Wild turkey causes havoc in Deptford Township, New Jersey

DEPTFORD TWP., NJ (WPVI) — For the past four years, Kim Chiocchi has had a morning routine unusual for many at her home on Caulfield Avenue in Deptford Township.

“I could sit on my porch and say, ‘Come on, Fred, it’s breakfast time!’ “He’ll be sneaking down the driveway,” Chiocchi said.

Fred is a wild turkey who has a large fan base. She says peanuts are his favorite, along with bird seed.

“I enjoy seeing him every day,” she said. “I really do.”

However, Fred has been known to stop traffic along Clements Bridge Road.

“I could be in my house and hear ‘beep beep’ and think, ‘Uh oh, Fred’s on the street,'” Kim said.

“He’s like the mascot of the town,” said Bill Lombardi of Deptford. “But it bothers the cars. He pecks at the sides of cars.”

Across the street from DHY Motorsports, numerous instances of the turkey causing trouble were caught on camera.

In one clip he can be seen chasing a customer in the parking lot.

“He picks at your car and just follows you. And when you run, he runs,” said Kristin Coryell, who works at DHY Motorsports.

Plus they call him Tom there.

“I know he has a few other names, but Tom the turkey just seems to fit,” she said. “We love him, but he’s a bit of an idiot.”

While his antics have garnered some attention, his human companions hope he sticks around for a while and certainly hope he doesn’t end up as Thanksgiving dinner.

“When he’s feeling particularly frisky, a lot of people like to say, ‘Oh, I’ll put him on my dining room table and eat him.’ But we don’t like that kind of talk,” Coryell said.

Deptford has a local ordinance that prohibits feeding wildlife in parks and council property.

Turkeys can become aggressive, especially during mating season.

Years ago, wild turkeys were considered obsolete in South Jersey. Because of wildlife recovery efforts, there are now 20,000 wild turkeys throughout the state.

“NJDEP Fish & Wildlife discourages supplemental feeding of wildlife as it is not necessary to maintain wildlife populations,” the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement. “People should remember that deer, turkeys and other wildlife are and have been adapted to withstand harsh weather conditions such as deep snow, cold temperatures and high winds. Feeding wild animals can also cause them to become dependent on humans, ultimately reducing their chances of survival. Local ordinances can also make feeding wildlife illegal.”