Drivers run a-fowl
of a new roadside peril
Staff writer
Venison isn’t the only game being gobbled up — or, more accurately, clobbered — by vehicles on roadways in the county.
Sheriff’s deputies are accustomed to dealing with deer strikes each week.
In the past 12 months, 156 drivers hit deer in Marion County, according to official accident reports.
This past week was no exception. Two more deer strikes were reported — both on Nighthawk Rd., one south of 60th Rd. and the other south of 180th Rd.
What are new are turkey strikes — two of them included this week’s accident reports. One was on K-15 north of 210th Rd.; the other on US-56 south of 280th Rd.
They were the first turkey strikes reported in the county in more than 12 months.
Zachary C. Mitchell, 32, Abilene, hit one of the turkeys on K-15 at 12:52 p.m. April 6 with his 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
The turkey became lodged in the pickup’s grill. It was removed and euthanized by deputies.
The truck remained drivable with damage to its front, hood, and undercarriage.
Madison C. Mugler, 25, Manhattan, hit the other turkey on US-56 at 8:10 p.m. April 10 with her 2025 Kia K4.
The turkey damaged her car’s windshield.
The sudden increase in turkey strikes coincided with the start April 1 of spring turkey hunting season.
There’s no specific turkey season for vehicles, but archers and hunters who are young or have a disability could hunt them legally through Tuesday. General hunting season began today and will extend through May 31.
Hunting season began around the traditional start of the turkeys’ nesting season. Hens lay eggs daily until they have a clutch of 10 to 12. Incubation follows, with hens sitting on the eggs for four weeks, typically ending around mid-May.
Not only are turkeys their most active during nesting season. Many often are reacting to such things as controlled burns and spring planting.
They eat mainly grains and grass but also have a taste for insects, which can make them welcome visitors to backyards.
Wild turkeys were reintroduced to Kansas in the 1960s and ’70s.
Initially, their population grew rapidly enough to allow spring and fall hunting seasons. However, after an unexplained 15-year, 60% decline in turkey population, fall hunting season was canceled.
Hunters now are limited to bagging in spring just one bird out of the estimated 250,000 to 400,000 wild turkeys in the state.
Turkeys venturing onto roadways aren’t migrating. They typically trot no more than a mile or two from their homes, usually to search for better water or food supplies or to find or avoid other turkeys, experts say.
Deer and turkeys weren’t the only animals hit in accidents reported this week.
Darrin L. Gray, 61, Abilene, reported nearly 1½ hours later that he hit a dog at 6 a.m. April 7 on US-56 west of Falcon Rd.
Deputy Bruce Burke’s report does not indicate a reason for the delay, what happened to the dog, or who might have owned it.
However, in a routine activity report released Monday, Hillsboro police noted that they had been informed of a dead dog found sometime April 7 at that location and that they had forwarded the information to the sheriff’s department.
Gray’s 2014 Mazda MZ2 remained drivable with damage to its front and undercarriage.