{"id":54998,"date":"2018-11-14T05:00:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-14T12:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=54998"},"modified":"2025-10-18T14:10:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T19:10:42","slug":"photographing-wild-turkeys-in-the-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/14\/photographing-wild-turkeys-in-the-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing Wild Turkeys In The Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WildWild Turkey standing at attention – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m always glad to see and photograph Wild Turkeys and most of the time I see them more than I can photograph them because they are often too far away but some days it does work out that I can have them in my viewfinder and click the shutter release.<\/p>\n

\"WaryWary Wild Turkey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 800, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday was one of those days when I not only spotted them but had them in my viewfinder too up in the mountains as they quietly foraged in a clearing in the woods.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn over the shoulder look from a Wild Turkey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 800, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

While most of the turkeys fed it seemed that for a bit at least one of the large birds was keeping a wary eye out for any dangers that might appear.<\/p>\n

\"WoodlandWoodland Wild Turkey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 800, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

At times the turkey were almost too close for my normal bird photography set up which is my 500mm lens and the 1.4x TC attached so I clipped a few feet on some of my photos of these birds.<\/p>\n

\"WildWild Turkey in front of a gnarly juniper – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I couldn’t tell what the turkeys were eating while they foraged but it might have been forbs or grasses because this photo showed grasses in the turkey’s bill.<\/p>\n

\"WildWild Turkey close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 800, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I only had a few minutes with these Wild Turkeys<\/span><\/a> but they actually made my day a bit brighter just by having them in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Wild Turkey photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m always glad to see and photograph Wild Turkeys and most of the time I see them more than I can photograph them because they are often too far away but some days it does work out that I can have them in my viewfinder and click the shutter release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1316,358,385,26,1314,3793],"tags":[6880,4142,3914,3795,6881,8301,8300,953,3796,5501,401,6344,3794,12898,5503],"class_list":["post-54998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-stansbury-mountains-utah","category-tooele-county","category-upland-game-birds","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","category-wild-turkeys","tag-attention","tag-close-up","tag-juniper","tag-meleagris-gallopavo","tag-over-the-shoulder-look","tag-photograph","tag-photographing","tag-standing","tag-turkey","tag-turkeys","tag-upland-game-birds","tag-wary","tag-wild-turkey","tag-woodland","tag-woods"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-juniper-mia-mcpherson-9154.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ej4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":96163,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/11\/autumn-wild-turkey-hen-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":54998,"position":0},"title":"Autumn Wild Turkey Hen Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I found this Wild Turkey hen last autumn as she walked out of the shadows of the forest and into the bright morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn Wild Turkey hen portrait, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-young-mia-mcpherson-3986.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-young-mia-mcpherson-3986.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-young-mia-mcpherson-3986.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-young-mia-mcpherson-3986.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85258,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/21\/spring-wild-turkey-tom-displaying-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":54998,"position":2},"title":"Spring Wild Turkey Tom Displaying Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I spent a bit of time observing and photographing this Wild Turkey tom strutting and displaying in Box Elder County, Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tom Wild Turkey displaying in northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7416.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7416.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7416.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mia-mcpherson-7416.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":145779,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/21\/wild-turkey-portraits-from-wichita-mountains-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":54998,"position":3},"title":"Wild Turkey Portraits From Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing a few Wild Turkey portraits taken last week near a creek at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Comanche County, Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Comanche County"","block_context":{"text":"Comanche County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/comanche-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wild Turkey close up at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-portrait-wichita-mountains-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4342.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-portrait-wichita-mountains-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4342.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-portrait-wichita-mountains-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4342.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-portrait-wichita-mountains-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4342.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54093,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/09\/12\/lets-talk-turkey-about-wild-turkeys-in-a-west-desert-canyon\/","url_meta":{"origin":54998,"position":4},"title":"Let’s Talk Turkey About Wild Turkeys In A West Desert Canyon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed a small flock of Wild Turkeys yesterday in the West Desert of Utah, specifically in a canyon of the Stansbury Mountains. I just never know when turkeys will show up and I am glad they did yesterday because I didn't photograph many other birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two Wild Turkeys in the Stansbury Mountains, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wild-turkeys-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-6908.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wild-turkeys-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-6908.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wild-turkeys-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-6908.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wild-turkeys-stansbury-mountains-mia-mcpherson-6908.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49098,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/10\/22\/wild-turkeys-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":54998,"position":5},"title":"Wild Turkeys in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a fine Autumn morning for photographing Wild Turkeys in northern Utah yesterday because the skies were mostly clear and the turkeys were a bit more cooperative than usual.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wild Turkey hen in flight, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-flight-mia-mcpherson-0635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-flight-mia-mcpherson-0635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-flight-mia-mcpherson-0635.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-flight-mia-mcpherson-0635.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}