With the first days of the 2026 Massachusetts Turkey Hunting Season now in sight, stories are pouring in from eastern Massachusetts regarding how wild turkeys are taking over in cities and towns like Belmont, Brookline, Dedham, Marblehead, and Somerville, just to name a few. But let me stop here and remind folks that I love wild turkeys, I love that they’re here in substantial numbers, and I celebrate the conservation success story of this great game bird every day! But I also understand what a population explosion like this can do in or around the limits of these cities, especially when you consider that hunting them in these areas is completely impossible.

Today, wild turkeys in Cambridge, and other nearby Boston suburbs, are commonly referred to as “the gang” due to their aggressive behavior, tendency to happily hang around neighborhoods, while stopping traffic and, at times, terrorizing residents at every possible opportunity! One of the best, or worse, stories regarding “the gang,” came out of Cambridge some years back, when a postal carrier was attacked by a group of adult gobblers that resulted in hip surgery. Remember that? And before that fateful day, the carrier never once had a significant issue with any of the local wild turkeys. But “the gang,” he said, patrolled along the streets, while staying near the houses in that area! On the day of the assault, the carrier started hearing noises as he approached a house. Suddenly he realized a contingent of “the gang” had spotted him! It was then that their aggression took over, and as the carrier turned to leave, the hooligans were on him, and he was down for the count! This, along with other similar situations that followed, has city leaders in many surrounding municipalities, and beyond, pulling their hair out, while seeking advice as complaints from residents regarding “the gangs’” ongoing, and sometimes violent, mischief in their streets, keep coming in! And really, I don’t mean to jest about any of this, because I can guarantee you, nobody east of495 is laughing!

All that said, many people really enjoy the company of Genus Meleagris, especially in Brookline, more on that in a moment! Let’s talk about Medford first, where residents say that the larger the flock grows, the more intimidating it becomes to go outside!

“There’s no stopping them,” says one very frustrated resident who asked to stay anonymous. “These birds are Lucifer himself, she declared, and they are sure to take over our neighborhood if it continues!” And I can understand her frustration to a point, as in her case, wild turkeys continually smashed into her front windows last fall causing real damage. Some of her neighbors have put up wire around their gardens to try and protect the plants, which of course the birds will simply fly over, continuing to destroy everything in their path! But again, other people in Medford really love having them around! And what about Foxboro, where “bully turkeys” have also been spotted daily, and even in Brookline they show up! That’s right, Brookline, where they celebrate wild turkeys by having painted statues as part of their “Turkeys Around Town” program, which is a community art program where artists transformed fiberglass turkey sculptures into stunning works of art as a tribute to the, now, unofficial mascot of Brookline, and inspired by the iconic “Painted Cow Parade!” I mean these people have welcomed these birds as neighbors, with a completely different mind-set, but even Brookline has their limits! As does almost everyone in eastern Massachusetts regarding how the wild turkeys have infiltrated their communities. All you need do is to ask them, and they will most certainly have a story, or two, to tell you.

Like in Woburn, where an infamous group of wild turkeys became legendary under the leadership of one specific male turkey dubbed as “Kevin!” The “Woburn gang,” led by Kevin, were well known for their assaults on cars while people were stopped at the lights, or simply waiting to move forward. Kevin and his crew would also block people’s doorways or chase them down when walking on the streets or coming out of their homes or stores. Which has now led to the question of what is at the core of all these human interactions with wild turkeys? And what could we, or MassWildlife, or any other wildlife agency do to prevent this kind of contact between wild turkeys and people?

Well, I am certain this question would be better served by a Fish and Wildlife expert, but common sense would, or should, dictate that we all need to simply allow wildlife to stay wild! I mean seriously! Turkeys can survive very well on natural foods and simply do not need handouts from people. Feeding, whether directly or indirectly, can cause turkeys to act tame, which can lead to bold and aggressive behavior especially during breeding season, which is going on right now! This is exactly what’s happening around the entire Boston region up through the North Shore and down into the entirety of Cape Cod. And this is where the breakdown of the human/wildlife barrier seems to really begin. And it always has to do with wild turkeys becoming too comfortable around humans, which 90% of the time relates back to unnatural food sources being created. 

Hard bottom line? Unless we can start better educating people and controlling food sources in areas where wildlife doesn’t really belong, then I expect these conflicts will simply continue. In the meantime, sightings in the Greater Boston area of “the gang(s)” daily patrolling of the streets have also continued. And recent reports tell us that the wild turkey population figures in Massachusetts have never, in history, been higher. And that’s something to think about!

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro/Cabela’s Pro Staff.