Dealing with Wild Turkeys on Your Property

When you live in a rural or suburban home, odds are that at some point you are going to encounter wildlife that is either a nuisance or causes damage. Wild turkeys are one of these creatures that can either be a welcome addition to your neighborhood as they wander through your property, or they can be the harbingers of damage to crops, plants, or other items throughout the yard. Dealing with wild turkeys on your property must be done according to the law, and to common sense. Wild turkeys are protected by law and if you are not careful, they can be aggressive.

Use common sense when around any wild animal

Just because a creature, such as a wild turkey seems slow or approachable, doesn’t mean that they won’t attack, especially if they feel threatened. Wild turkeys are pack animals and when they feel as though they are being threatened, they can attack with their beaks, wings, talons, or simply rush you, trying to drive you back. If you are faced with wild turkeys that are causing damage or acting aggressively for any reason, then you may be able to frighten it off if you wave your arms and yell loudly. You are attempting to establish dominance, telling the bird that this is your territory.

While this technique will work much of the time, it doesn’t work all of the time and its important to keep that in mind. If the turkey continues to antagonize you, it may be best to go inside and call a professional for assistance. Wild turkeys can also be attracted to bright, reflective items, such as mirrors and windows. If your car is constantly being surrounded by wild turkeys, then you may want to park it in the garage, if possible, or cover the mirrors.

Fence in small areas that you want to protect

Perhaps you have just planted some new crops in your personal garden and want to protect them. If so, you can construct a small fence around this small area. Usually that will be enough to discourage the turkeys from having at your new vegetables or other plants, though this isn’t a surefire solution. If it’s possible, then add a netting across the top as well, as this will ensure that the turkeys won’t be able to get into the enclosure. Remember, turkeys can fly and they will do so if they really want to get at whatever is growing in that fenced off area.

Loud noises can effectively frighten off some turkeys, though they may return before long and if the noise didn’t get rid of them permanently, then it will be less likely to have an effect later on as well.

If you are having trouble dealing with wild turkeys in your back yard, around your home, or even in the neighborhood and your best efforts have been met with disappointment, then you can call on the experts at Westchester Wildlife. They have more than twenty years of experience dealing with wild turkeys and know the best methods that are humane and legal in removing wild turkeys from your property.

Removing Wild Turkeys from Your Property

Turkeys Create Real Property Damage

Wild turkeys aren’t often thought of when someone is dealing with wildlife damage or other removal issues. However, even though wild turkeys can bring a family to the window for a look once in a while, they can do damage to crops, though many of the reported damage that is thought to be caused by turkeys is done by other animals. For the most part, turkeys are known to eat berries, grapes, and mature corn in fields. They are also reported to cause damage to golf courses and newly established lawns.

For this and other reasons, removing wild turkeys is a request that many homeowners have during certain times of the year. Before you head out to the woods around your house with a shotgun in hand, however, it’s important to note that wild turkeys are a protected species and that means that you are not permitted to shoot and kill any wild turkeys, whether they are on your property or not. If you are unable to get rid of wild turkeys from your property, then call Westchester Wildlife your neighborhood experts for advice and help.

Don’t Feed or Kill Wild Turkeys

There are alternatives to removing wild turkeys from property. Even though these creatures are protected, there are some things that you can do to remove them from your property. The first thing is to determine if a neighbor is feeding the turkeys. Most wild birds, such as wild turkeys, will flock to the location that offers them the best source of easy food. Many homeowners find the wild turkeys to be interesting and even pleasing, and they leave food out for them to eat from time to time. If you know of a neighbor who is doing this, then it’s important to approach the neighbor in a friendly manner and explain the damage that the turkeys are doing to your property and ask them if they would consider not feeding them anymore.

If that does not work, or you are unaware whether any of the neighbors are feeding the turkeys, then you could –if your property isn’t too large- construct a fence to discourage them from entering. It’s important to note, however, that wild turkeys, even though they don’t fly often, have the ability to fly quite high and far. If they are intent on entering your property, then a fence won’t be much of a deterrent.

Look for bird feeders in the area and if there are some that are used regularly, make sure that the area underneath them is clean most of the time. This will remove one foraging temptation from the wild turkeys. Seek out plants and flowers that the turkeys find appealing and replace them with varieties that the turkeys do not care for.

Getting rid of wild turkeys can be a great challenge for some homeowners, but before you make any rash decisions, or any costly ones, be certain that any damage that your property is sustaining is coming from wild turkeys and not some other animal. If you are intent on getting rid of wild turkeys and you are unable to through some of the methods mentioned, then call on experts — Westchester Wildlife  — or advice and help. We are the seasoned experts who have assisted countless homeowners throughout the area deal with nuisance wildlife in legal and humane ways. We can help you too.