It’s that time of year when a young turkey’s thoughts turn to romance, and neither man nor beast will deter it from its primary objective. Consequently, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is once again receiving reports of turkeys behaving aggressively. Harvard police have not had any reports of combative turkeys this year, but last May a Westward Orchards Farm Store employee reported four wild turkeys near the store acting aggressively toward cars and people. MassWildlife offers the following tips to prevent or handle “turkey conflicts”:
A tom turkey plumps up his tail to impress a nearby female in a field on Littleton Road. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Turkeys live in flocks. They have a pecking order, and they may attack humans or pets that they see as subordinate. Make loud noises, throw tennis balls, spray them with a squirt gun or water hose, or pop open an umbrella to scare them away.
Do not feed turkeys, either directly or indirectly via spilled seed from bird feeders. Feeding can make turkeys bolder or more aggressive, especially this time of year, and once a turkey discovers a food source, it can be hard to discourage it from returning.
Turkeys sometimes peck at their own reflection on glass or a shiny object, and they may continue to peck until the light source changes enough to make their reflection go away. If this happens, scare the turkey away (see above) and cover the object.
If all else fails, MassWildlife reminds the public that spring turkey-hunting season runs from April 24 through May 20.
