wild turkey's strong numbers

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There was a time—and it was not that long ago—when it was hard to find wild turkey in East Tennessee other than in a liquor store. Made in the Bluegrass State, some of it was 101 proof, but you had to be 21 years old to partake.

Forty years ago, you could almost reliably see a live wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the shadows around the edges of Cades Cove because in the national park, they were protected.

But today, turkeys have made a comeback with strong numbers. So much so that walking down a gravel road in the Knox Urban Wilderness, you might just pass by one. And if you're quick with your cell phone, get a photo.

I'm not sure which part of this is more remarkable. That turkeys are roaming the shadows of urban Knoxville again? Or taking a photo of one with a phone? Or that Kentucky bourbon today comes in 101 and even 108.2 proof?

What would Kentuckian Daniel Boone say, besides "what the heck is a phone?"

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