wild turkey hanging around (birds, raccoon, feathers, cold)

[NY Annie]

About 2 miles away from us, there's a residential facility with a lot of open grass/trees/woods. And they have allowed what 15 years ago was a few wild turkeys to grow into a huge flock. Being that they are wild, the facility/city has not tried to manage them and they are often found roaming within 10 blocks, even across a major road. We live approximately 2 miles from the "turkey farm" and have seen this one turkey moving further and further away. Yesterday, the turkey took up residence in our yard. It appears to be a female, is quite large and appears to be making herself at home next to the neighbor's car and wandering around a large field.

The turkeys are quite used to people, but yet are really not tame. My kitties showed some initial curiosity but mostly pay it no attention. I just have no idea what we should do with it, if anything.

Any thoughts?

[NY Annie]

trying to embed a pic

[5thgenSF]

we have wild turkeys all over where i live. they roam up and down the street in packs. here and there is a lone turkey that must have been pushed out of the pack. they don't really do any harm. once in awhile they'll chase after the cars and act nasty. i imagine it's during their mating season. my only complaint is when they eat my cat food!

[ferretkona]

Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. Quite intelligent birds.
We have quite a few wild turkey here as well, looking foreword to fall.

[Green Onions]

I've seen as many as 40 adult turkeys wandering through my yard at once. Lately, it's been two adults and a dozen young, born this past spring.

They do no harm, and it's enjoyable to watch them.

[NY Annie]

Not worry about the turkey doing harm, worried about harm doing the turkey. We have some very nasty animals of the 2 and 4 legged kind. Raccoons and possum that are out in the day not afraid of people - and some of the people that those critters SHOULD be afraid of. Plus the traffic. Right here at our house, it's safe, but if it continues on its travels - the neighbors have already tried to chase it - it could definitely see harm. We all know to look for it on the roads around the hospital - there are even signs about "turkey crossing" but right here near the bridge, people zoom at 50+. We're in the city, it's not the country where people expect to see a turkey prancing around.

[fisheye]

We have had up to seventy five and even more in our back yard. There is one neighbor that religiously feeds them and they also enjoy some of our duck food. I have not had a tick on me since the turkeys took over our back yard. We live in the red zone for Lyme Disease. Some have come pretty close to me – as long as I don't make eye-to-eye contact (they do not like to be the attention of our stairs). Turkeys are usually pretty good about getting out of the road. The biggest problem is when they fly low over the road and could possibly hit one of our windshields. If they do hit the windshield; they could easily break the glass and end up taking out the driver or passenger. With all of the turkeys around my house I have never hit one on the road and only rarely have to stop to let them cross.

[NY Annie]

Around the hospital, these silly turkeys strut across the road and traffic stops while the "turklings" are taken for their walk. The flock has grown enormously in the last 15 years from about 10 turkeys to well over 100. When they cross the road, you stop and wait.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by NY Annie

Around the hospital, these silly turkeys strut across the road and traffic stops while the "turklings" are taken for their walk. The flock has grown enormously in the last 15 years from about 10 turkeys to well over 100. When they cross the road, you stop and wait.

Apparently ours are trained better – or we don't have as many roads. Here is a link to another article on your pest (although this article is about PA turkeys): Turkeys turning into new pest on neighborhood block - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wild turkeys remind me of prehistoric dinosaurs. They run like dinosaurs. The also have some strange habits such as sanding on one foot to warm the other foot under their feathers when it is very cold and sticking their head into dense foliage (like the Japanese Andromeda) when it is raining (leaving the rest of their body in the rain).

Around here the flocks do not roost together – they will usually pick different trees and spread out over a large territory (I am curious if they roost closer together in the city – with few trees)?

Their mating ceremony is very interesting. It is all about showmanship and the actual act is over in the blink of an eye. I have heard that some people complain that humans are the same!

You should try to enjoy them while you can. Grab your cameras and get some good picture. You can tell your grandchildren how we used to have turkeys around our house. There is always the chance that complaints will lead to their relocation.

[hueyeats]

Thats awesome!!!
I have them too... & ducks as well.