Here’s what to do if you encounter one of Boise’s aggressive turkeys, city says
Boise is already dealing with problematic wild turkeys in some city neighborhoods — and now it’s breeding season, when they could become even more aggressive.
The city has a few words of advice for anyone who encounters an aggressive turkey: Don’t turn your back or retreat.
The city of Boise and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are launching an educational campaign asking residents to refrain from feeding the turkeys and take steps to deter and disperse the birds that have made neighborhoods around the city their home, the city said in a press release Tuesday. Breeding season runs from February through April.
The city says the turkeys are “causing nuisances” like traffic jams, damaging lawns and cars and showing aggressive behavior toward people, especially in the North End and surrounding neighborhoods.
Jamie Utz, a wildlife diversity biologist with IDFG, said the turkey flocks in Boise are likely to grow if people continue to intentionally feed them and conditions remain favorable for them. And, Utz said, that will result in more negative turkey behaviors and safety concerns.
“While urban wildlife presence can provide connections to nature, we encourage people to read and learn more about how to manage those interactions, help control the situation, and be part of the solution,” Utz said in the release.
In August, the Idaho Statesman reported that residents of Boise’s North End documented increasing flocks of hens and poults in the neighborhood over the summer. Neighbors also have shared videos of turkeys harassing people, notably a mailman.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Postal Service previously told the Statesman that the turkeys are attacking mail carriers, causing the postal service to skip delivery at some homes and on streets where the animals are congregating.
The city says the U.S. Postal Service will distribute flyers created by the city and IDFG with information about turkeys to residents in affected neighborhoods.
A webpage also has been set up to inform residents on how to discourage and disperse the turkeys.
The city encourages residents to reduce the turkeys’ food sources by cleaning up natural food like fallen fruit or acorns, protecting gardens, securing chicken feed or bird seed and managing garbage and compost.
The city also recommends residents make their yards “less inviting” for turkeys using non-lethal deterrents. That could include putting reflective tape, CDs, pinwheels or bird-scare balloons in a yard, spraying the turkeys with a hose or letting dogs chase them when safe.
If someone encounters an aggressive turkey, the city says not to turn around and retreat because backing down can encourage continued aggression. Instead, the best thing to do is to make yourself look larger by waving your hands or opening a coat, be loud and use a broom or umbrella to keep the turkey away.
The city is monitoring the flocks in collaboration with Fish and Game.
