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Indigenous to the Americas, the wild turkey is a majestic, fast-running bird more of interest to bird watchers and hunters than butchers.
The wild turkey was domesticated around 10 BC to 10 A D by the Aztecs. They ate its meat and used its feathers for ornamental purposes during their annual turkey festival. They were known to trade about 1,000 birds daily in their markets. When the conquistadors arrived in the Americas, turkey had become the staple meat of Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and other indigenous peoples.
In the wild the bird is fast (up to 40 kilometer per hour top speed), and its eyesight and hearing are sharp. Some say the bird is unattractive looking, but the male has an iridescent plumage that is fine to look at when he “displays” the ruffled feathers.
The bird sports a fanlike tail, bare head and bright beard. They gobble with a distinctive sound that can be heard a mile and a half away. During the day wild turkeys forage for seeds, berries, buds and grubs (even a little snake, frog or salamander may be on its menu), and at night they fly into trees to roost. An adult wild turkey can weigh as much as 20 pounds and they can live to be 6 to 9 years old.
The females will lay four to 17 eggs, and feed their chicks for a few days after they hatch and the males take no role in the raising of the young. That is why you will often see mother/child flocks that can number in the dozens.
Benjamin Franklin would have preferred that the wild turkey be the national bird of the US instead of the bald eagle.
Writing to his daughter he stated: “For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the representative of our Country. For the truth the Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original Native of America ... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red coat on.”
The wild turkey was wiped out in the United States by overhunting coupled with the disappearance of their preferred woodland habitat in the early 20th century.
They will typically forage on forest floors, but can also be found in grasslands and swamps. You can see them foraging in open areas around Davis and Woodland, in the farm lands and around Cache Creek, and throughout Lake County. Feeding on nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, and salamanders they can be both beneficial and a pest to the gardener or farmer and to the declining salamander population.
In the 1940s, reintroduction programs of the wild bird took place and the birds were relocated to areas where populations had been decimated but woodlands were recovering. The program was so successful the birds now live in areas where they may not have occurred when Europeans first reached the Americas. Today, flocks can be found in Hawaii, Europe and New Zealand.
Now occupying about 18 percent of our state they are a highly valued upland game bird as well as a great bird to watch.
If you have the birds around your home or farm it is best to resist feeding them or approaching them. Trouble can begin as a flock of wild turkeys can cause great damage to a garden and if they lose their natural fear of humans they could become dangerously aggressive during breeding season.
If you have a problem with wild turkeys contact your local Department of Fish and Game office or visit www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations .
Mayan royal feasts included turkey wrapped in corn tortillas. Heat a corn tortilla until soft; add warm shredded turkey, a bit if avocado and if you are as courageous as the wild turkey a bit of habanera chili. Roll up and enjoy with steamed wild rice and fresh tomatoes.
For a more adventurous use of your leftover turkey you might try this tamale recipe called “Pibikutz, adapted from a recipe in the Diario Yucatan the Merida Yucatan newspaper, October 1996.
Traditionally prepared during the festival of Hanal Pixan, which has since become the Day of the Dead in the Maya area, this dish has a symbolic process of "burying" the tamale in a pit and then "resurrecting" as it corresponds with the ancient Maya idea of burying the dead before their transition into the afterlife.
4 cups turkey broth
6 2/3 cups corn masa harina
1/3 cup solid turkey fat or butter
6 2/3 cups shredded cooked turkey (for a vegetarian version substitute thinly sliced “ToFurkey”)
1 teaspoon achiote
Salt, to taste
1 cup tomato
1 large onion
2 sprigs of epazote (parsley is a close substitute)
habanera chile, to taste
about 12-15 corn husks
Boil the broth with half a teaspoon of achiote or parsley, a dash of salt and a little bit of the masa harina for thickening. This will be part of the "kol" that bathes the interior of the tamales.
Mix the corn masa with the turkey fat, salt and achiote to make a dough. This forms the filling that will cover the shredded turkey meat. Put some of this corn dough on top of a corn husk. Make a hollow in the dough. Layer this hollow with the turkey and bathe with the broth, alternating with onion, tomato, chile and epazote. Finally, put a covering of corn dough on top.
Wrap everything with corn husks and then bake for an hour and a half at 375 degrees. Or, for the traditional method, bury the pibikutz in a firewood and rock pit, and let cook for eight hours. Truly a “wild” treat!
Debra Chase is the executive director of Tuleyome, a local nonprofit working to protect both our wild heritage and our agricultural heritage for future generations. She's also the chef/owner of UnCooked Creations, a raw vegan/vegetarian professional chef service. She and her husband Dave reside on their farm in Colusa County. Visit Tuleyome online at www.tuleyome.org .
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The holidays are a time of food, fun and festivities; but they are also a time to be extra cautious as thousands of home fires are caused from cooking equipment during the holidays.
One of the most dangerous pieces of equipment can be a turkey fryer. A common problem is that people misjudge the amount of oil needed, not allowing room for the turkey to be placed inside.
But even when the oil is at the right level, a partially frozen turkey can cause hot oil to spew a jet of fire. Any contact between hot oil and nonmetallic materials could lead to serious damage.
Fires have occurred when turkey fryers were used in a garage or barn or under eaves to keep the appliance out of the rain. Follow all manufactures instructions and insure that children are not in the area.
“Safe cooking this Thanksgiving can mean the difference between a great gathering with family and friends or visitors from the fire department sharing in your gathering because of a cooking emergency,” said acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover.
Cal Fire and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, along with the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), are urging cooks to “stand by their pan” to prevent fires.
“It only takes seconds for an unattended meal to turn into a dangerous and damaging fire,” stated Hoover.
To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking, follow these safety tips:
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. Never leave cooking food unattended.
If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
Cooking food should always be supervised by an adult.
Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and other material that can burn. Never use on wooden decks or in garages.
Children should not be permitted near a turkey fryer since hot oil can cause serious burn injuries.
Provide a level surface that is free of ignitable materials when using turkey fryers.
Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy at all times. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.
For more information on fire safety, visit our website at www.fire.ca.gov .
A Chevy van hit the bear on Highway 29 near Hofacker Lane outside of Lower Lake shortly before 8:30 p.m., according the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Officer Steve Tanguay said the van was traveling southbound on Highway 29 when the bear ran out into the roadway, and the driver couldn't stop the vehicle, which struck and killed the animal.
Tanguay said the van driver wasn't injured and declined a report.
The CHP said that the incident was reported to California Department of Fish and Game, but Warden Loren Freeman said they don't usually respond to dead bears, which are picked up by Caltrans or, if it's on a local roadway, the county roads department.
While it's not a violation to accidentally hit wildlife with a vehicle, “They can't take the animal with them,” he said.
Fish and Game usually responds when mountain lions and elk are hit, because people are likely to try to take some part of those animals, Freeman said.
Freeman said an elk was last hit in the county about a month ago near Clearlake Oaks.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
The 3.7-magnitude earthquake was reported at 3:59 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
The quake, which occurred at a depth of 1.7 miles, was centered two miles northeast of The Geysers, four miles west southwest of Cobb and six miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported.
Ten smaller earthquakes followed within the hour – most of them at or near the epicenter of the 3.7-magnitude quake – with the largest measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale, according to monitoring records.
Shake reports were made to the US Geological Survey from Hidden Valley Lake, Middletown and Sebastopol, as well as more faraway locales including Sacramento, Martinez, San Francisco and Menlo Lake.
The Geysers area last experienced a quake measuring 3.0 or above on Oct. 30, when a 3.6-magnitude quake occurred there, as Lake County News has reported.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will mount a focused campaign against safety belt violators during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Wearing a seatbelt is the easiest and quickest way to save a life,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It takes two seconds to buckle up.”
Thirty-three people were killed on California roadways during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2008, the CHP reported.
Among the 20 vehicle occupants killed in CHP jurisdiction, 35 percent were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
In addition to keeping an eye out for vehicle occupants without seatbelts, officers will be especially watchful for impaired drivers during the period.
“Throughout the holiday travel season officers will also emphasize driving under the influence enforcement to help remove these most dangerous drivers from California’s roadways,” said Commissioner Farrow.
Starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, through midnight, Sunday, Nov. 29, the CHP will be implementing the annual Thanksgiving enforcement period. During this time all available officers will be out on the road.
“The roadways get crowded during the four-day weekend and on the day after Thanksgiving with holiday shopping traffic congestion,” said Commissioner Farrow. “The message is simple, drive safe, sober and remember to buckle up.”
Thanksgiving is also an Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) holiday.
Operation CARE is a joint program of the nation’s highway patrols that places special safety emphasis on interstate highways during holiday periods.
CARE highways in California include Interstates 80, 40, 15 (San Bernardino to the Nevada border) and 5 (Bakersfield north to the Oregon line).
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“Give thanks and praises to the Most High.”
– Robert Nesta Marley
“kick back and let the light shine
remember all yours could’a been all mine
that’s why y’all ought to be thankful
you ought to be thoughtful …”
– Sylvester Stewart
In the biography of Bob Marley, “Catch A Fire,” penned by rock journalist Timothy White, it is written that on their first American tour in 1973, Reggae icon Bob Marley & The Wailers opened for Sly & The Family Stone.
Bob & The Wailers were thrown off the the tour almost immediately. They were stranded in Las Vegas where they were forced by circumstance to leave on foot, walking toward the fame and fortune that was, bit by bit, seemingly, slipping away from Sly (Sylvester Stewart).
When I read White’s report of how the then-ragged Wailers were treated by the so-called rock establishment, or at least an icon of the rock establishment, I took serious note of it. How could two of my favorite artists not survive together on the same tour?
Exuding from their lyrics, despite being a culture apart, was the same thematic concern. Peace, love and the elevation of the underdog not withstanding, the brothers just couldn’t seem to make it. It seems as if all the strife in the world can be traced to the strange truth that mankind has this need to dominate one another.
Though we again approach that season that retailers pant heavily for, that children, by ritual and fantasy are encouraged to covet and play with war toys and other multimillion dollar industries within industries, much of the world is wracked by war, poverty, sickness and crime. We sit here in the west unable to agree on what freedom is, yet we continue to dole out the standard that the rest of the world looks at and I guess we should be thankful that some of us are able to at least envision true Thanksgiving and good will toward men.
Meanwhile, behind the big scene, the purse string bandits continue their merry trek to the shrinking collective of banks, corporate bonuses still in vogue despite cries of foul from the highest office in this land. Hard to fathom, but it seems suddenly the chief executive is largely ceremonial. I suspect it has been that way for a long time.
Oh, excuse me. This is supposed to be a music column. Divine music, the balm that eases pain like the snake oil we bought a century or two ago. I’m told there was music at the first Thanksgiving, a century or two before that. Then the hordes from all the continents came. By hook or by crook we came. Some of us assimilated. Some of us remain marginalized. Like it or not as the poor and the middle class become one, the destiny of the super rich is the stuff that science fiction used to be made of. Give thanks!
Keep prayin’, keep thinkin’ those kind thoughts.
******
Upcoming cool events:
Monday, November 30
Blues Monday at the Blue Wing featuring Memphis Exchange with Randy McGowen. 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Information: 707-275-2233 or www.bluewingsaloon.com .
Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28
Fifteenth annual Holiday Jazz Festival at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. The festival kicks off on Nov. 27 with the top-selling American jazz artist, trumpeter Chris Botti, who boasts four No. 1 jazz albums, as well as multiple gold and platinum albums and Grammy Awards. He has performed and recorded with artists such as Sting, Josh Groban, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Andrea Boccelli and Jill Scott. Nov. 28 features funky horn man Boney James. A saxophonist, producer and songwriter, James' success with contemporary jazz and R&B have made him one of the most respected and best-selling instrumental artists of our time. Doors open each evening at 7 p.m. with live entertainment beginning at 8 p.m. For tickets call Omega Events Box Office at 949-360-7800 or visit www.omegaevents.com.
T. Watts is a writer, radio host and music critic. Visit his Web site at www.teewatts.biz .
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