It’s spring: Time to talk turkeys, and avoiding the trouble they can cause during breeding season, ODFW says

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Tuesday was the first day of spring, bringing with it the breeding season for many animals -- including Oregon's wild turkeys.

It's time to talk turkey – specifically, what you can do to prevent turkey problems in your own yard and neighborhood this spring, and all year long.

Most of the time, the problems begin with people deliberately (or sometimes accidentally) feeding turkeys. Trust us, these big birds are self-sufficient and find plenty of natural food year-round. When they feed naturally, they move on to forage in different spots which keeps flocks at a reasonable five to 20 birds. But when fed by people, turkeys are more likely to indefinitely stay in one area and are joined by more birds creating abnormally large flocks of over 100.

Now that it's the spring turkey breeding season, not only will you see male turkeys sparring over a hen, but you may also see your vehicle damaged. Male turkeys have fought their own reflection on vehicles. Dents are possible and "keying" your vehicle with their sharp nails and spurs is a given.

The bulbs gardens and other landscaping you've been working so hard on can be efficiently destroyed by these large flocks. Your roof is a great place for turkeys to roost but can leave you with damaged shingles and gutters. Keeping your sidewalks, patios, and decks clean is a real challenge when so many of these birds leave their smelly calling cards each day (a possible snack or rolling opportunity for your canine companion.)

Abnormally large flocks are not good for turkeys either. There is more risk of spreading diseases among the turkeys, including avian influenza and salmonella.