Wild Turkeys

Madera Canyon Wild Turkey

Ramsey Canyon Wild Turkey

When you look at a map of Wild Turkey distribution in North America you see that it is rarely found in Canada, and mostly found in the Eastern two-thirds of the US. That's probably why we have a holiday to celebrate Turkeys every year. But, they also can be found in the west. I have seen Turkeys in Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. Many years ago Christine and I were traveling through Zion National Park very early one morning and down by a creek we saw eight or so. The male was walking around in full display. I wished I had been more patient. I took four or five photos (this was back in the film days). Then we left. When I finally got the film developed none of the photos were very good. The problem: wrong film in camera (I needed a higher speed film because it was still darkish and they were in the woods -- even then, I should have used a tripod. So, I learned the hard way. That was the best opportunity I have had of photographing males in full display. A couple years later, I came across about 40 of them on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. On another trip, about 20 in a field South of Williams in Northern Arizona. And, on another trip in the White Mountains in Eastern Arizona. Here in Southern Arizona they can be found in most of the mountain forests. The photos above are in Madera Canyon (Santa Rita Mountains) and Ramsey Canyon (Huachuca Mountains). But the Catalina Mountains, Chiracahua Mountains, and Galiuro Mountains are also good places to find Wild Turkeys.  Gobble Gobble II.