Wild Turkey advice...happening now

[luckyplucky]

Ok turkey experts, have a question for ya. Wild turkeys are all over the Sacramento area, and we're used to seeing them when we go on hikes or spend time in nature areas, or sometimes in the big fields near the river a couple miles from my house. But here in the suburbs, we rarely (never) see them in the neighborhood. A couple weeks ago I saw a beautiful hen on my neighbor's front lawn, then she flew up to the roof and (I assume) went to find her flock or something. It was so cool (and weird) to see one practically on our front door. Today about 30 minutes ago, I noticed one perching on our back fence.
She's just chilling and has been since I saw her. What should I do? Let her hang out? She's so beautiful and amazing, I want her to jump down and live in our yard forever (just kidding! I know she's a wild animal and I can't). But on top of that do I need to worry about her jumping down into the chicken yard and causing harm? I know lots of people mix flocks, but we have never had a wild turkey on our property before so I have no idea if I should be shooing her away or worrying about diseases, parasites etc.

 

[R2elk]

Ok turkey experts, have a question for ya. Wild turkeys are all over the Sacramento area, and we're used to seeing them when we go on hikes or spend time in nature areas, or sometimes in the big fields near the river a couple miles from my house. But here in the suburbs, we rarely (never) see them in the neighborhood. A couple weeks ago I saw a beautiful hen on my neighbor's front lawn, then she flew up to the roof and (I assume) went to find her flock or something. It was so cool (and weird) to see one practically on our front door. Today about 30 minutes ago, I noticed one perching on our back fence.
She's just chilling and has been since I saw her. What should I do? Let her hang out? She's so beautiful and amazing, I want her to jump down and live in our yard forever (just kidding! I know she's a wild animal and I can't). But on top of that do I need to worry about her jumping down into the chicken yard and causing harm? I know lots of people mix flocks, but we have never had a wild turkey on our property before so I have no idea if I should be shooing her away or worrying about diseases, parasites etc.
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You will have to check your state laws in order to find out just what you can or can't do. The quickest way to check them is by contacting your local game warden/DNR person.

Most states have a strict leave the wildlife alone policy. Here in Wyoming the laws are such that the wild animals are allowed to do whatever they want to do and people are required to leave them alone. The G&F will intervene if the wildlife presents a hazard to people such as a bear or mountain lion encroaching on people.

I did have a wild turkey hen that came in during breeding season for seven years in a row. She would mate with one of my toms, lay a clutch of eggs in my field and take her poults and leave once they were hatched. If I did not want her associating with my turkeys it was my responsibility to fence her out which would have meant that I would have had to cover my entire 50'x100' run.

Luckily for me, she did not introduce any diseases into my flock but it is something that you need to be careful when dealing with free ranging wild animals which does include any birds of any kind.

I do not recommend putting out anything to entice her to stay.

 

[Hatch me if you can]

We keep chickens and turkeys together with no ill effects. However there is a disease that chickens can pass to turkeys called Black Head. A quick search will give you more details on it but it is usually detrimental to the turkey who has contracted the disease.

 

[luckyplucky]

@R2elk - thanks for the info and your story! Yeah, I think in CA as long as you have the proper permits and follow proper firearm laws, etc. you're actually allowed to hunt them on your property, and homeowners in residential areas like mine can obtain permits to euthanize if they're "aggressive." I don't know all the details but because they're considered such a "problem" in some places all over the state I think the recommendation is to try to deter them and "scare" them off. Definitely wasn't planning on luring her with food, though now I will have to check the chicken yard to see if there's anything that will entice her. I have a feeling she'll be back, seems to enjoy the rooftops here. While we have visible wildlife for a residential area, thus far has consisted mainly of hawks, western scrub-jays, crows, other birds I can't identify, owls, bats, squirrels, and once, a travelling band of raccoons. And field mice, lizards, bugs, etc. It was just crazy to see a big ol' turkey on our fence like that!

@Hatch me if you can - thank you, I have not heard of Black Head and will look it up!

Just for kicks, a search for "Wild Turkeys Sacramento" brings up a list of what was considered newsworthy stories about them "terrorizing" people. My favorite is the one from Davis (a university town about 15 min from us) because of the 9-1-1 calls.
http://www.ksbw.com/article/aggressive-turkey-terrorizes-downtown-residents-near-sacramento/8244108

 

[sfgwife]

[QUOTE="you're actually allowed to hunt them on your property, and homeowners in residential areas like mine can obtain permits to euthanize”[/QUOTE]


Uhhh if you are in the city you better make absolutely POSITIVE about shootin in the city limits... i see your fence and what looks like a neighbor fence behind the hen... aint NO WAY even WITH permits or whatever i would shoot ANYTHING there. Period. Ever.

 

[luckyplucky]

@sfgwife Yes, to clarify, I was not saying that I personally was allowed to (or wanted to) on *my* property - someone was mentioning state laws and I just meant that there are places in the state where that's allowed. The homeowner permit to euthanize (a different situation) may just be for specific properties ad may not even refer to shooting, like I said I don't know the details and would have to look it up. But it's moot for me, I wasn't planning on doing that anyway!

 

[sfgwife]

@sfgwife Yes, to clarify, I was not saying that I personally was allowed to (or wanted to) on *my* property - someone was mentioning state laws and I just meant that there are places in the state where that's allowed. The homeowner permit to euthanize (a different situation) may just be for specific properties ad may not even refer to shooting, like I said I don't know the details and would have to look it up. But it's moot for me, I wasn't planning on doing that anyway!