The AM Forum

Christmas of course has Jean Shepard’s Christmas Story, and Thanksgiving has Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant, but a local talk radio station just played another Thanksgiving Classic:

https://youtu.be/Vsgx-i-y4cc

The infamous WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey Drop!

“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!”

Actually they can fly, but maybe not for long or well...I once saw one flying across the road from a field to the woods on the other side about four feet above the road and fifty feet in front of my car.  If I was on that piece of road a fraction of a second sooner, it would have come through my windshield!  Looked like a big football zooming across the road.

Apparently the idea for the Turkey Drop episode was based on an actual radio station promotional gone wrong:

https://youtu.be/6MqjtrwD96Y

I never saw the episode when it first aired, nor since then until I pulled it up just now.  I have heard about it, but had the impression that they were dropping frozen turkeys instead of live ones.

At any rate, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Well...the plot, like turkey gravy will do all over America tomorrow, thickens...

Here’s “The Rest of the Story”...

https://www.cbr.com/tv-legends-was-wkrps-famous-turkey-drop-based-in-reality/

As a turkey hunter I can tell you they fly very well. They're quite strong flyers. Landing, on the other hand, ain't one of their best talents!

   Wild turkeys generally fly only in response to either of two prompts: the approach of dusk, in which case they fly up into a tree for a safe sleep, or the approach of some threat. Otherwise they tend to forget that they've got the ability. I've seen turkeys walk through an open gate into a very large chain-link-fenced enclosure, forget where they entered, and walk back and forth inside the perimeter of the fence all day long trying to find the way back out. In the absence of the two flight-prompts - dusk or threat - they never consider that they can easily leave the enclosure by flying. If it weren't for the sun eventually setting, thus prompting flight into a tree, the turkey would probably starve to death in there, never once flapping a wing. Which I suppose begs the question: is the slang term "turkey", referring to a notably less bright member of our species, inspired by the bird, or is the name of the bird inspired by the antics of notably less bright humans?

I saw a Turkey at the Bedford Toll Plaza take off on the East side and fly over 16 lanes and land in a tree on the West side. The bird was about 5 ft above the toll booth roof, so above semi range. It is hard to believe that we went from Zero to maybe 40,000 now in NH, most from a single flock of less than 30 birds from the Finger lakes, donated by NYS Fish and Game in the 70's.

The birds can fly, and even fly in formation.

One afternoon I was driving, and two toms were pacing me outside of my drivers window. They weren't more than 3 feet from the truck, and I was traveling around 40 mph. This continued for a half minute or more, before they peeled away. The domestic birds can't fly after a very young age as they are too fat.

Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa,

klc

At a manufacturing company I was working at, our truck driver hit a wild turkey in flight with the company delivery truck. The impact knocked the mirror off the truck and knocked the life out of the turkey. The inevitable good natured ribbing from his co-workers ensued, including artful "Turkey Murderer" signage posted at the time clock.

As to the turkeys' ability of flight, a wild turkey probably has an considerable edge over a farm-raised Butterball. Either way, having Les Nessman being appalled by plummeting turkeys à la Herb Morrison's reporting of the Hindenburg disaster, is a comedy classic.

Oh the Huge Manatee!

(https://www.mmc.gov/wp-content/uploads/Rosemanatee1-2.jpg)

If it's still being done, it may bring a felony charge now.

New law:
Text - H.R.724 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act

7 years in stir!!
(Imagine poor Mr. Carlson and Les Nessman in the big house)

I've watched a flock of turkeys fly over a fence in single file, rather than walk under it.  Last month I saw a turkey flying over 100 feet high above the creek in order to roost in the highest trees.

If they shared a cell, Les would paint a line on the floor.