Every winter, wild turkeys wander their way from the nearby mountains to the streets of Mendon.
They used to be a fun sight, Mayor Ed Buist said.
Then, the small rafter — the official term for a group of turkeys — grew. Buist said a dozen became 60, 60 became 100, and that 100 grew into “a big problem.”
As they multiplied, so did their destruction.
“They’re big enough that they break branches off of trees. Bushes get messed up. If people have fake berries on wreaths, well, those berries are off of them, and oftentimes the wreaths are ruined,” Buist said. “Not to speak of the landmines that they leave around that aren’t pleasant.”
Still, he said, people feed the terrorizers.
“We have had issues with citizens feeding them and the city deer,” he said. “It does get quite frustrating to some of the citizens.”
The municipality’s turkey troubles served as the impetus for the Cache County Council to pass an ordinance that bans people from “intentionally or knowingly” feeding wildlife on unincorporated county land, which includes parcels between Mendon and the nearby Wellsville Mountains.
“This comes from, originally, the county sheriff,” said county policy analyst Andrew Erickson. “Specifically, the reason why the sheriff requested this is due to an excessive amount of wild turkeys out in Mendon. Apparently, people like to feed them.”
There are some codified exemptions for people feeding certain birds, farmers distributing feed for their livestock, and some other specific situations, but the rule — approved unanimously during a May 12 council meeting — could mean penalties for people supplying sustenance to turkeys or other wild animals.
At first offense, violators may get a verbal warning and have 48 hours to remove the food from where wild animals can reach it. If someone commits another offense within a year, they could be issued an infraction.
After wild-animal feeders are given three citations within 12 months, or if they keep giving food to wild animals for more than 30 days after being told to stop, they could face a class B misdemeanor.
In Utah, infractions can carry fines of up to $750. Class B misdemeanors can come with up to $1,000 in fines and up to six months in jail.
“But,” Erickson said, “not sure how often a judge will impose that.”
“‘What are you in for?’” council member Keegan Garrity joked. “‘Feeding turkeys.’”
Dane Murray, the interim Cache County attorney, said he doesn’t aim to criminalize “generally really good, upstanding citizens.”
“I think it’s good that the first offense is just a warning, and that also gives the sheriff’s deputies some time to think about it and look at the totality of the circumstances,” he said.
When people feed wild animals, the creatures often return and get close to highways or towns and even in neighborhoods, according to Faith Jolley, spokesperson for the state Division of Wildlife Resources.
Feeding turkeys, she added, is “highly discouraged” because it can cause public safety concerns, lead to the spread of various diseases and potentially harm turkeys that are given unfamiliar foods.
For Buist, the new county ordinance is a welcome change.
“I personally think it’s a good thing,” he said.