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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wild Turkey Making a Comeback

Aired November 26, 2002 - 05:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, chances are that you won't be carving up a wild turkey. Instead of ending up on the platter, the wild turkey is making a comeback.
Our Jeanne Moos has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you get when you shoot a net over a bunch of unsuspecting turkeys? Not dinner. These boxed up birds are headed for a new home. Visible proof of the answer to that often asked question, can turkeys fly?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And to feel that nice, refreshing breeze.

MOOS (on camera): Of the wings beating?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to be flying about 45 miles an hour.

MOOS (voice-over): But farm raised turkeys, the ones we eat, are more or less grounded. They're bred to be fat and juicy rather than fast and free. For years now, the National Wild Turkey Federation has been capturing turkeys in areas where there are plenty and releasing them in places where there are few.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main reason we want to bring it back, it's part of our heritage. This is part of America.

MOOS: Oh, and by the way, the Federation is a hunting organization. If all the wild turkeys died off, there'd be none for hunters to kill.

Larry Scartosi (ph) is New Jersey's turkey calling champ. Hunting turkeys is considered difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You walk around calling, trying to get a gobble to gobble to you.

MOOS: He's Uncle Dickie. And a yelper is a device to imitate the call of a female turkey. If you're wondering what to wear on a turkey release, camouflage seemed to be the rage. School kids and officials gathered here in Rockaway Township, New Jersey to release a dozen birds. In five years, the dozen could multiply to 500. Wild turkeys have been brought from the brink of extinction to five and a half million nationwide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, how about that?

DR. KENNEMER (PH): He's one of the prettiest things god ever made.

MOOS: Not this end. Dr. Kennemer was referring to the fan of a strutting Tom. Sometimes the bird drops a bomb. That's more of a turkey release than some bargained for.

(on camera): Where's its butt?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right under your wrist.

MOOS: The last time I saw one of these was on a sandwich.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hitch it forward. She'll know what to do.

MOOS (voice-over): There were objects at the turkey release that had our imagination running wilder than the turkeys. It turns out it's just a hunter's turkey call. So what's a city slicker supposed to do?

(on camera): Taxi?

(voice-over): When she returns to Gotham from a day in the country? There's more than one kind of turkey to call.

Jeanne Moos, CNN...

(on camera): But it worked on you. We got you.

(voice-over): ... New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 26, 2002 - 05:55   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, chances are that you won't be carving up a wild turkey. Instead of ending up on the platter, the wild turkey is making a comeback.
Our Jeanne Moos has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you get when you shoot a net over a bunch of unsuspecting turkeys? Not dinner. These boxed up birds are headed for a new home. Visible proof of the answer to that often asked question, can turkeys fly?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And to feel that nice, refreshing breeze.

MOOS (on camera): Of the wings beating?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to be flying about 45 miles an hour.

MOOS (voice-over): But farm raised turkeys, the ones we eat, are more or less grounded. They're bred to be fat and juicy rather than fast and free. For years now, the National Wild Turkey Federation has been capturing turkeys in areas where there are plenty and releasing them in places where there are few.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main reason we want to bring it back, it's part of our heritage. This is part of America.

MOOS: Oh, and by the way, the Federation is a hunting organization. If all the wild turkeys died off, there'd be none for hunters to kill.

Larry Scartosi (ph) is New Jersey's turkey calling champ. Hunting turkeys is considered difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You walk around calling, trying to get a gobble to gobble to you.

MOOS: He's Uncle Dickie. And a yelper is a device to imitate the call of a female turkey. If you're wondering what to wear on a turkey release, camouflage seemed to be the rage. School kids and officials gathered here in Rockaway Township, New Jersey to release a dozen birds. In five years, the dozen could multiply to 500. Wild turkeys have been brought from the brink of extinction to five and a half million nationwide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, how about that?

DR. KENNEMER (PH): He's one of the prettiest things god ever made.

MOOS: Not this end. Dr. Kennemer was referring to the fan of a strutting Tom. Sometimes the bird drops a bomb. That's more of a turkey release than some bargained for.

(on camera): Where's its butt?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right under your wrist.

MOOS: The last time I saw one of these was on a sandwich.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hitch it forward. She'll know what to do.

MOOS (voice-over): There were objects at the turkey release that had our imagination running wilder than the turkeys. It turns out it's just a hunter's turkey call. So what's a city slicker supposed to do?

(on camera): Taxi?

(voice-over): When she returns to Gotham from a day in the country? There's more than one kind of turkey to call.

Jeanne Moos, CNN...

(on camera): But it worked on you. We got you.

(voice-over): ... New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com