TOMS RIVER, N.J. — There was a time when Don Kliem enjoyed feeding sunflower seeds and millet to the wild turkeys that wandered near his ranch-style house in Toms River, N.J., a coastal town about 75 miles south of New York.

“But then they got very bold,” said Mr. Kliem, 81. “They would knock on the door — peck on it to get our attention.”

There would be no more snacks.

The turkeys amble in large groups across roads, stubbornly unaffected by a chorus of car horns. They perch on rooftops, make themselves at home in backyards and peck at their feathered reflections in shiny car bumpers. Some people have declared them a menace.