In the last decade, our area has seen more and more wild turkey, the feathered kind. At first it seemed they would be here in the summer, but then die out over winter. This is changing.
Winter has hit here, with lots of snow on the ground, cold temperature. Yesterday we saw a harvested corn field with at least 50 turkeys sitting in it.
I have never had one by the house (we live in the country), but with increasing populations of them, they could possibly encroach on our garden that is "out back". Has anyone had any problems with them? Or had any positives from them?
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Lily - such huge numbers of wild turkey could indeed cause damage to your garden and landscaping. They really are amazing birds to watch. Love when the males fill their beards with blood and strut their stuff. Typical male - strut their stuff! IDK how you feel about hunting. G has a hunting camp in north east Louisiana. The wild turkey are ridiculous. Seriously all over the place. Fanning their tails and puffing their beards. Some of those old guys have 15" to 20" beards. Big old boys. Not worth c**p for eating - WAY to rangy and tough. Younger males and hens are MUCH better for eating. G has a beautiful fan mounted in his den. There is nothing wrong with using nature's bounty for food. I would not be happy with turkey tearing up my garden or beds.. In the pot. Because wild turkey is so lean it requires brining and larding in order to be edible. G has smoked wild turkey in order to use the meat for flavoring in other dishes. Yeah - I have probably grossed you out. So sorry.
Just talked to G. He is on a deer stand but has not seen any thing.
What were we talking about - oh - wild turkey - seriously good eating- will tear up your beds and your garden if not controlled. Wild turkey gumbo is high on my list.
Just talked to G. He is on a deer stand but has not seen any thing.
What were we talking about - oh - wild turkey - seriously good eating- will tear up your beds and your garden if not controlled. Wild turkey gumbo is high on my list.
We have many hunters in the family, so no, talk of shooting turkeys does not bother me.
At least so far I have only seen them out in fields, not by homes.
They are supposedly difficult animals to hunt, as they are very wary.
havent heard any farmers talk about them as they do deer and groundhogs, so maybe they don't really affect fields as they would gardens.
At least so far I have only seen them out in fields, not by homes.
They are supposedly difficult animals to hunt, as they are very wary.
havent heard any farmers talk about them as they do deer and groundhogs, so maybe they don't really affect fields as they would gardens.
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Turkeys were introduced 
into California in the '50s as hunting prey. This article ran in my local paper earlier in the fall explaining the situation.
Sure, one can acquire a "depredation permit" from DFG, but then one is trapped (ha ha). No shooting of firearms is allowed within city limits! I live within the city limits of El Cerrito, so what good would such a permit be here?
In early 2011 (either January or February) I was walking two dogs around the block. We were heading north on the other long side of the block when, in the distance at the intersection of our local throughway and the residential street "the girls" and I were on, I spotted a local flock of ten turkeys. They were digging up plants in two front yards. "The girls" (both Bernese Mtn Dogs) went ON POINT SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Berners are not hunting dogs, never have been. I've never even held a firearm (yep, one of those, even though an uncle on my mother's side was a military policeman and five generations of men on my dad's side have been career military). Yet there I was, holding back maybe a total of 130 to 135 pounds of eager, fully aroused Bernese Mountain Dogs ready, just ready, to chase / scatter / who knows what else... those turkeys. "Oh, yeah, Mom, let us at 'em!!!!"
"Uh, no, girls. Turkeys can be nasty and claw you something fierce." But I had an ill dog still at home that I had to get back to, and we were 75% of the way done with the "quick" walk I had envisioned. A woman who lives on that block (same house number as ours but the next street over) was screaming about "being attacked" by the lead male bird. I shouted for her to get an umbrella, but she just couldn't comprehend what I was saying (she's on psychiatric meds; a whole 'nother story involving her destruction of some of my lavender plants a few years ago).
So the girls and I are holding our position; I'm allowing us to advance very s-l-o-w-l-y up the sidewalk, hoping that the sight of two "ready to pounce" dogs will encourage the turkeys to move along. In fact, it seemed to play at least a small part in the flock's decision. By the time we were within two or three houses of the flock, they had started ambling further north, across the east/west thoroughfare. Two or three people were shouting at them, so I guess their leisurely destruction of the front yards/plants wasn't as "fun" as they had envisioned.
Eight hens, two toms. No sling-shots in sight. Firearms illegal. Alas....
A couple of months later, the same flock (I recognized the two toms) attacked the next-door neighbors' garden. Mrs. Across the Street, with whom we have a great relationship, called me and said, "You've got to see what's going on next door. Bring one of your dogs." Well, OK! I brought Reliable Girl out on a 6-foot leash. She went ON POINT again. This time I encouraged her to bark and jump at them, although always on leash (she'd get so excited she'd run into traffic if I were to let her off-leash). I also shouted at them. Mrs. Across the Street came down her stairs just in time to "shoo!" them away one last time.
Haven't seen 'em since.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
into California in the '50s as hunting prey. This article ran in my local paper earlier in the fall explaining the situation.Sure, one can acquire a "depredation permit" from DFG, but then one is trapped (ha ha). No shooting of firearms is allowed within city limits! I live within the city limits of El Cerrito, so what good would such a permit be here?
In early 2011 (either January or February) I was walking two dogs around the block. We were heading north on the other long side of the block when, in the distance at the intersection of our local throughway and the residential street "the girls" and I were on, I spotted a local flock of ten turkeys. They were digging up plants in two front yards. "The girls" (both Bernese Mtn Dogs) went ON POINT SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Berners are not hunting dogs, never have been. I've never even held a firearm (yep, one of those, even though an uncle on my mother's side was a military policeman and five generations of men on my dad's side have been career military). Yet there I was, holding back maybe a total of 130 to 135 pounds of eager, fully aroused Bernese Mountain Dogs ready, just ready, to chase / scatter / who knows what else... those turkeys. "Oh, yeah, Mom, let us at 'em!!!!"
"Uh, no, girls. Turkeys can be nasty and claw you something fierce." But I had an ill dog still at home that I had to get back to, and we were 75% of the way done with the "quick" walk I had envisioned. A woman who lives on that block (same house number as ours but the next street over) was screaming about "being attacked" by the lead male bird. I shouted for her to get an umbrella, but she just couldn't comprehend what I was saying (she's on psychiatric meds; a whole 'nother story involving her destruction of some of my lavender plants a few years ago).
So the girls and I are holding our position; I'm allowing us to advance very s-l-o-w-l-y up the sidewalk, hoping that the sight of two "ready to pounce" dogs will encourage the turkeys to move along. In fact, it seemed to play at least a small part in the flock's decision. By the time we were within two or three houses of the flock, they had started ambling further north, across the east/west thoroughfare. Two or three people were shouting at them, so I guess their leisurely destruction of the front yards/plants wasn't as "fun" as they had envisioned.
Eight hens, two toms. No sling-shots in sight. Firearms illegal. Alas....
A couple of months later, the same flock (I recognized the two toms) attacked the next-door neighbors' garden. Mrs. Across the Street, with whom we have a great relationship, called me and said, "You've got to see what's going on next door. Bring one of your dogs." Well, OK! I brought Reliable Girl out on a 6-foot leash. She went ON POINT again. This time I encouraged her to bark and jump at them, although always on leash (she'd get so excited she'd run into traffic if I were to let her off-leash). I also shouted at them. Mrs. Across the Street came down her stairs just in time to "shoo!" them away one last time.
Haven't seen 'em since.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
-
DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Eric good question - Cynthia tells her story well.Thanks for the great story Cynthia!
Turkeys do stalk people...when I was dating my husband, his dad had 8 wild turkeys that I think he got from his brother.
Whenever you would get out of the car, they would follow you with their heads bobbing. I didn't care for them at all.
Can't remember what happened to them, but this was in the early 1970's and there were no populations of them in the area. They seemed to just disappear.
Turkeys do stalk people...when I was dating my husband, his dad had 8 wild turkeys that I think he got from his brother.
Whenever you would get out of the car, they would follow you with their heads bobbing. I didn't care for them at all.
Can't remember what happened to them, but this was in the early 1970's and there were no populations of them in the area. They seemed to just disappear.
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Return to “Wildlife - Gardening with Local Critters in Mind”