I’m still surprised to find people, even (or perhaps especially) within the hunting community who don’t like wild turkeys. Perhaps it’s because they tried hunting them and failed. Or maybe it’s because they hold onto long-dispelled and outdated myths. Let’s look at a few.

They scare deer away. Sure, they might displace deer from a specific spot. What animal isn’t intimidated by a noisy bunch of birds? Conversely, I’ve often seen deer and turkeys feeding side-by-side in the same field, and they seem to get along just fine. One of my best bucks came in moments after a flock of turkeys flew up into the roost.

Turkeys eat deer food. No argument there. They do indeed share a diet, to some extent. But deer can feed 24/7 while turkeys only feed during daylight. In a year with good mast crops there are always some nuts left over come spring, which is where you’ll find turkeys. In years of poor mast crops, the deer still found a way to survive even before turkeys were reintroduced — the key word being “reintroduced.”

Maybe you’re less of a hunter and more of a farmer, and those flocks in the field are eating your crop. Look again. The biggest flocks — made up largely of hens and poults — converge in late summer and fall. Young birds especially need a high-protein diet consisting largely of insects and invertebrates. Sure, the birds in the barrens may take a taste of blueberries, but they’re far more interested in eating the pests that could ruin your crop.

They don’t belong here. They were here when the pilgrims landed and a long time before. As an aside, the first Thanksgiving probably included a lot more scoters and eider than turkeys, but I digress. They were a lot more numerous when much of New England was converted from forest to farmland. Subsistence hunting, the industrial revolution and the resultant return of northern forests likely depleted their numbers and eventually led to local extirpation. They’ve been re-introduced to their native range and are again flourishing.

If none of the above are on your list of cons, maybe you tried to take on Old Tom and failed to fell a fowl. That’s no reason to dislike them. Think of it not as a disincentive but a motivation. They beat you once and they may do it again, but in the hunting game, they only get to lose once.

Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and Registered Maine Guide who lives in Pownal. He can be reached at: [email protected]