DIXON, CA (MPG) - In case you are new to Dixon, there is some important information you really need to know, especially now that we are at Thanksgiving. Dixon has turkeys. Wild ones. A lot of them. At this time of year, you can drive down Stratford Avenue or across town on A Street and you will almost undoubtedly see at least a small flock.

This is where I like to give a stern warning to newbies: Do not try to get around a line of stopped cars in a huff. If the problem isn’t as visible as a train, it’s likely that drivers are allowing for a turkey crossing. This morning, drivers were treated to something a little rare: There were 35 of them! And please don’t rush when they have seemed to all get across the street because often there are stragglers who didn’t realize the family had disappeared and suddenly go running across the street to rejoin them.

These turkeys are not protected but a driver would feel pretty bad if you accidentally run one over. And, they are big enough to mess up your car. They are everywhere and are very common across North America. Hunters can shoot them if it is the appropriate season, and he/she has a hunting license – and one is NOT inside the City.

According to the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), wild turkeys have two seasons: The first is November 12 to December 11 and the daily bag limit is one per day of either sex (just one turkey.) The Spring season is March 25 through April 30 and that’s limited to bearded turkeys (older males.) Bearding is almost exclusively in males but rarely, some females and most likely due to a genetic mutation.

“They eat pretty much anything,” said Tacy Currey, long-time Dixon Ag expert. They’ll go after vegetation, seeds, bugs, insects, plants, berries, and even live animals such as snakes or lizards. And, they can get water from morning dew or from just foraging insects.

“They won’t hurt anyone but could ‘attack’ if people look threatening,” Currey added. “During certain seasons they can be territorial. But, their version of attacking is that someone would wind up with superficial wounds.” They are primarily easy-going beasts and at night fall, they go back to trees – a homestead where they are more protected from danger since they can’t see well at night – even though they still can see three times better than a human. But they are not helpless and wild turkeys have been known to fly up to 55 mph in short bursts.

For young children, one can download various turkey sounds on a smartphone that can then be mimicked and can draw turkeys closer to view.

An interesting bit of trivia is that Ben Franklin was more in favor of turkeys as a national emblem than the Bald Eagle. He said the eagle was lazy because it scavenged from other birds and animals. The turkey, he argued, was more respectable and way smarter than what we give them credit for. In addition, during the mating season, their neck actually turns red, white, and blue so are even arguably, patriotic.