I expect you would be in trouble taking a turkey in this manner, because these birds are hardly a lethal threat. Sure, you might get a few cuts, but you can ea

I expect you would be in trouble taking a turkey in this manner, because these birds are hardly a lethal threat. Sure, you might get a few cuts, but you can easily avoid or evade their attacks. If you engage when not strictly necessary, you are likely to be portrayed as the aggressor. The consequences may not be as severe as you might expect from a similar encounter and use of lethal force on a human, but I think in both cases you are expected to walk away from the situation if that option is available to you. I believe in standing your ground, but I don’t live in a state with such laws. Even if I did, you can still expect a lengthy legal process to resolve the dispute. I would expect this to be true regardless of whether you proactively kill a human or a turkey in self defense. You had better be prepared to make a compelling defense of your actions, unless the circumstances are clearly beyond reproach. And they never are anymore, since the lawyers stand to profit by arguing the case.