FOXBORO, MA (NECN)  – Residents in Foxboro, Massachusetts, say a group of wild turkeys is terrorizing the town, and they are concerned after several people reported being chased and attacked.

The bold birds are often found in the wooded areas of Foxboro, but lately, they have been spotted in more populated areas, including Mechanic Street.

Debra Sabourin said she was out for an afternoon walk last week when a trio of turkeys started following her.

“One of them actually flapped his wings, jumped off the ground and dropkicked me with both of his feet,” Sabourin said.

Eventually, a neighbor noticed and helped her fend them off by throwing boots at the birds from her porch.

“I just chucked the first set and it didn’t quite work they were still going,” Meg Nelson said. “So I tried the other boot and they backed off a little bit.”

Foxboro Animal Control has received more than a dozen calls about the birds, and they showed up at a retirement home. The key is to approach the turkeys in a way that will make them scatter.

“They can be intimidating but when people retreat or run [from them] it makes them bolder,” Sue Thibedeau, an Animial Control officer, said. She also says that anyone who is feeding the turkeys needs to stop. Feeding the birds makes them less afraid of humans.What others are clicking on: