Around this time of year, most Americans think of turkeys as the delicious (or dry and overcooked) centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner. However is always worth remembering that the wild version of that delicious meal can be a rather violent animal depending on the time of year.
Particularly during their breeding season (March-May), some turkeys may act aggressively by pecking, following, or exhibiting other intimidating behavior towards people. It doesn’t have to be during breeding season, either, as the birds are often working to establish social dominance in their pack. Most people won’t experience an encounter like the one in the video below, but they aren’t unheard of either.
Aggressive encounters with turkeys usually occur when the birds become overly comfortable in the presence of humans, generally over a significant period of time. To avoid, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife urges the public to never feed wild turkeys. Don’t leave out feed like bird seed or corn in attempts to help or view turkeys, and avoid using bird feeders.
