An elderly woman out for a walk in Alameda, California, was mobbed by a flock of urban wild turkeys, knocked down from behind, and left bleeding and needing stitches.
Mary Jo Kelly, 83, described the turkey attack as terrifying.
“I went headfirst, and I broke my glasses. I hit the palm of my hand and my thumb. I bled in the nose,” she told ABC 7, describing the mid-May attack.
Kelly escaped the turkeys and called her husband, who took her to a local hospital. She suffered severe bruising and cuts to her right hand that required stitches.
The incident prompted local authorities to warn residents to be cautious around turkeys, particularly as toms (males) become aggressive during the spring mating season.
People in Casper, where wild turkeys famously run through parts of the city, should also give the birds a wide berth, says the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
“Casper has a well-documented, multi-year saga with urban wild turkeys,” Game and Fish Casper region spokeswoman Janet Milek stated in an email to Cowboy State Daily.
“While there haven't been reported severe attacks on humans in Casper, Casper urban wild turkeys have absolutely established a reputation for aggressive, bold, and disruptive behavior,” she added.
‘They Just Took Over’
Kim Fedore lives near the heart of downtown Casper and told Cowboy State Daily that she can recall when wild turkeys first started coming down off Casper Mountain and into town.
“It was such a novelty,” she said. "A long time ago, there were two turkeys that started living at 15th and Wolcott (Street). They had their own Facebook page and everybody loved them."
As more and more turkeys showed up, the novelty wore off, she said.
“They just took over, and then it became less fun,” Fedore said.
Turkeys and humans have learned to adapt to each other in downtown Casper, she said.
Her biggest gripe is when toms roost in trees in her yard and poop all over the place.
“The Game and Fish told us to just shoot them out of our trees with a hose,” Fedore said. "We tried that, and it didn’t work.
“The turkeys are integrated now and accepted. And people really enjoy them — when they aren’t roosting in their trees,” she said.
Tarra The Turkey Gets Bullied
Fedore said she’s not too concerned about a turkey attack, but she gives the birds their space.
“I’ve never tried to go up to one and pet it,” she said. “I think everybody gives the turkeys their space, just in case.”
Fedore said she’s never personally been “challenged” by a turkey, but she’s heard of them challenging neighborhood dogs to fights.
She noted that turkeys can be mean to each other.
There was once a neighborhood favorite hen (female) turkey with a lame leg that residents named Tarra.
“The other turkeys would just beat her up. I think it’s their instinct to go after the weak ones,” she said.
For a time, Tarra tolk shelter on Fedore’s back deck.
Eventually, the poor, lame hen found her place in the turkey pecking order.
“She lived for a couple of years, at least, in the neighborhood, just hopping around on one leg,” Fedore said.
Thomas Gobbles’ Bad Reputation
A particularly bold tom turkey, dubbed Thomas Gobbles, developed a bad reputation around downtown Casper and Casper College, Milek said.
“Thomas and his flock became notorious for chasing pedestrians, tormenting college students, trapping people in their cars, and actively stopping traffic,” she said. "While it was funny at first, they quickly became a problem for the community."
Game and Fish started getting a “steady stream” of complaints about turkeys, Milek added.
Those included reports of turkeys bullying dogs, children and mail carriers. There were also complaints of turkeys damaging roofs, scratching vehicles, and destroying gardens.
“Wild turkeys often confidently block major streets and refuse to move for vehicles, emboldened by their lack of fear, which creates a huge traffic and safety hazard,” Milek stated in her email.
Turkey Relocation Program
Turkeys losing their fear of humans almost always stems from people feeding them, Milek stated.
The Casper City Council banned feeding turkeys several years ago.
Game and Fish, with the help of the National Wild Turkey Foundation, started trapping turkeys in Casper and relocating them to the wild.
“We have successfully captured around 400 urban wild turkeys total since 2022 and relocated them to rural habitats in Natrona, Niobrara, and Converse counties to reduce human-wildlife conflicts,” Milek stated.
Don’t Back Down
According to Game and Fish, an aggressive turkey will try to establish dominance by “puffing out its feathers, standing tall while tucking its head, or moving directly toward you.”
Wildlife biologists recommend against backing down or running, because that can encourage turkeys in their feelings of dominance, and prompt them to chase people.
Instead, people should “establish dominance” over turkeys, according to Game and Fish.
“Stand your ground, make yourself look as large as possible, wave your arms, and shout loudly at the bird,” the agency recommends.
“Use deterrents: Popping open an umbrella or waving your jacket in their direction, swinging a walking stick or backpack, or spraying them with a garden hose is usually more than enough to make an aggressive turkey back down,” the agency says.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
