Wild turkeys are extra aggressive during their breeding season!

photo by William Thomas

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Twp. of Washington NJ, the wild turkey is native to North America and can be found over most of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. with small pockets along the west coast and in Mexico. Wild turkeys prefer relatively open hardwood and mixed evergreen hardwood forests with scattered openings. Some turkeys can be found in woodlots relatively close to human population centers. Despite their large size, wild turkeys (unlike their domestic relatives) are agile fliers and roost in trees. Wild turkeys are social birds and live in flocks. Wild turkeys are omnivorous and typically forage on the ground for acorns, nuts, seeds, berries, fruits, grasses, roots, insects, and small amphibians and reptiles. Wild Turkeys can be attracted to bird feeders.

Occasionally, turkeys may behave aggressively towards humans, especially in areas where natural woodland habitats are scarce or where people have been feeding them. They have been known to chase humans; however, attacks can usually be deterred and injuries can be avoided by giving turkeys a respectful amount of space.

A wild turkey can grow as big as 4 feet and weigh about 20 lbs. Even without hopping or flapping their wings, that puts their sharp beak in an uncomfortable proximity to your face and your eyes. A Wild turkey is capable of attacking humans . Wild turkeys have a bad reputation for invading neighborhoods and attacking both people and other animals. Wild turkeys are extra aggressive during their breeding season and extremely dangerous .