So the tom may learn to avoid the 8-year old. What happens when the kid brings friends home from school and the bird attacks them?There is a way to tamp aggression down. I keep an aluminum handle, nylon mesh fish net handy, the handle is about 3 feet long and the net is a bit over 2 feet across. When my tom starts acting in any way aggressive, I grab the fish net and attempt to net him. After doing that daily for about 2 weeks, he will keep a wide distance away from you.
If you are willing to give it a try, have your 8 year old use a fish net and try to catch the tom. He will have to do it daily for a couple of weeks to change the tom's mind. Literally, he should run out the door with fish net in hand and straight at the tom like he's gone berserk, screaming is optional. If he manages to net the tom, keep him netted for at least a couple of minutes and chase him away when he is released. This invokes a turkey's primitive brain to "escape the predator". His instinctive response is to run. The lesson has to be repeated periodically. I chased my tom yesterday and today he won't get within 20 feet of me. Just be careful not to hit his neck hard because it can kill him. I swing at his tail feathers instead. I netted him a couple of times last year until he got the idea. He was NOT Happy, more like Grumpy!
