Wild turkey aggression prompts USPS letter to northeast Minneapolis residents

MINNEAPOLIS — This Thanksgiving, wild turkeys are serving up trouble for Minneapolis mail carriers.

“We just came home one day, and there was one sitting on our front stoop,” said Ben Katz.

For Ben and Maggie Katz, seeing turkeys outside their door was quite the novelty, especially considering they moved to Minneapolis from their relatively turkey-less former home of New York City.

“They haven’t really bothered us, but we think it’s kind of funny that they’re in the neighborhood,” said Ben Katz.    

However, these turkeys are no joke for others.

“I just never in my life thought I would get a letter about some turkey problems,” said Maggie Katz.

The turkeys are such an issue in one northeast Minneapolis neighborhood they have prompted a letter to United States Postal Service customers. According to the letter, wild turkeys are aggressively pursuing USPS drivers. The letter advises customers to chase them off and to avoid feeding the animals.

“They’re turkeys, right? So it’s not like bad attacks are happening, but they are a nuisance,” said Joseph Tiemann, vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 9.

Tiemann suggests customers either stop feeding the birds, or feed them away from where letter carriers are delivering mail.

“Usually it’s a dog,” said Tiemann. “Sometimes turkeys, sometimes cats, you know there’s all kinds of hazards out there on the street for us as letter carriers.”

Despite the regular visits from turkeys, the Katzes said they are not giving handouts to their feathered friends.

“I like our mail carrier a lot, so if she’s stressed, I don’t want her to be stressed, but also I don’t know what to do,” said Maggie Katz.
    
The Katzes said it is about recognizing that turkeys are a part of life and that living alongside them is key.

“We all got to live together, right? We all got to coexist. Turkeys live here too,” said Maggie Katz.

“But we also got to get our mail,” said Ben Katz.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said you can avoid feeding turkeys by keeping your bird feeders clean. Turkeys are also attracted to shiny objects, the DNR said, so try to cover them along with windows they are attracted to. You can always chase off turkeys with loud noises or a broom, the DNR said.