Turkeys cause traffic delays at Grand Rapids intersection

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Turkeys are causing minor traffic delays in Grand Rapids, catching some attention online.

In West Michigan, wild turkeys are a common sight. While jogging or driving in Grand Rapids, you’ll need to keep your eyes out for turkeys, especially in the Heritage Hill neighborhood, said Candice Smith.

“We’re coming up to College (Avenue) and Fulton (Street) and all the cars are kind of crooked and piled up and we’re like, ‘What’s going on? Oh, there’s a turkey,’” said Smith.

She is the founder of Tours Around Michigan and her motorbus was stopped by what has been called George (or Georgia) the turkey — not to be confused with Facebook-famous Gary the Turkey , who has his own page with a 2,800 following.

“We saw the turkey again an hour and a half later. When we got there, there was a car that was sort of blocking it. I think that I was trying to protect it and then they made the huge mistake of trying to get out of their car to try to move the turkey along which the turkey clearly saw as confrontation so at that point it started pecking the tires, so it got really angry about it,” Smith said.

According to the Michigan DNR , turkey breeding begins as temperatures rise and daylight hours increase during the spring.

“They function better between 60 and 69 degrees … so we were out there about that time when it was in that temperature range. And I guess the turkeys will go at or peck at anything that is subordinate to them,” Smith said.

Smith says she will keep talking about the turkeys during her tours.

“I said maybe we need to put out a set of turkey tips like don’t try to help the turkey, stay in your car,” she said. “Clearly, George sees (that intersection) as his personal territory, his personal mating territory. So he’s just going to drive out anything that is there. The best thing you can do is just get out of there and let George find the love of his life,” said Smith.

If there is an aggressive turkey in your area, contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources .

The DNR recommends being cautious when driving and reducing items that may attract turkeys, like food for songbirds.

“If they become a nuisance in your neighborhood, remove all food attractants from your backyard at once and ensure your neighbors are not feeding them. Young plants may attract turkeys. Protect young gardens with fencing, hardware cloth or motion activated scaring devices,” the DNR said.

If turkeys become aggressive, the DNR says to establish your dominance.

“Use gentle hazing techniques to deter them. start by making loud noises and waving to frighten the turkeys. Consider using a sprinkling system or spraying water from a hose to harass them. leashed dogs can also be used to scare them away,” the DNR said.

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