wild turkey is a pain in the butt

[txliss]

I'm pretty new around here, but have a question:

Ok, so this really, really stupid Rio Grande turkey hen showed up a few weeks ago and won't go away. My 3 1/2 year old German Shepherd has chased it, the puppy barks at it, and we adults shoo it away. However, it won't go away and continues to circle the chicken coop (hoping to get in) and roosts in the trees above the coop - probably because my 11 year DD has the goal of having the darned thing eat from her hand by summer, and keeps throwing kitchen scraps for it.

My problem is that it ate all the carrot tops and onion stalks in my veggie garden, and I'm concerned about it totally destroying my spring veggie garden when I plant it this week. Any ideas on turkey repellant?

We were kinda thinking of keeping the turkey around and eating her at Thanksgiving, but the garden is way more important... What dy'a think? By the way, my DD has christened the turken hen "Idjit."

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

You could always try and trap it. Just get a big box, set one side up on a stick, and wrap a rope around the stick. Put food under the box that the turkey would like and pull the rope when it goes in it. Or, you could shoot it and keep it in the freezer

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

By the way, don't break the law to kill it....Don't really know the laws about shooting wild turkeys where you are at

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

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I'm confused. What is it that you want? Do you want the turkey to stay or go?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Stop feeding her and she will eventually go away.

.....Alan.

 

[dacjohns]

I wish I had that problem.

 

[txliss]

I'm confused. What is it that you want? Do you want the turkey to stay or go?


I really don't care if the turkey stays or goes, just so it doesn't eat my seedling veggies. If she stays, we're planning to fatten her up for Thanksgiving dinner, but I'm thinking I'll have to shoot/eat her this spring since the dogs don't deter her...

 

[dacjohns]

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Be careful what you say if you intend doing something illegal like shooting a wild turkey out of season or without a license.

 

[underground chickenman]

Be careful. Most states don't have a season for hens. Just gobblers.

UGCM

 

[theFox]

Some states have a split season and during one of the splits it is bearded turkeys only and during the other it is either.

In any event I don't think trapping is allowed, best you check the laws before you do something that'll get you in trouble.