Animal Control Officer Steve Kavanaugh would like to inform residents about recent turkey encounters reported by residents, and share tips for avoiding aggressive behavior.
Recently, sightings have been reported on Pleasant Street. Wild turkeys can be dangerous and Wenham Police would like to encourage all residents to avoid interaction with them.
Wenham Animal Control would like to share tips from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife on how to respond when encountering a wild turkey:
- Do not feed turkeys — they will become tame but could possibly have angry or wild outbursts.
- Keep all bird feeder areas clean — bird seed attracts turkeys and they will flock to the feeder if there is seed on the ground. Remove feeders in the spring as well, as birds will be able to find plenty of natural food.
- Protect your garden and crops — If you use a hose or make loud noises, turkeys that are stealing food will be intimidated and likely leave the crops alone.
- For aggressive turkeys, don’t let them intimidate you —You should threaten or scare bold turkeys using a hose, a leashed dog or loud noises.
- Cover windows and shiny objects — Turkeys will focus on their own reflection or shiny objects. In order to prevent that, be sure to remove shiny objects or cover windows.
“We want our residents to be safe and mindful of the steps they can take to ward off aggressive wild turkeys,” ACO Kavanagh said. “Residents should first and foremost do all they can to avoid close interactions with wild turkeys, and keep these safety tips in mind should a turkey approach them or their property.”
For more information on wild turkeys, you can read about them here.