How do you CATCH your heritage turkeys?

[pdpatch]

We basically use the way Steve described, But with the hand that goes over the top ,we grab the feet so there is less scratching. one of the First turkeys i picked up in recent times shredder the t-shirt i was waring. With the other hand we try to gently hold on to there neck, because i have had a couple try to nip me.

Tom

 

[DaKid]

Ok after reading most of this thread all I can say is NO matter how I try to keep my Heritage Turkey pen upthey still get out or fly out , I started with a 6 ft chain link fence , but the flew upover it and on top of the chicken coop , so I added a 4 ft piece of fence on top of the chain link , guess what they seen to get over it. the last 2 yrs I been rounding up my 24 turkeys each morining back to there pen /run. seems once there fly out in the morining all they do is free range in the back half of my 3.5 areas of land and try to get back in to there pen/run where ther is always a few turkeys left in there , all I do is call them and with a 5 gal. bucket of food and leave the pen door open when I feed them and they come running to eat .........have not lost one as of yet in 2 plus yrs . the stick close by and the back have of my property is all woods which is not my I only own 100 ft behind the run and coops ....

 

[Hillsvale]

mine roam all day and get put into their coop at night, if they don't want to be caught... they won't be. Mine can fly into trees, on top of the roof, you name it. Of course like one other poster... my turkeys won't get out of my face and love attention, 2 blue slate toms pose for me and look for treats. They all roost on the deck railing waiting for us to get home at night and we can just go to them and pick them up football style... the wilds and bourbons are a bit flightier than the royals and blue slates.. none of them are as dumb as the meaty turkeys!

 

[Dogfish]

Bait them with some cracked corn.

 

[chickenannie]

Ok, ok. I'm realizing there are two groups on this thread (well, maybe 3 if you include the "I don't know where the heck my turkeys are" folks

). There are those who swear their turkeys hop onto their laps and into the crate when they go to catch them for butchering, and then there are those, like me, who have friendly enough relations with their turkeys until it is catching time, then it's all about escape!

The suggestion that I catch them by feeding a trail of corn makes me crack up, because I feed them corn every day -- I'm truly THEIR servant in that way! They are living in a fenced pasture area. they always let me come within a foot or two of them. However, when I reach out to pick one up, they are masters of dodging the hand -- like they have eyes on the back of their heads!

Oh, and this thread is all about catching the heritage breeds... it's not even fair to compare it to the ease of picking up those fat and lazy BBWs. (not trying to offend anyone, just trying to be funny.

).

My bruises have started to lessen, thankfully.

 

[OverEggstended]

I have NO experience with turkeys... but I do have an idea that might help.

For our koi pond, we took a smallish hula hoop ($1 at the dollar store) and a laundry bag (yep... again just $1). We used dental floss to "sew" the opening of the laundry bag to the hula hoop. We did it to provide a floating koi proof spot for some plants... but I should think it would make a good non-snare turkey net.

 

[lotzahenz]

Every time I look 20+ feet in the air on top of my barn/coop and see those birds roosting, I begin to plot how to catch them better next time. Even of the ones I caught for camp, one escaped. Mine too come about 2 or 3 feet away, but dodge the hand if you try to pick them up or grab a leg. I had about 10 huge handfuls of turkey tail feathers on catching night. I DON'T want them roosting in the coop with the chickens, though one old Tom always does, they are too messy. Hum, it's a quandry. I guess sleeping darts are out of the quesstion since I plan to eat them and turkey makes you sleepy enough, (yeah right, it's the 10,000 call meal, blood sugars 500, I bet).

 

[lotzahenz]

Over Egg, I love your avatar!

Would it be strong enough for those 30 plus lb birds when they go into those wild turkey fits? Might need to sew it with something like 1000 lb test fish line? My birds are strong and those wings spread like 10 feet and those huge feet KICK. No one bites, but heard some do. It's like trying to catch one of those flying dinosaurs.

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
No, a panicing turkey would shread a laundry net bag to pieces. Though if you did have some kind of strong net material, a hula hoop would probably be a good opening support for it .

But I still feel that a small strong cage or small pen would be the best thing, if you had time it would be better to feed them in it a few days before the day you catch them and on that day they should have no problem going in and you could catch them in there.

 

[Dogfish]

Build one of these and rig a remote trip (rope). I have caught my pheasants this way.