There is a little-known tradition
in Northern Arkansas that drew some perhaps unwanted attention a couple of
years ago from PETA in Yellville, Arkansas when the FAA got involved with the
local tradition of dropping wild turkeys from low-flying aircraft.
Seriously, there is a tradition in Yellville, Arkansas
to low-fly aircraft and drop wild turkeys out of the planes at the annual
Turkey Trot Festival. Back in 2011, PETA offered a $5000 reward for information
on whomever was doing it. Everybody in
town says they have no idea who was dropping the turkeys. Seriously.
How many people own crop-dusters in Yellville. More likely, folks in the Arkansas don’t like
the FAA and like PETA less. Folks in
Yellville say the turkeys can use their wings to slow their descent.
As reported in the Huffington Post back in 2011:
First
held in 1946, the festival is also an attraction in the 1,200-person town. It
includes a turkey-calling contest, a turkey dinner, and beauty pageants. And it
once included a sanctioned "turkey drop" from the top of the local
courthouse.
Now,
the turkey drop is conducted by private citizens, Yellville Chamber of Commerce
President Travis Doshier said.
"They keep themselves pretty well secluded," Doshier told the
newspaper. He said he didn't know if they were planning another drop this year.
As I said, the FAA has tried to get
involved, for the plane, it seems, rather than the turkeys: The FAA has tried to crack down before,
Lunsford said. Officials have spoken to event organizers and at least one pilot
who flew turkeys in the past.
Ozark Arkansans are
unrepentant: Fans of the drop say it doesn't hurt the turkeys because they can use
their wings to slow their descent. Doshier said the turkeys "just spread
those big old wings they've got and glide" to the ground.
"We
know that they can get up in the air because they get on trees and roofs,"
he said.
But
Lunsford says he's seen video of a turkey falling straight down and bouncing off
the roof of a building.
All this brings to mind the
funniest five minutes in the history of TV, the episode of WKRP in Cincinnati’s Turkey Drop Episode: Enjoy:
Anyone in Northern Arkansas, let
us know if it happened this year.
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