Turkeys attacking the elderly in Toms River — can’t they just shoot ‘em? (Opinion)

There’s something really frightening happening in the holiday city section of Toms River. A group of 40 to 50 huge wild turkeys have been terrorizing the residence of this over 55 neighborhood. Some have been complaining of fear of leaving the house. Others have said once they get somewhere they’re afraid to open the car door because these menacing turkeys are surrounding their car waiting for them to get out.

It may sound funny, but it’s actually demoralizing and to the weak, frail, or elderly, it’s downright scary. So far, authorities have been able to do nothing about it because local law enforcement is not trained in dealing with wildlife. How are these people supposed to defend themselves? It’s a shame that they’re not allowed to shoot them. But you’re barely allowed to shoot a human attacker in this state.

Can’t we make an exception for the elderly? Wild turkeys can weigh between 16 and 24 pounds and run 20 miles an hour— that’s way faster than a lot of people who live in an over 55 community. A wild turkey flinging himself against an unsuspecting aged person can do some serious damage.

Even though New Jersey has some of the the strictest gun laws in the country, we’ve got to allow these residents to protect themselves. The same way you should be able to defend yourself against a human attacker, killing a turkey who attacks you should be legal. Self defense should be a legal right here in New Jersey, especially when it comes to brazen attacking turkeys vs actual human beings.

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