Wild Turkeys Fan Out North Of Maryland

By Helen Parshall, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

From curious turkeys pecking at their own reflections in car windows to groups nonchalantly strolling down the streets of Boston, there have been increasing reports of wild turkeys in New England.

As wild turkeys infiltrate points north, will Maryland be next?

Bob Long, who works at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, says that it is too soon to tell.

“In Maryland, we do not see the frequency of aggressive turkey situations that many Northeast states do,” Long told Capital News Service.

Long is the upland game bird project manager of the Wildlife and Heritage Service, working around game bird populations including turkey, grouse, quail and pheasant.

There were 3,415 turkeys recorded in Maryland's 2017 summer wild turkey observation survey, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Of those, 200 were found in central Maryland. The central region includes Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties.

Overall, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has observed a decline in reproduction. From 2015 to 2017, the number of observed poults, or young turkeys, declined by approximately 36 percent.

The central region has seen a turkey trend that is different from the rest of the state, officials said. Numbers of turkeys reproducing in central Maryland have been increasing, the survey states, with 91 percent of hens seen with young.

Long said reports of bad behavior by wild turkeys are still rare.

“We do hear a few complaints each year - mostly of turkeys roosting on houses, blocking traffic, or occasionally getting slightly aggressive towards children, pets, or cars,” Long said. “Luckily they have been isolated incidents."

Long continued: "Perhaps it will become more common as turkey populations increase and move into more suburban areas. But only time will tell.”

It’s already happened farther north.

“I first saw them almost two decades ago in Jamaica Plain, but there would just be one or two, and in more wooded areas like the cemetery,” said Maureen Festa, a Massachusetts research analyst. “The very first time I saw one, I called the police because she was sitting in the middle of the road. The dispatcher said, ‘Are you sure it's not a seagull?’”

She was sure.

“Now they are everywhere,” she continued. “My closest encounters have been when they are on the sidewalk, and I'd have to walk around them. They can be territorial, but I haven't had any issues.”

Boston city officials have reported a massive increase in complaints of rogue turkey behavior in 2017 over previous years.

“Turkeys may attempt to dominate or attack people that they view as subordinates. This behavior is observed most often during breeding season,” said a report published by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. “Once bold behavior is established, it can be very difficult to change.”

In neighboring West Virginia, Laura Wilson-Gentry had a surprise encounter with one of the birds while driving through Great Cacapon.

“We were heading down a country road and the turkey took off from ground level and barely cleared the hood, flying at a steep 45-degree angle,” Wilson-Gentry said. “It was a big bird, and it scared the daylights out of me.”

There are five subspecies of wild turkey in the United States, but only the Eastern Wild Turkey has made Maryland its home. The Eastern Wild Turkey is the official state game bird of Massachusetts, reflecting their long presence in the state.

Natural resources officials gave five tips for residents to manage their encounters with the birds:

• Don’t feed turkeys.
• Keep bird feeder areas clean.
• Don’t let turkeys intimidate you.
• Cover windows and shiny objects.
• Protect your gardens and crops.

Wild turkeys have been spotted in the suburbs of New England, and even in downtown Boston (pictured), roaming the streets and harassing residents. Maureen Festa, from the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, encounters the birds frequently on her daily commute. Photo courtesy of Maureen Festa.