Wild turkeys eat more than their fair share of ticks. They are fearless around snakes. But they can be annoying in large groups. And no, they are NOT good to eat. Around here we count on coyotes and other critters to keep them in check. In the suburbs? Maybe not so much?
8
Try and live with the Turkey's, enjoy their company as there is no habitat left for them.
11
I live on Long Island, in Shoreham. I encounter wild turkeys frequently. Not that long ago a male turkey attack the car my wife was driving in, causing significant damage. It turned out that one of the male turkey's harem had been killed by a vehicle, and the male turkey was angry, taking it out on my wife's vehicle. (Once a deer ran into her car, hitting one of the doors, also causing damage.) When documenting the accident for NYS, she drew a diagram of the incidents, with deer and turkeys, respectively, include.
6
Thanksgiving is coming. There are a lot of hungry people in America. Wild turkey is much more flavorful than domesticated. I am an animal lover by nature but a realist from experience. I suggest connecting the dots: minimizing the wild turkey problem with a licensed andregulated hunt, getting back in balance with nature, and feeding the hungry.
5
Not only in New Jersey, here in Massachusetts where I have lived for over 60 years, the turkeys have inundated some of our communities, especially in the fall. They are frightening in that one who is obviously the leader of the pack of 10 to 12, will run at you ready to peck you at you and your car if you're not quick enough. The even inhabit some of our local cemeteries. Just yesterday there was a gaggle of 10 in my yard, pecking away at the ground flying up over the roof of the shed and my house. Needless to say they cancelled my plans to do some fall cleanup of my yard. I keep far away from them as I wish they would keep far from me.
5
My town has hundreds of turkeys. My particular flock of 40 - 50 that has been visiting my feeder for years are like a gang of pals turning up for a barbecue. They eat, make a noise, argue, make a mess and leave.
They get rid off ticks and create a fertilized area of grass.
They have a complicated social structure and injured ones are not necessarily ejected. I find them interesting and smart. The more you learn about them the less fearsome they become.
Neighborhoods should get together to understand the nature of their flocks and create a feeding place where they will habituate and keep out of your yard. Altho they are smart and will know who has the food and who dispenses it.
13
The place is called Toms River, after all.
22
It's called Turkey Hunting Season, you should try it out there.
5
@Pete
Hunting, at least with guns, is not a good idea in a suburban area that has lots of people out and about, including children and old people, who don't want to be collateral damage.
15
This would already be over with down here in the South, Thanksgiving all day every day.
4
Reading this article from the human perspective was uninformative. It should have been written from the Turkey’s perspective.
16
The residents of Toms River should look on the bright side. At least they are not Canada geese. If you've ever had a flock of them on your lawn, you'll know what I'm talking about
15
Tom turkey in Toms River. But of course.
7
This can be handled very easy you give a gun to each homeowner of holiday city they shoot. A turkey and have a free turkey for thanksgiving. Problem solved
1
So they "stuff" themselves with acorns?
6
“In the fall, the birds are drawn to open, grassy fields near wooded areas that provide a ready supply of water, insects and acorns...”
No, I don’t think that’s it at all.
Though there’s no apostrophe in the town’s name, the birds are obviously not so fussy that they view lack of strict adherence to the possessive form of Toms River as proof that the community is not the property of tom turkeys.
In any case, it’s surely been transmitted via oral tradition, as turkeys obviously cannot or, at least, do not read, perhaps because they spend much of their time pecking at their own reflections in trucks’ chrome bumpers.
6
I grew up in Northern New Jersey 50 years and I knew the woods there as a kid. There were hardly any animals to be seen at that time in the woods most having been blown out of existence by hunters. Fast forward 50 years later when I had to go sell my parents house in Jersey. There were bears, turkey, deer, everywhere in the woods. Great going Jersey fish and game! Let these animals pick on humans, we deserve it.
32
Three reactions:
1) Our cousins in Vermont had a wild turkey that would "knock" on the door to be fed. We learned this when they asked my wife to answer the door. Needless to say, she was very surprised and amused :-)
2) Sounds exactly like our peacock problem. We regularly have 20 in our front yard while they make their rounds. Beautiful, yes. Annoying, too. But they do clean up the food the birds spill from the feeder.
3) A scratched car is not "ruined." I get his point, though.
11
Turkeys eat ticks among other insects.
17
There's the key:
"‘Oh yeah, this is my territory.’”
They were here before you. You are the invader. Deal with them.
I would worry a lot more about "hunters."
15
Dinnertime!
3
That little dog peering out the front door in the last photo looks as if he'd just as soon stay indoors where there are no roaming turkey gangs.
8
Well, it seems like one of the Turkey is taking a solid look at himself in the car bumper. So there is a measure of hope for Tom's River.
3
Think of the starving children in China.
2
You see turkeys. You get your shotgun.
2
This is a huge problem where I live.
1
I lived in and nearby Toms River for a number of years. The sheer number of housing developments, especially age-limited "neighborhoods," that have been and continue to be constructed is astonishing. Why is it that people never seem to consider themselves by far the most invasive species?
43
in my limited experience, the large flocks are encouraged by bird feeders. another key factor in controlling turkey populations is natural predation. the experience in Toms River demonstrates one very good reason to leave coyotes to their business, because momma or papa coyote loves to serve turkey to the pups. finally, humans must take responsibility for large turkey flocks when they provide optimal habitats, just as they have encouraged the far greater nuisance of nonmigratory Canada geese.
6
We have same problem here in Spokane. I've been late for work and appointments because a bunch of them are wandering back and forth across an arterial road. Solution is to slowly drive through them! No! They won't let you hit them with a slow moving car!
My other main problem with them is (I've also had 40-some of them in my yard at once) they, uh, poop. 40 of them do it quite a bit and I'm quite sure that isn't at all sanitary.
4
Here on Cape Cod the wild turkeys are frequent guests in our backyards, along with the deer and the coyotes. They can be found by the bird feeders, and nibbling berries from the privet hedges and pecking around in the garden beds. Their feathers are beautiful in the sunlight, and the way they share caring for the young and looking out for each other is wonderful to see. Of course they can make a mess when they roost in a tree above your patio overnight, but I'm sure if the tables were turned they would have a few complaints about us as well!
20
Wild turkeys have been a nuisance animal in my suburban St Paul neighborhood the past dozen years. Before that they were uncommon. But now flocks of them are roaming here all the time.
With the afternoon sun, they peck relentlessly at their reflection in my glass front door. I don't mind the noise, but the messy poop they leave is disgusting.
My old dog is tired of chasing them, and the coyotes and foxes can't seem to make a dent in their population. The state needs to open up year round hunting of these pests!
3
When my car was new, seven years ago, I stopped to let a bunch of turkeys cross the road. The male turkey saw his reflection in the then still-shiny paint and attacked it.
Repeatedly.
Showing off for the gaggle of she-turkeys following him, no doubt.
I finally drove the car very slowly past. The turkey chased it for several yards.
Idiotic.
4
God forbid anyone mention killing a few of those birds and putting them on the table. They check all the boxes poultry eaters with a conscience want: free range, no antibiotics or growth hormones. Besides that you don't have to increase your carbon footprint to get one, just walk out in the front yard. You can have that gobbler from stopping traffic to on your plate in about three hours if you know what you're doing. Dealing with all the feathers and innards isn't for the squeamish, but once you past that heck, it's just like getting it from the butcher, only warmer. You might want to think about bagging two of the critters as the wild ones have small breasts and big legs. That's what growth hormones do to the birds. Beings as the birds are in town you can't down em with a 20 gauge loaded with bird shot, so you'll have to throw net em and wring their necks. Takes about as much strength as taking the screw cap off a Mountain Dew. I don't understand why your dogs don't chase after them and bring several back to you. Must be all of that soft indoor livin' that they're used to. I will say though that the best wild turkeys are found in Tennessee. They come in 750 ml bottles and after a couple pulls on it they'll have you talkin' and walkin' like one too.
23
@Kurt Pickard, um, given what these turkeys eat up here and the environments they flock in, I wouldn’t bet that they would make good eating. When my grandfather transferred here from West Virginia, he noted that our squirrels looked way too skinny and unhealthy to shoot for dinner. :)
6
There must be something about New Jersey that brings out the worst in turkeys. Our turkeys in Eugene, just like most people in Oregon, are very nice and polite, quiet and well-mannered, always say "have a NICE rest of the day" with utter sincerity.
You want rude, destructive, noisy birds? Move to Hawai`i. You'll miss your turkeys. Don't say I didn't warn you.
9
We have them in Spokane. I have watched them chasing terrified elementary school kids in my neighborhood walking to school a number of times.
1
I’m glad they’ve taken over. We’ve ruined and destroyed enough animal habitats in the northeast. Consider it payback. Until the foxes take care of the problem of course...
13
I’d say turnabout is fair play. #thanksgiving
7
You're setting me up:)
The local residents discussed arresting the turkeys but are concerned that the president will just pardon them.
9
Where I used to live in Falmouth, MA (prior to moving to Virginia), there was a rafter of turkeys that ruled Main Street! Rather menacing boids, too!
2
I enjoy the turkeys in my yard. They don't hurt anyone. I don't feed them, but they eat my acorns from the trees and I'm fine with that.
8
Don't even get me started on Leaf blowers or smokers...
7
Some see a problem. Some see dinner. It's a matter of point of view.
5
Cant you see theyre hungry. They need fruits and seeds in winter but especially acorns. Plant more oak trees in Toms River. The people have taken over their domain.
6
I grew up in Alaska where we understood feeding wild animals was inviting all kinda of problems. Try backing out of your driveway with an 800 pound bull moose sitting patiently behind your car waiting for his carrots and apples.
14
I have a brother who lives in Colorado and he told me that just before dawn a flock of wild turkeys would stand on a hill overlooking his property. The turkeys would wait for sunrise so they could warm themselves. Shortly after total sunrise my brother would shoot his gun in the air to scare them off his property. He said he did this because he knew hunters would appear and shoot all of them and he did not want to see them "massacred."
10
@susan
WOW! I love your brother and his sense of responsibility in protecting that flock. Really cool post.
9
They need a population of coyotes.
1
Great movie about wild turkeys , get it via Netflix DVD, "My life as a Turkey"
2
@CraigA
That documentary comes from a book: Illumination In The Flatwoods by Joe Hutto. One of my favorite books of all time. Watch & read and enjoy!
2
Aren’t male turkeys called “Toms”. Toms River, hellooooo!
10
They may be "jive turkeys," but they are part of the natural landscape. Leave them alone, or move to Queens.
7
The headlines "Tom's River Taken Over By Tom Turkeys".
7
“They have come close to harming my family and friends, ruined my cars, trashed my yard and much more."
Todd Frazier sounds like kind of a snowflake. Feel free to post a link about anyone being harmed by a turkey, Todd.
10
I think that little dog peeking through the storm door may be terrified.
We have wild turkeys here. The toms can be territorial, but all I have ever seen them do when challenged is stand tall, flap their wings and vocalize. Todd Frazier’s public fussing over a bird standing in his shiny SUV is absurd. It’s nothing but a hissy fit. Does the man not have other things to do? Real problems to worry about?
8
A male turkey is called a tom or a gobbler...(per a google search)
Maybe the town should change its name to Wolf's Holler or Fox Trot.
Maybe those feathered boys figured they were welcome there and brought all their partners and children. Tom's River sounds appealing to them.
8
There is poetry in turkey "toms" terrorizing Toms River...
8
I worked for a week or two on Staten Island, a few years ago, and was amazed to see wild turkeys, their nests full of eggs, and mothers with poults just casually walking around on the hospital campus where I was based. For me it was thrilling. For the locals not so much. I teased that I knew men in Alabama who would LOVE to hunt those wild turkeys; the locals said, “send them up here”. They also explained that local ordinances prevent them from shooting turkeys. This article reminded me of my time among those wild fowl on Staten Island, of all places. Gotta love New York.
33
@PJ I also live in Alabama. Please send the deer bow hunters to my neighborhood (I live in the Birmingham area - and sadly hunting is not an option in the city limits either). It is not uncommon for me to find 3-4 deer standing in my front yard eating what is left of my flowers, monkey grass or shrubs in the morning - and they are no longer afraid of humans. We can no longer grow a small garden in the back yard or harvest peaches off of our tree without installing tall fences.
3
I used to be very fond of wild turkeys because I always viewed them with awe and beauty.
And then one year 4 or 5 dozen appeared on some land my husband and I owned in Boscobel, WI. They simply took over. We saw the dark side of those beasts and it's ugly. They were extremely destructive to the sheds we had built and would charge our beloved and perfect dog who would just sit and watch them from a distance. She barely escaped with her life.
One or two wild turkeys is one thing. But those monsters travel and fly and migrate in packs. They are extremely bright and could probably drive our car if we left the keys on the hood.
I can empathize with people who have had their cars pecked and animals terrorized. I truly think wild turkeys enjoy being the neighborhood gangsters.
I used to think pigeons were a nuisance but wild turkeys are like pigeons on steroids - bigger, bolder, badder.
I no longer feel any remorse when I see one on a platter come Thanksgiving day.
55
@Marge Keller : Marge, I enjoy your posts and I hope I won't cause offense, but I'm compelled to point out an overlooked truth: Humans don't own the Earth. Each of us is here temporarily, and we have to share with other creatures.
For the past few hundred years, humans have caused an enormous amount of destruction by going to far-off places and introducing non-native diseases and species. In addition, human sprawl is taking land from other animals who have just as much right to it.
And this doesn't begin to address what human-caused climate change is doing to other species.
I'm certain, from having read other posts by you, that you value sharing and fairness, and I urge you to think about that with regard to all living creatures.
70
@Doro Wynant
You are absolutely correct and thanks for realigning my skewed thought process.
Everyone on this planet, 2 legged, 4 legged and everything in between is merely just passing through.
I apologize for my sarcastic and mean sense of humor comment.
Being a mostly vegetarian, I don't even part take in anything other than veggie on Thanksgiving.
Thanks again for your very kind and welcomed suggestion.
Wild turkeys and all other life forms have just as much right to being on this planet as me or anyone else.
I appreciate your gracious comment.
75
@ Doro Wynant USA & @Marge Keller
"Humans don't own the Earth. Each of us is here temporarily, ...".
I have a moral or conscientious problem with your statement. I love animals, but I also believe that whoever had created life on Earth (be it God, Supreme Being or the Grand Creator), if there is one, planned it not to be peaceful and touchy-feely, but a chaotic struggle for existence and survival. Homo sapiens (Linnaeus 1758) is one of the Earth's inhabitants, and it is destined to behave like other leaving creatures, to be able to procreate and survive.
4
I’m a day sleeper, I’ve posted a sign on the door.
Were a wild turkey to knock on my door it would BE food.
10
No wonder the turkeys act like they're at home, the place is called TOMS River.
92
Turkeys are scary stupid, but they are mostly harmless. All that pecking at windows, shiny bumpers and such? It is because the turkey thinks its own reflection is another turkey trying to muscle in on its territory. They aren't smart enough to figure it out, and they will keep pecking at the "interloper" repeatedly. They can peck hard enough to break glass. But that is pretty much the only damage they do. And if your dog has shows any aggression towards them, he will demonstrate that turkeys can indeed fly a considerable distance, despite what you famously learned from WKRP in Cincinnati. In fact, they sleep in trees.
42
My sister in law and her family live in a small town just outside of Sacramento, CA. They have wild turkeys that roam the neighborhood and they don't bother anybody. You see wild turkeys on the drive up to Lake Tahoe and in the towns up in Northern California. They are beautiful birds.
I live outside of Los Angeles and we have wild peacocks in our neighborhood. We all coexist peacefully. They sit on rooftops and scream their loud calls. We all slow down and let them cross the street. They are protected and no bothers them. It's a peaceful bit of nature in the urban sprawl.
6
Americans love the outdoors and wild places and wildthings as long as: it does cost much, isn't inconvenient, doesn't slow down development, doesn't affect them or inconvenience them in even a minor way. Nature is fine if kept at arms length and not "too wild". In most cities and towns in this country, gangs, cars, drugs, the air, alcohol, cigarettes and sugar harm and kill more people every day than wild animals do in a year, but guess which one gets the most attention when a one off experience happens? I'll take my chances being near animals. They aren't always the most tame or civilized or easiest to get along with neighbors, but that's the point. People should feel privileged that they live near a tiny slice of what this country used to be.
5
In our neighborhood about five minutes from downtown, a flock of about thirty wild turkeys coexists with us. They’re good for visitors’ entertainment, but yes they peck at cars and fight in the middle of our gardens. Their droppings are everywhere.
Except for knocking over trash cans and dragging the contents around the neighborhood, our black bears are far more respectful.
3
There was a family of wild turkeys, probably several families, that lived in the woods near my former job. Every day at 5 p.m., the birds would come out for a single-file stroll and every day, they had the same reaction -- shock, shock, I tell you, at the sound of motors starting. They're too funny. -- thegamesmenplay.com
10
Turkeys proliferate for a year or two in the Catskills. Then the foxes proliferate for a year or two at the general expense of the turkeys. Turkeys produce large broods, most of which survives their first winter, the toughest. Toms River has a paucity of foxes.
Give it a couple of years. Then you'll be reading about how the turkeys outnumber the humans in Toms River.
7
I had a pack of wild turkeys in my back yard last week just outside my kitchen window- total of 12 big birds. This is the fourth year I have been seeing Wild Turkeys around here. At first I would see a few adults and a bunch of baby turkeys , then a few adults and mid size birds. Last week all large birds quietly roaming around.
5
I still remember the awe I felt when I saw a wild turkey fly across the road near my house 35 years. They weren't all that common back then, at least not where I lived.
Oh, and don't feed wild animals with the possible exception of small birds. This article should be required reading for anyone who thinks feeding turkeys is a good way to experience nature.
12
@Wilhelm - Why feed small birds? Pretty sure Jesus said that His father takes care of them.
1
It's one of the most classic lines in television history:
"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
It was uttered by befuddled station manager Arthur Carlson (played by Gordon Jump) during the "Turkeys Away" episode in the first season of "WKRP in Cincinnati" in 1978. The entire episode was hilarious for various reasons. But that closing quote brought the house down.
15
@Marge Keller That episode is surely one of the funniest in the history of television.
8
@Marge Keller Ahhhhh,.....that was great episode!
5
I used to be very fond of wild turkeys because I always viewed them with awe and beauty.
And then one year 4 or 5 dozen appeared on some land my husband and I owned in Boscobel, WI. They simply took over. We saw the nasty side of those beasts and it's ugly.
They were extremely destructive to the sheds we had built and would charge our beloved and perfect dog who would just sit and watch them from a distance. She barely escaped with her life.
One or two wild turkeys can be charming. But those monsters travel and fly and migrate in packs. They are extremely bright and could probably drive our car if we left the keys on the hood.
I can empathize with people who have had their cars pecked and animals terrorized. I truly think wild turkeys enjoy being gangsters.
I used to think pigeons were a nuisance but wild turkeys are like pigeons on steroids - bigger, bolder, badder.
I no longer feel any remorse when I see one on a platter come Thanksgiving day.
I understand they eat ticks.
23
@Joe doaks I've read that, too. But apparently they don't eat enough of them to provide any sort of meaningful pest control. In any event, even one less tick is a good thing.
7
@Joe doaks - They do, but not nearly as many as opossums. We have a terrible Lyme Disease epidemic in my community, and the county biologist told us recently that an opossum can eat up to 8,000 ticks per month.
I find that hard to believe, but I am braking or swerving every time I see one of these critters on the road at night.
9
@Joe doaks ...and acorns in the winter. Have they cut down the oaks in Toms River?
1
There is a cure for this problem. These turkeys have no fear of humans. All you have to have some hunters descend on Toms River and this problem would be solved.
2
If life gives you lemons make lemonade if it gives you turkeys ... awesome
1
@Christopher Rillo - :) I can't resist. Trump will just pardon them.
Re: "...In Toms River, N.J., drivers are sometimes forced to yield to wild turkeys..."
Portions of some of these creature's extended family currently reside, (for, now...), in my freezer; I'd be happy to invite one, 'N, all, (on a 'case x case' basis), to join me at my diner table!
3
Here's the most important line in the article "Most nuisance turkey issues can be traced directly to residents providing food handouts to the animals or having well-stocked bird feeders"
This is why I do not feed wild animals.
19
There were quite a few in the area I lived in Minneapolis. They could be aggressive but not nearly so as the Canadian geese in the area. They could be seriously mean.
4
“They have come close to harming my family and friends, ruined my cars, trashed my yard and much more,”
Oh come on now. I've encountered wild turkeys on a number of occasions, and they're quite afraid of people. They do tend to amble into the road and act stubbornly, but I just wait until the cross.
22
Ben Franklin was right, the United States should have named the Turkey our national bird. We have approximately 50 turkeys living in our neighborhood in north Asheville. It's not unusual for 20-30 birds to block traffic for 5 minutes as they cross the road. The males routinely escort the hens up and down the road displaying their fans during mating season. It's a real kick to watch the competition. The only aggressive move I ever saw was when the neighbor's ankle-biter dog chased after a brood of baby chicks crossing the road. Mom chased that poor dog back to its front porch before returning to the care if her young. Relax and enjoy.
33
@Jack, a chicken will do the same thing when her chicks are threatened. It’s not a sign of aggression, but maternal care.
4
Let me see.......................what is being described here is an imbalance. A natural imbalance that wants only for a few predators to return the town of Toms River to normalcy. If wild turkeys are birds, then what is it all birds fear most? Cats! That's the ticket. Toms River could use some hungry cats but not house cats. The fisher cat, not really a cat at all but a member of the weasel family, would no doubt do the trick. Here's the only problem with this suggestion. Fisher cats are likely to frighten the good citizens of Toms River. We wouldn't want the turkeys to end up alone and wondering what ever happened to all the nice people that used to accommodate them. As you can clearly see, I got nothin'.
4
@dove Fisher cats are assassins! They are absolutely the most efficient predator for small animals around. Unfortunately, they are also best at controlling the population of housecats that people let outside "for some air" and have gotten a bad reputation. But if you want to control any kind of native population of almost anything fisher cats and foxes will take care of it.
2
@dove This is funny stuff- thanks for the laugh
1
Let see if I've got this straight. The wild turkeys (the bird Benjamin Franklin wanted as our national symbol) have lived in and around this area for probably tens of thousands of years. Humans have been there for perhaps a few hundred years. But it's the turkeys that are the problem? Gobble gobble!
42
Remember Animal Farm? Possibly it's time that the animals are finally revolting. Long time in the coming I say. Also who can forget that gruesome picture of the polar bear starving to death on the front page of this fine paper. Thanks to climate change and our lack of respect for the earth and all it's inhabitants. We deserve this from them, and much much worse.
9
@RC Some animals are more equal than others.
From our homeowners association in an email sent today:
"a report that a cougar with three cubs are in the area. The cougars were recorded by a motion camera on the deck of a home on the golf course"
Wild Turkeys LOL
19
@Paul the cougar were probably there for the turkeys. Which is real issue most nature goobers don’t anticipate. And cougar love to eat dogs.
2
@eve
Deer and elk are the major draw for cougars in our area, but they will eat an occasional dog or cat if the opportunity presents itself.
1
What a good source of food.
When they take over parts of Central Park it will get even more interesting.
3
Our forebears would find this hilarious: hundreds of turkeys present themselves right at Thanksgiving time and we can't figure out what to do about them.
41
@Justin - Well, there is talk of a presidential pardon in the works for the birds so that seems to be an issue.
The turkeys were here before we were. And they are not the ones doing immense and ongoing damage to this beautiful continent.
21
The turkeys are native to North America. Humans are the invasive species.
68
@Svrwmrs ...Ah but our current White House Resident has proven that...even humans can be Turkeys !!
4
They are delicious. Much better than the oversized and over bred monstrosities that appear at your grocer.
Have an open season on them before the holiday and let everyone enjoy the best tasting turkey they will every have.
8
Turkeys lived there for centuries.
You just bought that home and moved in to their territory.
Leave them birds alone, they were here first.
12
@AutumnLeaf they were here first like raccoons etc. but they weren’t having cake pans full of food left out for them.
1
Unlike their domesticated relatives, wild turkeys are smart and are like the raccoons of the bird world. Several towns in New England have passed laws to allow them to live in peace and the turkeys take advantage of their predator-less situation.
5
You got a people problem not an turkey problem. You should rejoice in being able to see these magnificent birds in your yards.
17
Dear Toms River residents....those turkeys eat there way thru thousands of ticks every day! More turkeys means way less Lyme disease. Leave them alone.
33
@Nina Turkeys are okay, but the best tick eaters are oppossums. Not nearly as grand as turkeys, unfortunately.
4
Possums are gorgeous. Had one in my Brooklyn backyard for a few weeks one winter. Magnificent footprints. Loved watching him when he came around every night at 8:30.
They move on eventually.
4
Shoot one and contact me. I have a great Thanksgiving recipe for "Turkey a la Trump". Just a hint - this is a recipe which calls for lots of stuffing. Oh, and the bird must be well basted with its own fat. Bon Appetit!
6
Disappointed, not one joke about "Tom's River". Perhaps the turkeys have reason to think they own the place.
7
Trap and eat. No guns, no problem.
2
@Jimmy Turkeys aren't stupid. Traps are useless. They are like very smart rats. And a lot easier on the eye. Better to just remove all bird feeders and the turkeys will just move along.
3
Wild turkey is far superior to store-bought, or domestic-raised turkeys. A pellet gun and a good eye is all it takes to make that first step towards a nice dinner. One can also accidentally run over a few and well there ya go, road kill turkey. Oh, and Epstein didn't kill himself, but thats another story.
1
Goodness, think of how many homeless people they could feed. Them and Canada geese.
7
Well... it IS Tom's River.
8
The article certainly supports the known fact of the cluelessness of modern Americans, especially urban dwellers. These people display all the ignorance of how wild animals, beast or fowl, act when they are acclimatized to environments where they are treated as "pets".
And then there are clueless columnists - what is the sense in this sentence, "...have even drawn the ire of a professional baseball player, Todd Frazier". The horror!! Oh, my dear..."even" a jock is upset?? Something must be done...oh, dear!
5
Is this in fact the namesake of the quaint locale?
3
The horror! I can’t believe turkeys were near and on an SUV!
8
Why has no one yet mentioned that there are so many turkeys in this town because it is named ...TOMS River?
C'mon folks!
7
Boy did they pick the wrong holiday to start trouble
18
Get out there with your roasting pan, thermometer and your basting spoon and see what happens....
4
TOMS River. Get it!?
7
Just like with deer, more people should get their hunting licence and take advantage of this naturally organic protein source. The meat is very lean and the breasts are best draped with bacon and baked, the legs and thighs need to ground for sausage.
7
@TED338 Can't shoot guns in the middle of a subdivision no matter how hunter-friendly your state is. Better to take in the bird feeders and the cat food and the birds will move along.
4
Time to practice your lasso technique. Free Turkey dinner!
2
Eat them!
2
Can't you wring their necks and donate them to the New Jersey Food Bank for Thanksgiving?
3
A lovely lady on our local NextDoor.com board had been posting about "her" turkey for months. Delightful little stories about the turkey and what she seemed to be doing. All anthropomorphic cutesy stuff. I held my tongue. Now that nice lady AND her neighbors are getting rushed and attacked by this turkey who believes that their yards are its territory. Treat wildlife like wildlife people. Turkey comes into my backyard its getting the garden hose treatment until if figures out its MY yard. Or better yet the Coopers Hawk that likes to hang out by bird feeder will take care of it. And, darn, I'm a UES girl but even a city girl has more sense about animals then some people.
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My urban neighborhood is now overrun with turkeys. I feel like I’m in an Edgar Allen Poe story. They roost, 6-8 at a time, in the tree outside my house. Their scat is everywhere, and is not easily removed by street cleaning.
Spraying them with a garden hose can work, but it takes repetition to change their behavior.
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@Cousy, which Poe story featured turkeys? :)
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All of these articles and discussions never take into consideration seeing the world from the perspective of the "nuisance" animals, many of whom have lost their way of life over the years due to human encroachment. I think the word "turkey" could be replaced with "human" and the article would still make sense. I am glad to read that most of the people interviewed actually didn't see any problem.
I hate to think it's true, but the quote from The Matrix comes to mind: "You [humans] move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet."
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@Lindsey
Well, in many respects I think you are spot on because these birds, like many humans, are rude, disrespectful, destructive, and only think of themselves and what's best for them.
The difference, however, is that humans should know better because we have brains and intelligence.
However, not sure where common sense, kindness and compassion comes into play because I know a lot of folks who have none of those qualities either.
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@Marge Keller
I like the point you make Marge, but I think the turkeys are just doing turkey things. I don't think they are rude or destructive. Maybe disrespectful, but somewhat entitled to it.
Destroying man made "property" is really just re appropriating the natural resources man stole to create whatever (s)he suits him or her.
The thing to I find most remarkable, is how amazingly sophisticated wild animals can be, once you take the time to watch and engage them on their terms.
Don't be surprised if you see some of those oft omitted 'human' qualities you mentioned.
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@Not that someone
Thanks for your wonderful comment.
I have seen many a clever and smart wild animal/bird and their intelligence never ceases to amaze me. In all honesty, I think these creatures are far more intelligent than a lot of folks I know and read about.
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Charming! Humans, spoiled by the comforts of urban life, should (re?)learn to live in harmony with wild animals. There, where we live, the biggest occasional visitors are not very wild deer or coyotes. The usuals are the squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks day time, or raccoons, a skunk, and opossum at night.
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I remember this as one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies!
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We also have a turkey problem on Staten Island. On the North shore of the Island, at the University Hospital area we have a sizezble flock.They stop traffic, and actually chase peple. People have been feeding them for years, and now the turkey flock has become dependent on the neighborhood.
Staten Island is a heavy Trump area, so we have feathered turkeys, and the non feathered turkeys. Interestingly enough, the feathereed variety shows far more cognitive skills than the non feathered kind.
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Met those turkeys (feathered variety) on that hospital campus a few years ago. Still have photos. I was in awe.
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Can’t understand why every time there’s an increase in any animal population that it suddenly becomes a problem and a scourge. Meanwhile, human population increases exponentially, and we to destroy habitat for every other creature all over the world.
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As one who has observed (tolerated?) many turkeys in our yard for the last many years, the one thing you do NOT want to do is feed them. They do just fine on their own. My major complaint is that they are hard on the grass and tend to leave droppings all over. We have had over 40 turkeys in our small backyard at one point. They are not aggressive and do not like to hang around when people are about. We do have some predators (coyotes) but I don't think they have a great impact on the numbers. Because there is a small woods with many oaks behind us, they love to roost there every night. Very interesting to watch them fly up to the branches.
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Welcome the turkeys, but take your bird feeders in (after all, it’s not winter yet and there are many wild treats for the birds), and the turkeys will eat all the insects in your garden--all the ticks, grasshoppers, and nasty bugs they can--and move on.
Having wild turkeys means a decrease in Lyme disease, due to a decrease in the tick population.
Do not feed wild turkeys! Or deer!
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Sounds better than the scourge of proliferating deer now at home in many towns and suburbs across the country. Very tall and costly fences are necessary if you garden or have bird feeders. Bambi lovers cannot be stopped from feeding them. Where are all the ardent hunters who buy guns for filling their freezers with turkeys and venison and fat geese?
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@dressmaker Not allowed to use firearms to hunt in most suburbs - and rightly so, too dangerous. Sometimes a community will allow bow hunting specifically when the levels of deer reach a crisis proportion but there is usually lots of opposition to that from those who think they are pretty (until they are hood ornament that is)
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@dressmaker I saw one of the ardent hunters in a local Home Depot a few days ago. He had a huge gun hanging form his hip. He didn't seem like the type to be hunting turkeys or deer; that is, unless there was a unexpected sighting of wild game in the Home Depot parking lot. It was more like he was interested in how cool he looked and how the shoppers were reacting to his armed macho presence. As I'm sure most people are aware, Texas has open-carry laws. How comforting that is to those of us who hate guns and people who carry guns in the open.
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@Wally Wolf I agree. We don’t patronize the businesses around here that welcome open carry. It’s an intimidation game, and the best way to play is not to play.
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Just leave them alone and stop putting food out. They will eventually go elsewhere. We've run them out from their natural habitat and it's US that are the problem, not them. Leave them alone.
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@Mary Crain
And animals like coyotes, foxes, hawks, etc, who naturally would go after them and control numbers, aren't welcome in the suburbs, either.
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@cheryl
They may not be "welcome" but they are certainly present in most suburbs.
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@cheryl eating them is another option which keeps the population manageable and hungry people fed.
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Vancouver has Canada Geese, especially near Stanley Park. Great tourist attraction when the cross or just stand on the road!
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@Ishrat Khan
Oh, good grief, in the greater New York area and beyond, we all have Canadian Geese in parks, college campuses, golf courses and just about anywhere that combines some wetlands with an expanse of open land. They were so much more delightful to watch at a distance, when they flew through the area in great Vees, alighting on the way South in the fall, and North in the spring. Now, it's more like having very big messy chickens.
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@cheryl
You sound very unhappy. Perhaps you should move to a locale more to your liking.
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@Ishrat Khan
Geese defecate all over the place in local parks. It's a big problem. They've tried all kinds of solutions but the geese find it easier to settle here instead of going farther south.
It seems like wildlife is returning to the burbs and city. Pelham Bay Park as turkeys along with the hawks, owls and ever present seagulls and pigeons. You're also seeing coyotes and even deer. Just stay away from certain areas or you'll see things you really don't want to see.
Still, it's better than the burned out and stripped hulks of vehicles you saw in the 70's.
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