Does anyone know of a good, tried way to get rid of wild turkeys in their yard? Also, is there any proven method that you know of that keeps then away?
I never saw wild turkeys before, just heard about them, then thought they only hung out in woods, not in housing areas
My husband chases them away and yells at them, but they keep coming back,
We’re going to try a water gun next. We’re getting a dog , but waiting until after I have surgery.
We usually have the regular bunch of 19-21 of them at one time.

A no soliciting sign?

You could get one of these anti-turkey self defense rods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MjgQiYyApo

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/08/12/633065620/growers-are-beaming-over-the-success-of-lasers-to-stave-off-thieving-birds

You can go for an expensive, automated professional solution or you can buy a high-power laser pointer and do it yourself from a lawn chair.

https://www.dragonlasers.com/Bird-Control-with-Laser-Pointers.html

This will cost a couple of hundred bucks and won't harm the birds.

What’s wrong with them? I think they’re super cute.

They’re in our yard constantly. One or two is OK, not up to about 21.Theyre always in groups. We have droppings all over the car, the windscreen, and the car door/ handles,droppings all over the front porch, steps. It’s hard getting rid of it in the Winter, as if you use a water hose on the steps to wash it off, it turns to ice within half an hour, dangerous and a liability.
There’s some neat ideas here, some cool lasers.
The mailman video is funny, but I know not for him

They are an annoyance alright. They are not native to this area but were introduced into the foothills of the Rockies a quarter century ago. They have adapted well. Lethbridge has them in the river valley but thankfully not out here on my farm yet. Should they show up they will be dealt with.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2019 06:43PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

I'm not sure how well it works for Wild Turkeys, but it does a fairly good job for deer. What is it you might ask? Predator (Coyote, Cougar) urine. And yes, you can buy it and not have to collect it yourself:

https://www.amazon.com/Predator-Pee-100-Mountain-Urine/dp/B01AH4RV32

If that doesn't work, eat them.

I wish I had wild Turkeys in my yard.

I have Wild Turkey in my liquor cabinet. On the rocks or with a splash is the best way I've found to get rid of them.

stillanon Wrote:
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> I have Wild Turkey in my liquor cabinet. On the
> rocks or with a splash is the best way I've found
> to get rid of them.

After a few glasses of 101 proof Wild Turkey you don't give a damn what's wondering around in the yard.

True that!

I can send you some, how many would you like? I counted 15 on Sunday in the walk between my house and the neighbors.

I wish the Canada goose was taken off the protective list. They're categorized as "migratory water fowl," except they don't migrate. They hang around everywhere --parks, playgrounds, golf courses, playing fields--haven't migrated in decades, and "fowl" up the place with their droppings.

And don't run over one of the stupid things, even by accident. It's a federal offence. I say hunt them, butcher them, and give the meat to homeless shelters and food pantries.

We were watching a wild life show on TV, featuring Maine game wardens. Someone ran over a beaver ,around midnight in a parking lot ,of all places. They spent weeks looking for the person who did it, so they could arrest him.
They have dead squirrels all over, including an occasional cat or dog.
They don’t do anything about those animals. I didn’t know about geese either.
I don’t hunt. I think you can only kill turkeys with a bow, not sure though.
We’re going to call the NH fish and wild life people. I know we can’t shoot or hunt around the house. I also don’t know which property is private or public.
There’s just too many here. I remember when we lived in NJ, the wild geese stayed in a pond near the house and always left gross , green droppings everywhere,
I once went for a walk and a flock flew over and I just narrowly escaped getting hit by droppings

Eat them.

A dog would work.

We had a meeting with wine and cheese snacks in our home with all of the neighbors and the official in charge of wildlife in our county. She was from the California State Fish and Game Commission. She gave us Depredation Permits to kill the turkeys but it wasn't necessary.

That's because an electrician doing work in our home was a member of an association which preserves and hunts them. He offered to take them if my husband could catch them. We caught about 80 over a few seasons and he took them to a lovely island where they had hundreds of acres to play, find plentiful food, and trickling streams.

The area is now teaming with turkeys and the Wild Turkey Federation might do limited hunting there.

Our turkey trap was about eight feet tall and probably 12 feet in diameter. It had a nice perch for those who had to stay overnight. We used dried corn from the feed store as bait and gave them water which had to be replaced because they quickly messed in it and spilled it.

The turkeys don't bother us anymore since a fox came into our yard and gave them a horrific fright. That fox wanted to grab one but they squawked and flew to the roof tops and that group never returned. Now we hear them gobble once in a while but they don't venture close. I'm glad because their claws can damage roofs and it's no fun to clean up the smelly messes in the street or on our deck.

I saw a great documentary about wild turkeys on PBS called, "My life as a turkey." It's about a biologist, Joe Hutto, who raised wild turkeys from eggs in the Florida woods. It's one of the best nature documentaries I've ever seen and worth watching.

My Life as a Turkey
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvccpd

Great video!

What about an electronic fence? Motion detectors? Just some thoughts.

Where do you live, out in the country, on the edge of a small town, in the middle of a small, medium or large town?

Is hunting legal and a viable option? Y/N, call your State department of Fish and Game. There are programs to address nuisance wild game.

We live about 10 minutes from the town centre, on a rural like road. There are a lot of houses, but they’re further apart than the houses in town.
The town itself is about 7,000 people, I think.
We just moved here a couple of months ago.
I never saw wild turkeys before, nor thought they’d be out in 9 degree weather.
The good thing is that Winter gets dark earlier, so they’re gone until the next morning
When we get our dog, it’ll chase them away,
Yes, hunting is legal and popular here
We hear guns go off a lot.
I don’t like gamey meat, don’t even like domestic turkey meat
I know places like Maine are more strict on what you shoot and when.
The urine idea sounds nice, but afraid our whole yard will smell like a skunk, keeping everyone away, besides just turkeys.
We have a lot of deer too, but I’m used to them
I haven’t seen any moose yet.

Our house was built in wild turkey territory. They were here long before we came along. When we showed our kids the lot we had bought, a flock of wild turkeys attacked the car and tried to drive us away.

Once we moved in to our new house, I tried to drive the turkeys away. Nothing worked. Don't waste water squirting them with a hose. They just went up onto our roof.

Finally I made my peace. They come in mid-February and stay until fall. I have bird feeders and I toss out seed for them at the corner of our yard, which is open to California grasslands. We clean up their poop and regard it as just one price we pay for living in such a beautiful place. I watch over the chicks, who inevitably get eaten by predators, and gave up trying to keep peace among the males.

There is no solution. They have a primordial right to the land. Feed them or not, clean up after them, relandscape the yard to minimize turkey damage, and live with it.

These are dark times indeed when folks go about hating wild birds. We have a flock of them in my town, and they are seen all over the place, in people's yards, by the creek, and in the parks.

Roseville Parkway. Coming from a little over an hour away where we do not have them it was fun.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2019 10:23AM by mav.

Benjamin Franklin argued to make them our national bird.
Dogs ran off the ones we had living on our place at one time.
They are excellent eating. Fried or smoked, makes excellent quisine.

I’m told they taste nasty.

As far as just living with nature, their numbers aren’t natural.
We’ve eliminated predators and given them food sources.

If we want nature, bring back cougars and wolves to our neighborhoods, and stop feeding them.

I haven't tried to eat wild turkey but I don't think I'd like the wild flavor.

The numbers of turkeys I've seen tearing through yard and leaving messes is not normal or natural. I think you're right. It's because there are fewer predators.

That's why the Fish and Game Commission officer didn't object to doing away with some of them. Her only concern was that some neighbors might object. They all wanted the excessive population thinned. The turkeys are better off where they live now, on a huge island with resources they need and not in our neighborhood. The balance here is much more livable than when we had 30 to 50 birds at time fighting it our in our yards.

We saw one scary fight over a hen in which one tom had swallowed another tom's head. We could see the outline of the whole of it halfway down the one tom's throat. The bigger tom with the big mouth won the right to breed and the other guy skulked off into the bushes after retrieving his head.

We have trouble with buzzards roosting on top of our house and trees. We've tried to get rid of them. When I go out the door, they walk over to the edge of the roof to look at me. Nasty birds!

I have to ask....

As God is your witness, can they fly?????

They'd rather walk if they can.

That was one of the funniest shows.

preparing the turkey for the oven or the spit is bloody, messy, and a lot of work

I would prefer wild turkey over almost any meat.except maybe bobwhite. And I've had it all. Where I live wildTurkey's have been in decline no matter what the Game & Fish do.Almost everyone I know hunts them.
They're one of the easiest to clean and prepare also. No wild taste either.Of course the only thing we consume is the breast. If someone invites you too a meal of Wild Turkey breast it is considered a privilege.

Had them all, eh? What about bear and moose? Do you hunt them , or just buy the meat? If so, what kind of firearm and ammo do you use?
What about a Glock 20, 10mm? I heard that you can use that, others say no
I don’t like shotguns or rifles, too awkward ( for me, that is)
My husband does, but I love handguns, easy for me.
I was just wondering

Shoot a bear or a moose with a 10mm and you better be running away. It just pisses them off.

That’s what I heard too, on the “ nay” side.Id be too afraid to try that.
I’d be too afraid to get near a bear or moose anyway.
I haven’t seen any turkeys in two days, single digit and below out

good but ugh. Then there were fish too...

Processing any wild game is a bloody mess. Before "meat" stores, that is how we all got our meat. Trying to coerce the turkeys to leave probably won't work. For those who want to go through the trouble of trapping and relocating them, that might work. Make sure all the young ones are picked up too.

Other options are a dog, who will probably get a hold of 1 or 2...and will make a bloody mess, shoot them-if you can legally, or poison them, which I am sure is the least popular option here

Think of them as pushy Mormon missionaries who won't take no for an answer. You drive that kind away by being assertive and establishing your dominance on your own property. Those wild turkeys will respond but it takes time. If you have bird feeders and spilled seed, get rid of that so they aren't coming in for a free meal. When they enter the yard run at them making lots of noise and motion. Get an umbrella and run at them opening and closing it. Don't be intimidated by their size and numbers. They need to learn to be afraid of you and will identify your property as a place they don't like. It takes time.

Ok. Maybe not all. I've not had caribou yet. But bear yes. Elk and moose yum-yum. Venison is common table fare at my house.
Pheasant, wild goose, duck, antelope, wild hog, and an occasional gator tail, maybe rattlesnake once a year. But by far wild turkey is the best. Its lean and dry so you have to cook it right.
Smoked or fried Wild turkey, grilled asparagus, or sauteed morels on the side. A glass of homemade wine all set in front of A roaring fire in the wood stove. It don't get much better!
Isn't it illegal to sell wild game? So, yes, I hunt.

I tell ya what. Y'all let me come hunt them and I'll show you how to cook them.
Seriously, though,If you just want them gone go to your local sporting good store or tractor supply and get an owl decoy and maybe an owl call. Set it on an elevated place where they'll see it, and blow the call for effect. They shouldn't come back...

A decoy sounds good. We used to see a falcon flying around outside one of the Air Force bases we lived on. That base did have a lot of birds flying around. The birds like to follow planes that take off and fly around it for a while. If they get sucked up in an engine, it’ll damage the engine and can cause it to crash.
A few people told us the base bought it (or something like that ), since birds are afraid of falcons. They fly above them undetected, then dive down for their attack on them,
Probably where they got the name “ Falcon” for the F16 fighter jet
Didn’t think of a decoy or a whistle for the turkeys

The great barred owl is a natural enemy to wild turkey.
We call them Hoot owls and before turkey season we imitate their sound (usually with our mouth)to locate a gobbler in a roost tree so we can be ready to call him in when they fly down in the morning during turkey season.
I don't know what your seasons and bag limits are there but here its two cobblers all season. No hens, no jakes(young gobblers). It's not unusual for several hunters to be hunting the same bird.Now many go out of state to hunt these magnificent birds.
If y'all decide to bag any, please do not use a hand gun or rifle. They will fly off wounded before expiring. A 12 gauge full choke shotgun with at least #4 shot or bigger load. And Cheryl is right, you must aim for the head, otherwise they run off and you damage the edible portions of the bird.
I'd rather have turkeys in my yard than Mormons...

A 20 gauge......

It's against the law too shoot off a firearm within the city limits where I live. It's against the law to shoot wildlife. Not that it stops criminals who shoot people . . .

A person would have to trap a turkey and cut off its head to kill it.

Turkeys are silly birds. They walk into a trap and immediately forget where the doorway is. They try to find any other way out and thrash about in a crazy way until they give up and wait for release.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2019 07:54AM by Cheryl.

"They walk into a trap and immediately forget where the doorway is."


Some kind of religious metaphor?

A bow.

I'm in eastern Washington in pine forests where turkey numbers are exploding. Several people have told me they taste nasty - maybe it depends on their diet.

I'm sure if you smoke them or cook in enough grease, they'll be edible, but same with horse manure. I still say horse manure isn't that good.

With any pest, the first thing to do is remove any attraction. Certainly don't feed them. Not only will you attract them, but higher planes of nutrition usually lead to increased reproduction.

We had a backyard pond as a water source. Got rid of that and didn't have turkeys last year.

Otherwise, shotguns or bows, with guillotine broadhead arrows.

Obviously not for everyone.

Humans have killed off their natural predators or they've been introduced into areas where they don't have any predators. If they can't find food, they'll move into the city looking for something to eat. If nobody bothers them, they'll stay.

Wolves, cougars, and bears are the only apex predators left in North America after the end of the Ice Age.

Mother Nature gave them a job to do and they should be left alone to do it -- unlike this article

http://www.wildturkeyreport.com/turkey-management:-most-wanted

I have never killed an animal to eat it. My parents have, but I am not able to.

I can buy meat in the store, or poultry or fish. But not kill a live animal to butcher it. I haven't been hungry enough or in a position where I've needed to, thankfully.

If the wild turkeys were bothering my home that much I'd try and find a way to get them off the property without killing them.

Like maybe an electric fence or something like that, if it works.