How To Fend Off An Aggressive Attacking Turkey In Illinois

If a wild turkey in Illinois tries coming after you, here are some steps to defend yourself against the aggressive bird.

Surviving A Turkey Attack In Illinois

I don't know if you've noticed but there are wild turkeys all over Rockford. It's like they're trying to take over the town. The birds are always hanging out by the radio station and in the neighborhood. I've seen them block traffic on major roads.

READ MORE: Enormous Number Of Turkeys Have Overpopulated Illinois

The scary part is that they're never alone. The turkeys always travel in big groups. A couple of days ago, there were fifteen hanging out in the field behind the radio station building. I wonder where they live.

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I have to admit that birds freak me out. I don't want to get too close to them. I've had a couple of incidents with geese while walking on the bike path along the river. Turkeys are so weird-looking that I just don't trust them, especially when they're with their gang.

Luckily, I've never had a problem with turkeys but I know some people that live in Rockford that have. Apparently, they can get aggressive, especially during mating season. So here are some things to do if they try to attack you.

• Make a lot of noise.

• Swing your arms around wildly.

• Make yourself look bigger.

• Throw objects at it (without hitting the bird).

• Squirt water at the turkey.

WGN

Any or all of those things should work and scare them away before they actually attack you. I recommend just avoiding the situation altogether.