According to MassWildlife, today there are between 31,000 and 35,000 of these birds across the state. In 1978, there were approximately 1,000 birds across the state.  the urban birds continue to flourish in New England. Now wildlife agencies across the region are tasked with managing both the Wild Turkeys and their human neighbors to make sure encounters don’t go awry. The answer, biologists say, is simple: “We just need to stop feeding them”