Since its origin, the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday has always had turkey as a staple for the family-gathering meal, but Alpena-area stores provide alternatives to the common turkey with other forms of poultry.

Terry Curtis, owner of Perch’s IGA on U.S.-23, said most people get turkey from his store, but some go for a ham as a different option.

“Ninety-five percent of our customers get turkey,” Curtis said. “But, if they get anything else, it’s usually ham. And they get, you know, the stuffing and green bean casserole. The sides and everything, but they usually get turkey.”

The Alpena General Store decided to go more extreme with its alternatives, selling pheasant for the first time this year.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Sara Kamyszek, a cashier at Perch’s IGA, waits for a customer to give money to purchase his groceries on Nov. 9.

Stacey Horton, manager of the General Store, said a large number of people have ordered the pheasant, but it is not taking the turkey’s main course title.

“A few people are ordering it and having it as an appetizer because it is a smaller bird,” Horton said. “So they’re also getting a turkey, but they’re getting the pheasant to try.”

Horton said the pheasants are raised on a local farm off of Dietz Road.

The farm raises them for a different company, but, because the farm had extras, Horton purchased and sent the birds to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved butcher in Gaylord.

“Pheasant is a more wild bird,” Horton said. “So, getting somebody to butcher it, I was worried that they wouldn’t want to because they’re a little harder to butcher. Of course, you cage everything, but it takes a few people to get it out. Somebody has to open the cage and the other person has to catch them, because they will run or they will fly.”

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez A sign at the Alpena General Store on the corner of Washington Avenue and Ripley Boulevard says “Quality meat variety” on Nov. 10.

The Alpena General Store also sells duck. The store has provided that alternative for a while, as the ducks are raised at the family-owned business’ farm in Ossineke.

Horton said the duck is the only alternative that takes the turkey’s place for Thanksgiving customers, but that turkey is still the better-selling item at the store.

“I’d say the duck-to-turkey ratio would be turkey — turkey is still way more,” Horton said. “But having that option out there is good. It’s something that you can’t really get in town unless you get it from the grocery store, and that’s coming from somewhere else.”

The General Store’s main goal is to get everything local.

All of its meats come from local farms and all turkeys and ducks pre-ordered for the Thanksgiving holiday go to the butcher the Friday before.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Erica Graham, a worker at Perch’s IGA on U.S.-23, stocks produce on the store floor on Oct. 31.

From Friday through the day before Thanksgiving, the poultry is ready for all purchasers to pick up.

“A lot of people like to get a 20-pound turkey, because they want those leftovers, but they don’t realize that that gives them a lot of leftovers,” Horton said. “In hindsight,a person only eats a half a pound of meat per sitting and then, on Thanksgiving, you’re actually going to be eating a little bit less, because you have, like, you know, all sorts of many sides and you’ve been eating cookies and cake and whatnot all day.”

The average customer gets 15- to 18-pound turkeys for the holiday, which she said is a good size for most families.

Even as most families get turkeys rather than pheasant, ham, or duck, Horton said she’s happy the General Store provides those extra options.

“Just having the extra opportunity to have things that are different from turkey is great,” Horton said. “Being able to supply that for people, it’s pretty awesome.”

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez The Alpena General Store on Nov. 11 has different kinds of decor scattered across the building.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Stacey Horton, manager of the Alpena General Store on Washington Avenue, massages the body of a pheasant to make it look more presentable to customers at the store on Nov. 10.