Fortunately the camera captured an image of my attacker:
Posted on 04/07/2008 6:10:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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.
Color plays an important role in turkey breeding, he said, with the color of the male's head during mating season changes from gaudy blue to white to red. Lobner speculated that perhaps the turkeys are attracted to the red, white and blue postal trucks.
Postal workers were armed with water pistols. But Lober said that, while the squirts of water worked for a while, the turkeys now seem accustomed to it.
Some workers have been using long sticks to fend off the birds, he said, adding that he will meet with Wilhite next week to discuss other possible solutions.
Part of the problem, Lobner said, is that residents around Owen Conservation Park around the Parkwood Hills neighborhood may be feeding the turkeys, which makes the birds less afraid of humans. He said pamphlets have been circulated in the neighborhood to discourage people from feeding the birds.
/mark
Wild Turkeys Go Postal!
Film at 11
Headline of the Day.
They tried water pistols to initially repel the turkeys, that doesn’t shoosh them like it used to .. the turkeys like the spritzes they’re getting.
ding ding ding we have a winner.
“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly...” - Mr. Carlson.
Fortunately the camera captured an image of my attacker:
Those turkeys need some basting!
looks like fingers and drumsticks are pointing both ways as to what brought this on.. some folks may have been feeding these “ wild” turkeys..
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..the behavior is clearly tied to the breeding season, which started recently and runs through about mid-May.
Color plays an important role in turkey breeding, he said, with the color of the male’s head during mating season changes from gaudy blue to white to red. Lobner speculated that perhaps the turkeys are attracted to the red, white and blue postal trucks.
..
Part of the problem, Lobner said, is that residents around Owen Conservation Park around the Parkwood Hills neighborhood may be feeding the turkeys, which makes the birds less afraid of humans.
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The eagle on the mail trucks probably needs to be bigger
There are wild turkeys all over here. Last month I saw one running around a parked car about 500 times because it thought it's reflection in the glossy grey paint was a rival bird. I think their brains are about the size of a small raisin.
It never pays to feed wild animals.
The suburban dweller has come to think that all animals are pets they haven’t met yet.
People have become plain stupid about animals.
Animals are not people and they don’t think like people. Wild animals can not be turned in to pets. He who tries risk his health and his life.
I almost posted that one...
Don't laugh....they're good at it, and nobody really knows how to deal with an angry goose.
I came back from an out-of-town trip late one night and was trying to quietly slip past the gate to my back door without waking anyone up.
The fact that I was sneaking seemed to trigger their response and I suddenly have three large adult geese thumping me with their wing 'knuckles' (if you've been around geese, you know that one), biting and hissing at me and making a huge fuss that woke up the whole house. Even after they recognized me, the geese were still suspicious.
This is also what happens when suburbia feeds the animals. When the larger animal species loses their fear of people and associates them with food instead of danger, we have trouble. Mating season is especially dangerous. Tom's tough, and people forget that until taloned, pecked, hit with wings, etc.
Kick them.
Jeez.
gobble gobble :-)
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