The neighbor said that wild turkeys had taken over. As it turns out these turkeys were raised by humans so they are not really wild are they? Why they are being released around here is anyone's guess. They don't know enough to get out of the road. The hens make nests (two on my property) and are killed as they sit on the nests, by some predator. Such turkeys are dependent on people and are not really wild. No one wants to own up to who let them go.
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They're very common around here. We have multiple nest sites in the field each years. They can make a mess out of a flowerbed, which seems to be a preferred location. I try to watch for the nests with eggs in the field, but never seem to see them in time to avoid running over them with the mower. Wild turkeys around here are pretty skittish of people, but strangely are very common along the interstate here in Knoxville.

I saw two of them at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx last year.

A flock of them were often around when I was in an apartment in a suburban area bordering some fields.

There was a TV show about them yesterday where they are beginning to get aggressive toward people. Showed males attacking people during mating seasons. They don't peck, they attack w/spurs on their feet.

They are quite common around here as well...crossing the damn street more often than deer. Hard to believe they were almost extinct back in the early 1900s.

They are very skiddish and fast! I can't get a pic if I tried. Even if I sneak up on them they run like forest.

I am just really surprised at how successful some species seem to have become in adapting to the modern inner suburbs (deer, Eagles, cayote...) given, our discontinuous, patches of woods, excessive cars and people, etc... I have not seen the turkeys before this year though. Trying to catch a glimpse of where they are roosting. Are they territorial at all? Migratory? Favorite trees to roost in (living/dead ones)?

Turkey eggs are good to eat. Better than chicken eggs. They are hard to crack. Like trying to crack a rock. If you can get to them. Sorry it is such a problem. People hunt them here. We saw a flock of about 15 in town the other day.

Lots of turkeys here too in Plymouth, MA. They hang around my birdfeeders (I also put seed on the ground).

They're mostly very orderly; here crossing the road before going to roost in the woods.
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They often roost in the oaks there.
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They've never threatened me (after all, I feed them) but occasionally the toms will have a ritual battle grabbing each other by the neck. This video is of a battle a few years ago, but this morning I saw two of this year's crop of young males start the same sort of fight, just not as vicious.
Turkeys fighting, with Guinea fowl refereeing

The very short end of the fight

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Fri, Nov 28, 14 at 16:10

This may be a "stupid question" but, I honestly have thought to myself...... Where are these Turkeys at in spring and summer? I never see them then, surely I am not alone in this......Also, the egg thing makes sense, but, nobody ever thinks to pick the turkeys eggs. Are they just good at being elusive until fall, or do hunters see them and just not bother them til fall? Poaky1

After the breeding frenzy in late winter and early spring, the turkeys here disappear for a few months. The hens go off into the woods to lay eggs and don't reappear until June if they've successfully hatched a brood. If they lose the brood the hens may return earlier. I don't know where the toms go. I did see one lone tom most of this summer.

Two years ago was a really bad year for poults - I think the predators got most of them. This year there was a cooperative event and six hens stayed together with about thirty poults in tow. This was a great traffic stopper on our small rural streets. There was a later, smaller brood too.

June 19, 2014 Hens with small poults.
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July 31, 2014 Hens with growing poults.
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After they returned I saw turkeys all summer, mostly hens and the growing poults, but few toms. Now that it's getting colder the toms are back too.

I suspect there's enough food in the woods during warm weather and turkeys can forage by themselves. The hens with poults to feed probably appreciate my buffet and fresh water (neighbors feed them too) and they may feel safer here than in the woods.

In Massachusetts the wild turkey hunting season is Spring: Apr. 28 - May 24 and Fall: Oct. 20 - Nov. 1.

Claire

Edited to add a tree since this is the Trees Forum.

Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar shown with turkeys above.
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This post was edited by claire on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 11:01

Don't sweat it claire -- interesting post. Saw several females together trailing little ones along the road this past summer -- the females seem to be communal in their chick-raising.

Nice VA junipers -- takes quite a bit of time to reach that size. The wood has a wonderful aroma & quite a few uses.

They've made a strong comeback here in west-central WI over the past twenty years or so. I haven't seen any data on the affect of last winter's severity, but I'm still seeing a lot of them and it looks like they're here to stay. Well, until the next ice age...which could be upon us based on November's temps. ;)