Turkey Season?

I received a call at school the other day. "Kenton just killed a turkey." My heart sank! A turkey? The season does not open till the first of May not the first of April.......the guns are all locked up....

When I got home the story unfolded....

Kenton and Tally had been out for a walk in the woods when Tally jumped a turkey and started to chase it. The turkey could not fly but it ran fast. Tally easily chased it out of the woods across the road and into our backyard. Tally was a little harder on the turkey than Kenton wanted, and so Kenton made a wise decision to put the turkey out of its misery. He was very disturbed that the turkey was dead and broke into sobs when I got home. He said he only killed it because I had taught him never to let an animal suffer. Quick and painless death is the goal. As the turkey lay flopping around from the dog getting its neck, he made the wise decision to not let it suffer.

My first doubt that Kenton had killed a game bird out of season was the fact that he was able to get so close to it. Second the fact that it could not fly. The final piece to the puzzle was the fact that it had white tipped feathers and lots of white throughout it.

The 21 lb turkey ended up being a tame turkey that had apparently gotten loose from someones pen. It is not a native Eastern wild turkey, but rather a Merriam's. I have a few more people to check, but it must have wandered at least a mile from where it was raised. It had a 5" beard and 1" spurs.