Intimidating residents. Vandalizing property. Obstructing traffic. Trespassing.

Altogether, it’s an impressive rap sheet for a culprit that can’t be taken away in handcuffs — not if the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has anything to say about it.

In the past 10 years, the original roost of a half-dozen wild turkeys in Davis has grown to at least 80 birds that prowl the city for an easy meal.

Turkey troubles are on the rise in Davis, and city staffers say it might be time to crack down on the growing population.

“It’s reached a new plateau this year,” said John McNerney, the city’s wildlife resource specialist. “We’re at a point where people can’t deal with it anymore.”

Wild turkeys first came to Davis in 2006, when a handful made their home near the Davis Cemetery in East Davis. Now, the city monitors a roost in the Covell Park neighborhood in North Davis and a population that circulates in West Davis.

The birds — non-natives introduced by the state Department of Fish and Game for hunting in the 1960s — likely wandered into town from their original habitat on nearby farms and along Putah Creek, McNerney explained.

Within two years, the flock more than doubled. That growth led the city to alert the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which sent game wardens to capture about half the flock. The solution, however, was temporary.

By 2010, the turkey population had rebounded to more than 20 birds, and the city called for another capture. The second attempt, however, was less successful, with some of the turkeys having learned how to evade pursuers, McNerney said.

In the meantime, the birds have poured into neighborhoods that border parks. Young males are known to peck at cars that shine their reflections while others perch atop homes and cars, leaving behind droppings and scratch marks.

As the flock populations rise, traffic complaints are increasing as well, McNerney said. Turkey crossings have stopped traffic on Pole Line Road, East Eighth Street and East Covell Boulevard.

In North Davis, dogs aren’t the only animals chasing after the mail truck as letter carriers have become another target of the turkeys. While the birds aren’t physically aggressive, the sight of a 16-pound adult male bird puff up and unfurl its feathers can be intimidating, McNerney said.

Pointing to a video recorded on his phone, resident Bill Reinecke has seen the bird troubles first-hand. In the video, a mail truck delivering to a home adjacent to a park quickly attracts the attention of a dozen wild turkeys. The birds surround the small white truck, blocking the doorways.

“Our mail carrier, she’s been attacked a few times and carries a stick to keep them away,” Reinecke said.

Meanwhile, other carriers simply won’t deliver in parts of the neighborhood, McNerney said, asking residents to pick up their mail at the post office. The Davis postmaster declined to comment.

One of the more outspoken neighbors against the turkeys, Reinecke has written multiple letters to city leaders, urging them to confront the growing issues he sees.

“I want to see the city thin the herd out,” Reinecke said. “They’re dirty, they’re a nuisance.”

At the same time, it’s not uncommon to see locals excitedly cooing at the birds, grabbing their phones for a quick photo.

“People enjoying watching them and their antics,” McNerney said.

A Covell Park resident of almost 20 years, Walter Boyce has watched the rise of the turkeys and consequent destruction of his front-yard landscaping. Bird droppings and torn-up plants are a frequent sight at his home.

“I like ’em, there’s probably too many … but I’d hate to see them all gone,” Boyce said.

Some residents look out for the turkeys tenderly, said Boyce, recalling an injured hen that lives in the park. When the hen — notorious for missing a foot — laid her eggs, residents set up a tent for her nest and left extra food, he said.

“It’s a love/hate relationship with everyone in the neighborhood,” Boyce said.

With turkey talk at an all-time high, McNerney is working with state wildlife officials on a plan that could trap and relocate some of the birds. The city would pay for the labor involved in trapping the birds — likely with nets and food traps — and DFW would help receive and relocate the birds.

A proposal for urban hunting and trapping has been dropped, McNerney said.

For now, residents who want to move the birds along are advised to engage in turkey hazing — such as stomping, clapping or shouting at the birds.

McNerney also urged residents to stop feeding the birds and to remove their bird feeders for a couple of weeks if they notice turkeys nearby. With less consistent food sources, the turkeys could return to their more-nomadic feeding habits, he said.

— Reach Felicia Alvarez at [email protected] or 530-747-8052. Follow her on Twitter at @Felicia_A_