suffolk County lands.
"The turkey population is thriving and doing well. When you start receiving complaints, that's a sign that a sustainable hunt can occur," said Aphrodite Montalvo of the Department of Environmental Conservation.
CBS 2 went to the Long Island Game Farm where wildlife enthusiasts say they have mixed feelings. They don't want overpopulation, but they are against hurting defenseless creatures.
"I am an animal lover and I don't want to see anything get shot," said Wainscott homeowner Donna Imbarrato.
Licensed hunters may use archery equipment or a shotgun. There's a limit of one bird a piece. You must wear orange and hunt only where allowed, and of course, respect all safety rules.
Any turkeys taken must be reported to the state within 48 hours.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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