MINNEAPOLIS— This Thanksgivingwild turkeys are causing problems for postal workers in Minneapolis.
“We just came home one day and there was one sitting on our doorstep,” Ben Katz said.
For Ben and Maggie Katz, seeing turkeys outside their door was quite a novelty, especially considering they had moved to Minneapolis from their relatively turkey-less former home in New York City.
“They haven’t really bothered us, but we think it’s funny that they’re around,” Ben Katz said.
However, these turkeys are no joke to others.
WCCO
“I never in my life thought I would get a letter about turkey problems,” Maggie Katz said.
The turkeys are such a problem in a northeast Minneapolis neighborhood that they have prompted a letter to customers of the United States Postal Service. According to the letter, wild turkeys aggressively pursue USPS drivers. The letter advises customers to chase them away and not feed the animals.
“They’re turkeys, right? So it’s not like major attacks are happening, but they are a nuisance,” said Joseph Tiemann, vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 9.
Tiemann advises customers to either stop feeding the birds or feed them at another location where postal workers deliver mail.
“Usually it’s a dog,” Tiemann said. “Sometimes turkeys, sometimes cats, you know that there are all kinds of dangers on the streets for us as letter deliverers.”
Despite regular visits from turkeys, the Katzes say they don’t give handouts to their feathered friends.
“I really like our mailman, so when she’s stressed, I don’t want her to be stressed, but I don’t know what to do either,” Maggie Katz said.
The Katzes said it’s about recognizing that turkeys are part of life and that living with them is essential.
“We all have to live together, right? We all have to coexist. Turkeys live here too,” said Maggie Katz.
“But we also had to pick up our mail,” Ben Katz said.
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, according to the DNR, so try covering them along with windows they are attracted to. You can always chase away turkeys with loud noises or a broom, according to the DNR.
