?? Turkeys & Garden

 
Anybody have experience dealing with the kind of wild turkey common to the
southeastern U.S. relative to his garden? A trio has appeared in our little
green place and I'm trying to determine whether it's a significant hazard to the
veggie patch. If so, I'd like to take advance precautions.
--
Derald

 On 4/14/2011 3:24 PM, Derald wrote:

the

I got curious.  This may help:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/facts/birds/turkey/turkey_conflicts.htm

I imagine wild turkeys are much less destructive than deer who are
usually found in the same type environment and things done to prevent
deer damage would also deter turkeys.

 


    Thanks. I checked out the site and will wait and see whether the birds need
"controlling". Major attractants would by my vegetable garden and the shared
bird/cat feeding stations, of which there are two, on the front porch. Half-inch
netting comes to mind for the garden; Ruger 10-22, for the cat/bird food -- not
really. Far more likely, I'd probably try to lure them into my homebrew havahart
and foist them onto some willing do-gooders. Yard cats and redtail hawks pretty
well keep squirrels and rabbits at bay -- relative to the garden, at least;
autos and dogs control the deer efficiently. The turkeys are new to the 'hood.
I'm accustomed to a bean tax to the titmouses and jays but I don't know how
willing I'll be to share with something the size of turkey and I surely don't
want to be dealing with "tame" turkeys.

 


southeastern U.S. relative to his garden?
              and

well versed in both and used the one with a bit of butter and honey to
baste the other... so if you can let loose with that 10-22 w/o
attracting too much attention, I would be stoking the smoker his
weekend.  But that is a matter of taste.

Know true wild turkey are not that destructive, actually pretty sneaky
to where you wouldn't know they were around.  Yet, when there is
overpopulation, man or beast....

 Derald wrote:

the

  we do not have feeders of any kind
other than what is grown here as
ornamentals.  it would be raccoon/
possum/skunk/cat/etc food and we
sure don't need to encourage those!  :)

  turkeys eat about anything they
can grub up (omnivores).

  i've never seen turkeys active at
night.  so if you are out and about
in the yard during the day that seems
to keep them away.

  we usually have flocks of 30+ in
the farm fields all around here, but
in 14 years we've not ever seen them
in the yard.

  i've never actually tried to
stalk them to see how close i can
get, but normally they don't come
closer than 100+ yards.

  so unless you have tame turkeys
that someone has been feeding you'll
probably be ok if you are out in
your yard once in a while.


  songbird