Ideas for Catching Loose Turkey Needed

OK, so here's the back story: My husband and I were at the local watering hole about a month ago and an acquaintance (who knows how much I love animals and that we have chickens and goats and have had turkeys in the past) told us about some turkeys that were left at a property when the renter moved out. The owner of the property wanted the turkeys gone, but they were running loose on the property. The acquaintance didn't know the property owner's name or number. I went to the property with a friend to check out the turkeys and to get the address. I googled the address, called a Realtor whose name and number came up, he found the Realtor the property was last listed with, and I got the name and number of the property owner from the second Realtor.
The property owner gave me permission to go and take all the turkeys. My friend, my 16 year old son and I loaded my truck with crates, two long handled nets and some "special" feed. ( The feed was goat feed that had gotten wet and started to ferment in the feed barrel.). Anyway, we got to the property and there were only 6 turkeys. I thought there had been more than that when we stopped by the day before, but figured the men working on the houses there had already taken some. We easily caught 2 hens who came right up to eat out of the bucket of feed----these poor birds hadn't been fed since the renter had moved out weeks before. The other four we caught by putting a dish of feed in each wire dog crate and "leading" them to each crate by throwing small handfuls of feed. We ended up with 4 toms and 2 hens---not a great ratio, but hey, they were free!
So, I've been happily enjoying my turkeys strutting around the yard, but kind of wistful that more of them aren't hens. Last Friday my husband, 16 year old son and I were on our way to meet my oldest son and daughter in law for dinner, and our route took us right past that property. I happened to look over at the place as we passed, just thinking of my previous escapade, and there stood 3 turkeys!! I excitedly told my husband and stated, "You KNOW I'm going back for them, right?". His reply, " Sure, whatever. "
So the next night after dark, my friend, my 16 year old son, his friend, and I set off on Turkey Rescue Operation 2. We had decided it would probably be easiest to get the turkeys while they roosted. When we pulled up, there were the turkeys, roosting on a small farm tractor. The first 2 were almost too easy to get. I walked up to the first one, gently put my hand around her neck, and my opposite arm around her body and carried her to the crate. My son did pretty much the same with the second one, also a hen!! I carefully approached the third turkey, but unfortunately, she was too alert after her friends' capture, and with a yelp, she flew way up in the air, across the yard, and settled high in the beaches of a pine tree. Sadly we left without her.
But, I am not one to be so easily defeated! My friend, my son and I returned yesterday morning, hoping to use the lure and cage method, but that girl was having none of that! After about an hour of my son and I trying to herd her into any small area so I could net her, we had to admit that catching her while she roosted would be best. After sunset last night, the three of us returned, and quickly found our prey roosting on the rail of the deck on the back of the house. My son crept as close as he dared, keeping the flashlight shining in the hens face, and I snuck around the back of the house, hoping I could come up from behind and either grab or net her. Unfortunately, this is one alert and smart girl! She sensed me behind her, let out a yelp and flew up and back, out across the pond and into the branches of one of many trees. I felt so much discouragement! I didn't want to leave her all alone at night again. But we had no choice----or did we?
We left, headed towards my friends house---it was almost 10, and my son's first day of school was the next day! My friend says, "What if we wait a little while and go back? Do you think she'd be back down where we could get her?". Maybe....... So we drove all the way back to my house, dropped my son off and headed back to the property. This was a ridiculous amount of driving! My friend is 20 mins. South of my place, and it's another 10 to the property! I have used so much of my poor Hubby's gas up, I can't believe he isn't mad. Anyway, we get back there, I get out with the flashlight and say, " I wonder how many times we can come here after dark before the cops show up?". She just laughed, but I was starting to get nervous. I can't remember the property owners' first names, and don't have their number now. It doesn't look good to passers by, let alone police officers when someone's walking around an empty house late at night shining a flashlight all over the place! Well, we didn't see any sign of the renegade hen---of course---so called it a night (by now, it's almost midnight!).
So our next plan of action is to take one of the previously caught turkeys back to the property in a wire dog crate, place it out there with an empty crate next to it, and try the lure and cage method in daylight. If anyone has any other suggestions, I would love your input. I am determined to get this hen! I am so happy to have gotten the others, but don't want to leave her out there all alone. This property is within the limits of a fairly large city and on a very busy road. There's no possibility of the hen finding a flock of wild turkeys to join (I don't know if that's likely even if she were out in the country anyway). So please, if you have a suggestion, I would love to try it.

I think using some of her buddies for bate is a great idea. I would bring about three and place them under a tree with food and water, and make a surrounding box out of pallets or big boxes, just so u and caught her. Also remember they are birds and if you can get a sheet or towel over them at all, they will relax. I will you the best!!!

Just wanted to post an update on my Turkey Rescue Mission. Earlier this week, my friend and I took two previously "rescued" tom turkeys back to the property where the turkey hen was running loose. The toms were each in a wire crate, and we placed them, with an empty open crate in between them, under some pine trees. We came SO close to catching the hen, but once I had herded her under the pines, I couldn't get her into the crate. She was right in front of it at one point, and I thought we had her, but she effortlessly jumped over the crate and took off across the yard. We tried a couple more times, but the end result was the same as before, with the hen flying up into the top of a tree. I felt so discouraged and was beginning to think this was a lost cause. But I am not one to give up easily!
My friend and I decided we needed a more fool-proof trap. We wanted a way to make it so then hen had no choice but to go in the crate. We decided to bring back the toms along with a hen, sheets to hang down from the pines' branches (so she couldn't jump over the crates), and my long fishing nets. When I was loading everything up that morning, I happened to see some decorative fencing we no longer used laying on a doghouse. I grabbed all of it. I also took 2 empty crates.
It took us a half hour to set everything up, but it was worth it! I herded the hen up to our trap in just 10 minutes, within another 5, she was caught!! Here's a picture of my friend, elated at finally containing our quarry. I've also included pictures of all the turkeys at our place, and my newly extended turkey pen. Their pen was just the one dog kennel to the right. I added the kennel to the left, so now they have plenty of room! Of course, they're mainly in there at night, free range during the day.

Nice looking bunch of turkeys

Way to go! Quite the turkey wrangler! !

Thank you, oldhenlikesdogs. I really love that they're not all the same breed.

Here's the funny part: On the way home from somewhere the other night, my husband says, "So how many will we be butchering this fall? I know you said there are three pairs that you want to breed.". I say, "Well, I kind of don't want to butcher any of them now."
What ensued was an argument of how he has several people expecting a turkey for Thanksgiving, with me very indignant because I'm the one who did all the work catching them and I should be able to decide NOT to butcher them or if we do WHO would get one and if he just spent time out back with them getting to know them, he wouldn't want to kill them!! Is it odd that I feel so close to these turkeys?
My husband wanted to know what we have them for if we're not butchering them. I told him they're there as ornamental splendor, so the they can strut around the yard and look beautiful. I told him, "I think Ben Franklin had it right---the turkey SHOULD be our national bird!

That's pretty ingenious! I do believe I won't be tossing those old sheets congrats on your great catch

Thanks everyone! I really have to give credit to Texas turkey for giving me the idea of using sheets. I was actually smart enough to grab some clothespins to hang the sheets and pin them together! My friend and I decided we need to start our own business: Animal Recovery, Inc.---Have a loose critter? We'll catch it! Believe me, I've had plenty of experience catching all kinds of things, from pot belly pigs and full size hogs to raccoons, ducks, chickens and dogs and cats! I just love a challenge!