we've lived here since 1996. here is between 1500 and 2000 feet in the sierra nevada mountain foothills east of sacramento. when we moved in it was immediately obvious that turkeys loved our ledge, roosted in the digger pines next to the house, and because of the nice valley and water in the ponds, called this place home to raise their youngins.
the largest resident flock we ever had was about 8 or 9 years ago and contained 70 birds. they have dwindled since then, but we've now gone through at least 10 generations. they've become pretty tame around us, we can be sitting there in the evening and they walk RIGHT by us and fly up into the trees every night to roost during the spring and summer. in the fall and winter they migrate to locations on the ridge above us.
here is one of this years hens and her hidden brood of 6 chicks (3 little ones under each wing) just below our driveway (the ranch pond is in the back ground).
these represent some of my wife's "pets" BTW.
