One Turkey Down In Pakistan — Moraga Looks for Ways to Deal With Its Own

The Town of Moraga has a turkey problem, apparently.

Actually, the town's resident flock of wild turkeys — loved by many, loathed by some — are just doing what turkeys do: pecking, scratching, gobbling and making more turkeys. The problem is that kind-hearted folks are feeding them and that's not good.

At the Town Council's April 27 meeting, town staff delivered a report on the burgeoning population and came up with a list of recommendations to lessen the flock's contact with local humans — some of whom don't appreciate the flock's noise, droppings or the scratch marks they leave on their cars.

Staff pointed out that with few natural enemies (left) and with people feeding them, the Rio Grande flocks strutting through remaining pasturelands and sometimes down the middle of our roads are doing quite well and even the occasional road mishap is not putting much of a dent in their number.

The town offers these tips for peaceful coexistence with Moraga's toms and hens:

• Remove bird feeders and accessible pet food from your yard.
• Install motion-detector sprinklers.
• Keep a dog in your yard.
• Adjust flood lights to shine into trees where turkeys roost.
• Think of others and make every effort to discourage turkeys in your yard and in neighboring yards. Even if you enjoy looking at them, remember the harm they can cause to your neighbors.
• If turkeys are in the path of your vehicle, slow, honk and proceed. Never get out of your vehicle to confront the turkeys.
• Always allow a safe braking distance between your vehicle and vehicles in front of you in case turkeys cause sudden slowing or stopping.

... and follows those suggestions with another: obtaining a "depredation permit" (license to kill) offending animals that don't respond to these steps.

We hope it doesn't get to that because local wildlife is increasingly on the losing end of their contact with, well, us — so perhaps we should give them another chance.

And here are a few suggestions from Lamorinda Patch relative to living with our turkeys:

• Remember, the turkeys were Californians before many of us were.
• Your average teenager produces more noise.
• Don't like turkeys trotting across your car? Clean out the garage and park the cars inside.

Maybe it's time we stopped looking at them as suitable only for our Thanksgiving Day dinner table. And, yes, the "One Turkey Down" reference was aimed at the recently departed Mr. OBL, who we feel was much less deserving of our concern and attention than our local flock of Rio Grandes.