Postal workers attacked by wild turkeys

[Mugu]

AP via Yahoo

MADISON, Wis. - Rather than rain or snow, or even dogs, postal workers in a West Side neighborhood near Owen Conservation Park are being pestered by wild turkeys this spring. Mara Wilhite, manager of the Hilldale Station Post Office, said she expected to deal with all manner of issues when she went to work for the U.S. Post Office. But that was not one of them.

"Just when you thought you'd heard it all," she said.

About five to 10 of the birds have been pecking at the postal workers as they make their rounds, and some of the birds have attacked the letter carriers with the sharp spurs on their legs. One of the birds went through the open door of a mail truck and scratched the driver.

Wilhite sought help in the matter from Eric Lobner, regional wildlife program supervisor for the state Department of Natural Resources. Lobner said the behavior is clearly tied to the breeding season, which started recently and runs through about mid-May.


Complete article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_on_fe_st/odd_postal_turkeys;_ylt=Aolaqn2fY1Qtx5XP8alst1as0NUE

[flowomo]

1. we saw a whole flock of 'em driving home yesterday...

in our rural area of southcentral PA. They were right in the middle of the road. They are very imposing critters.

[devilgrrl]

3. At risk of sounding naive, are they edible?

:hide:

[Mugu]

5. Sure, lots of people hunt wild turkey. n/t

[devilgrrl]

6. Is there a "turkey season"?

[Mugu]

8. I don't hunt, but I believe that Turkey has a season like Dove or Quail. n/t

[windbreeze]

10. Yes, there is a turkey season...and yes, they are edible....and I might add....

quite formidable also...when confronted by a wild turkey(if not armed)....my advice is to run like hell in the opposite direction...wb

[devilgrrl]

13. Confronted? They're THAT brazen?

:wow:

Time to study up on turkeys.

I'm well aware that they can't fly...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZnwmvZhDz4

:silly:

[windbreeze]

17. OH, you bet your butt...(I will clarify this a little)

They will come after you...they can be very good watchdogs...we've raised the big brown ones and white ones...The white ones are just plain stupid...but we had one brown one that weighed way over 50 pounds and stood close to 3 ft tall...and IF for some reason, he decided he didn't like you or want you around, look out....raising them is tricky...and if they are allowed to run loose, like our brown one was...I guess you could say, they can get possessive...I saw some wild ones one time in ND..and yes, I have read that those kind are very wily and hard to bag...but I was speaking of the ones we raised...sorry for any confusion...wb

[LiberalFighter]

21. Was it Benjamin Franklin that suggested the turkey as the national bird?

If so, maybe they should had listened to him.

[windbreeze]

22. LOL....good one...n/t

[alarimer]

19. Yes. In Texas there is and I suppose anywhere else there are turkeys.

We have a spring season, just for toms I think.

[Squatch]

12. They're delicious...

a lot gamier than normal white turkeys that you buy at grocery stores. They are, by far, the hardest game bird to hunt. Firearms hunting seasons are usually around the April timeframe while bowhunting season is in the fall.

My favorite recipe involves grilling wild turkey breast after injecting butter, garlic, hot peppers marinade.

[devilgrrl]

18. Well, it looks like you've got quite a turkey season ahead of you!

Bet they taste better than the pre-fab, overweight ones in the grocery store too. Your recipe sounds delicious.

What makes them difficult to hunt? Are they skittish or something? Fast?

[Dr.Phool]

2. I was attacked by Wild Turkey last night.

My head still hurts.

[Mugu]

4. I'm going to guess that you're talking about this Wild Turkey.

[SpiralHawk]

7. Turkeys go Postal !

[MissMillie]

23. that was exactly my reaction!

:hi:

[seemslikeadream]

9. .....

[xchrom]

11. i have to chase the wild turkey that lives in the little park

right by where i live out of the street all the time.

i wonder if there is an article about me attacking turkeys in the local turkey newspaper?

[ThomWV]

14. I've probably seen 100 turkeys a week for the last 30 years and never saw one attack anything

They run like hell if you so much as look at them, they are amoung the most wary of creatures. Hunting them is difficult in some ways, not so bad in others. Here they have a split season, fall and spring. Both seasons are short. I don't hunt anymore but as I recall the seasons were just a few days each. In the spring you can only hunt for gobblers (males). You have have your gun unloaded be out of the woods by 10 am too. That is because the hens sit on the nests in mornings while its still cool and to avoid them being shot by accident hunters have to be done by the time they get up. Fall anything goes, but its harder. In the spring you can call a horney gobbler to you if you're any good at calling, in the fall its luck and stealth.

As far as eating goes, they are tasty but sometimes thin, it really depends a lot on how the weather has been in the preceeding year. Good conditions mean lots of mast (food) and good hunting. Some years aren't so good.

Oh, the reason I see so many is that two old coots who live down the road from me got to feeding them corn in the fields behind their houses. These old guys lived (one of them died over the winter) had sort of a contest to see which one could get the most turkeys to their place. I belive Jack (the guy who died) fed more regularly than Berkley (nice guy, still living) because he seemed to have the most birds at his place, whereas Berkely would claim his numbers were higher. Of course they were all the same birds just running back and forth the quarter mile between the two places. Anyway there's always been a lot of turkeys around here. God bless Jack for that and an awful lot more too. He was a friend.

[Mnemosyne]

15. What a nice story, Thom! There are a few flocks out near my daughter.

They are always flying in front of cars going down the road. Pretty quick birds, amazingly, it is rare to see one dead near the road.

Deer and opossums on the other hand...

Nothing like a bit of competition for a couple of sweet old guys. Thanks for the tale. :)

[MilesColtrane]

16. Guess they'll have to add to the motto.

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night, nor rutting turkeys stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"

[tuckessee]

20. I deal with a flock of WT's on a daily basis.

They mooch food that I put out for peafowl.

I've never experienced any sort of aggressive behavior with a wild turkey of any kind despite walking within a few feet or so of them multiple times everyday and doing all kinds of chores (incl. using power tools) in their presence.

Currently I have a regular group of 4 big, strutting Toms, and about dozen each of hens & jakes.