A wild turkey with a bad attitude is making a name for himself in New Brunswick.

People on Kingsley Road, north of Fredericton, call him Tom.

Tom has carved out a territory including a shelter under an old tractor, a territory he's more than willing to defend.

If passersby stop to have a look, Tom will chase them away. And he's not afraid to take on the big guys.

Tom has been known to chase a car or two.

Janet Lanteigne lives nearby and said the turkey has become part of the community.

"He spends a lot of time in my yard and the neighbours' yard," Lanteigne said.

Janet Lanteigne lives nearby and said the turkey has become part of the community. (CBC)

"It's usually in the morning when I see him. He's out on the road just over here and you can hear the horns honking and people stopping because he's in the road. And when they go to move ahead, he runs after them."

Lanteigne said the turkey is also a bit aggressive around her property, even lurking by the windows, earning Tom a reputation for peeping.

"He's quite a character. He comes in the yard. He likes to look at the hubcaps. I think he sees his reflection. And he will corner you in the house. Keeps me from coming out sometimes until he goes away," she said.

A couple of properties down, Melvin Blizzard told CBC News Tom has become a local celebrity.

"There's a lot of people just drive by, bring their kids, just to see him [when] he's on the side of the road," Blizzard said, "And he's a big animal, bird I mean, when he's fluffed his feathers all up."

After spending last winter in the neighbourhood, Tom seems to want people to know he's here to stay.