Turkeys on the town

A recent social media post reported an encounter with a large number of wild turkeys grazing on a plot of grass near a roadway.

“Do people harvest these birds?” she asked. “Or is there a law against it?”

To make a long story short: No, they don’t. And, yes, there is a law against it.

But that doesn’t answer why there are so many of them and where they come from?

Turkeys in Eden Prairie do seem to be everywhere. Typically, you end up having to stop your car as 20 of them amble across the road. Or you look out your window to see a group rummaging around in your backyard. Or you watch a similar size group wandering aimlessly and fearlessly down the middle of your street.

One reason they appear fearless is that they have no natural predators in the suburban environment, with one exception: Motorized vehicles.

How many of them end up in the grillwork of a pickup truck?

“The police department doesn’t track car vs. turkey accidents,” according to a city spokesperson. The city’s animal control officer, John Peters, says it happens. And it’s not totally a laughing matter. The adult birds are large – some up to 25 pounds, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “They could do some property damage to a vehicle,” Peters said.

But Peters, who has dealt with Eden Prairie’s animals – domestic and wild – for 38 years, doesn’t seem overly concerned about the wild version of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. He has no idea how many turkeys reside in Eden Prairie and doesn’t know anybody who does.

Peters hasn’t attempted to count how many have ended up in his city, but he’s not surprised there are more of them than ever before.

“I would imagine there are,” he said with a laugh. “They have no predators.”

Turkeys are protected

As of 30 years ago, most of Minnesota’s wild turkeys had been eliminated by hunters. 

The turkeys you slam on your brakes to avoid and that saunter casually down your street are descendants of 29 adult wild turkeys trapped in Missouri between 1971 and 1973 and unceremoniously deposited in southeastern Minnesota – Houston County, to be precise.

Since then, the Minnesota wild turkey population has grown to more than 70,000, the DNR says.

The City of Eden Prairie website lists them as nuisance animals, but that doesn’t mean you can do much about them.

A DNR permit is required to hunt wild turkeys in Minnesota. But in Eden Prairie, a weapon may only be discharged on a property consisting of 40 contiguous acres. Only one parcel in southwest Eden Prairie fits that description, and it’s privately owned.

Are they dangerous?

Experts typically say no when asked if turkeys are dangerous. Aggressive jakes – young turkeys – have been known to occasionally damage property or even chase people. Anecdotal reports have them in grocery store parking lots intimidating shoppers trying to get to their cars. According to the DNR, they may not be afraid of humans and can become a nuisance by roosting on roofs, in trees near homes, and on decks. They are also known to occasionally damage car paint. 

Turkeys often hang around certain areas because residents feed them, the DNR says, which is not a good idea. Often, they follow similar travel patterns in their search for food.

According to the DNR, wild turkeys are active during the day and roost in trees overnight. They nest on the ground, and the young turkeys are able to leave the nest shortly after hatching. They stay in a brood with the hen until their flight feathers have developed. Because turkeys are active during daylight hours, they are often seen foraging for insects, grubs and seeds, their primary food sources.

The DNR has some suggestions to avoid common problems with wild turkeys:

• Don’t raise and release turkeys.
• Don’t feed turkeys.
• Keep bird feeder areas clean.
• Don’t let turkeys intimidate you. You can scare an aggressive turkey with loud noises or spraying water from a hose. A leashed dog is also a deterrent.
• Cover windows or other reflective objects that turkeys might peck at.
• Protect your garden with netting or sprinklers.