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What to do.... oh, what to do..........................

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Yep, quite a quandary.

We've had wild turkeys walking through and living on and off on our property for years. I've posted some pictures of them from time to time. Wy wife and I have become quite fond of them, but this year they are presenting quite a problem. They feed here almost all day long. The turkey poop is all around. We can deal with that. They eat much of the bird seed for the other brids. We can deal with that. They have ruined some roofing shingles. We can deal with that. They are starting to roost very near the house and we are about to be grandparents again.... which will probably give yus close to 35 to 40 turkeys. We can't deal with that many. They are beginning to ruin all of our plants, place their dirt in areas we can't maintain and are starting to lose the battle.

My wife has suggested we get a trusted archer in that has come highly recommended. I don't want to do that. To me, that is like setting an ambush. They've been coming here for over 20 years. They feel safe and almost talk to us and to me feel somewhat an extension of our 'woodsie' family. We have raccoons, opossums, fox, neighborhood cats, all kinds of birds, squirrels, gophers, chipmunks, moles, voles, rabbits, snakes, frogs, turtles, egrets, sheep two doors down, cows across the road, peacocks that walk freely around the area and I'm sure I'm letting some out, but to me... I can't believe that someone that can't even kill a 'Stink Bug' wants to kill off our turkeys. :covereyes:

My practice was going to be to buy inchers.... firecrackers and set them off and slowly scare them away. They'll be too afraid to come back. An old-timer told me that was the best way to do it without hurting them. However, I can't legally get them in my state, let alone anywhere nearby until I get to South Carolina.

Anybody have any other home-remedies for getting rid of turkeys without killing them ?? :help


Here are some pictures of some of them from a while back.
turkey showing off.jpg turkeys displaying.jpg turkeys getting ready to cook out.jpg turkeys in drive.jpg turkeys in meeting.jpg
 
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WrapperX

New Member
Well if you're looking for a non lethal solution I can't help you - however - I don't think Turkeys are the smartest of Gods feathered creatures so if you pick them off slowly to control their numbers then they are much more manageable and if you do it slowly over a period of time they probably wouldn't even notice the dwindling of numbers. Maybe Start setting traps and have yourself some Turkey Dinner once a month or once every two months.
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
Contact your local office of the State Game Commission - Wildlife Agency. In many cases they will come out and periodically set off some M-80's or equivalent. In some cases you may be able to get some from them for that very purpose.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
If you were down here you could run an ad for a guided turkey hunt and people would pay you to come shoot turkeys in your front yard.

Since you're looking for non-lethal and you can't get firecrackers might I suggest you build yourself a potato cannon?
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
......Since you're looking for non-lethal and you can't get firecrackers might I suggest you build yourself a potato cannon?

:clapping:

Tennis ball canon might work better. They may start liking the potatoes being delivered and the tennis balls are easily retrieved and easily reused when needed.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
...oh yeah, you've got a lot of yard to cover but water sprinklers would probably work. Turn them on when you see turkeys, turn them off when they go poop on your neighbors lawn.
 

letterman7

New Member
Geez, Gino.... that there is some good food for a food pantry. They probably aren't the same birds as years progress, they just get used to feeding in one spot. Short of someone with a nice accurate air rifle (hint), simply run towards them with an air horn when they gather. A day or two of that should do the trick.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
....and please set up a video camera of you running through the yard at the crack of dawn wearing a bathrobe and bunny slippers honking an air horn. Please?!:ROFLMAO:
 

TheSellOut

New Member
I'm not sure this remedy will even work on turkeys and it won't get rid of them, but it might just help save your plants or keep them out of area's you don't want them. Every Spring my father is welcomed by a huge gaggle of geese that take a hiatus in the pond out back of his house. For years the crapped all throughout his back yard until a friend let him on to this trick. Using stakes and a fishing line, run a fence at about breast height for the birds and they won't cross it. My Father thought his friend was nuts thinking why won't they just fly over it, but he tried it anyways and to our amazement it works like a charm.
 

tintguy31794

New Member
All seem like good suggestions to me. My first thought was an airhorn/car horn/ chasing off with a four wheeler and an air horn. It seems like you like them enough you don't mind spending money to fix what they break, you just don't want them close the the babies. Maybe you could start feeding them further away from your house.
 

tcorn1965

New Member
Gino,
You are forgetting the obvious...lol...Can the real...Mosh...putz (as Gino would put it) Please stand up!
 

signage

New Member
If you are a good shot just shoot to miss! This should get rid of them, now if you are not that good of a shot then you may have turkey a couple of times!)))))))))))))))))))))
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
You need a SIGN.

They make those cute little deer crossing signs so the deer know where to cross the road. It should work the same for turkeys.

Just place the signs where you want the turkeys to congregate. Problem solved.

JB
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Or....how about making some life size "standees" of some "hot young hens" and set them around for the toms. Put them far enough away from the house. They'll stay occupied for days and won't be a bother.


JB
 
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