posted 04-05-2005 10:38 PM         

MENOMINEE, Mich. - A group of turkeys has been trotting around the city, chasing kids, startling motorists and loitering at people's homes. Authorities were notified, the EagleHerald reported, and after a slew of complaints, a hunt ensued.

"It's been keeping us on our toes," said Mike Baker, public service officer for the Menominee Police Department.

Two turkeys were captured by state Department of Natural Resources employees and turned loose in Menominee. One disappeared. Another turned up as a carcass on a city street, the newspaper reported.

A fifth, nicknamed Gertrude by a local family, also has disappeared.

Another group of marauding turkeys was found in nearby Marinette, Wis., but they appear to coexist well with residents.

"There have been no problems whatsoever," said Joe Rossley, Marinette's animal control and code enforcement officer.

The sight of turkeys in the city may be mostly in the past for the time being. In the spring, turkeys typically begin nesting and they like to do that in rural or wooded areas, not in backyards.

"A lot of wild instincts take over in the spring," says Craig Albright, a wildlife biologist with the DNR. "Most of the time they scatter about. It makes for a very exciting spring turkey hunt."

Turkey hunting season in Michigan starts in April. In fall and winter, turkeys may flock to more urban areas where residents, initially delighted with the novelty of a backyard turkey invitation, feed them.

"Turkeys seem to find cities to their liking, especially if they can find food," Albright said. "They're not afraid of people or traffic."

Turkeys have found the southwestern Upper Peninsula to be a prime breeding ground. But the birds are not native to the area. But Albright said turkeys were introduced to Menominee County in the early 1960s.

"We're about 200 miles north of their range," Albright said. "They've got to be able to scratch to the ground surface and forage.