Wild turkeys take over
DEAR JOAN: My problem is turkeys — dozens of wild turkeys.
A few weeks ago, 30 to 40 of them swarmed across my property, digging big, round holes. The worst of it is on the slope that leads down to the road. The turkeys dig out the soil and rocks, and it all ends up on the road. Then I have to shovel and sweep it back.
I put a number of reflective pinwheels around the property, hoping to scare the turkeys, to no avail. Motion detectors and sprinklers won’t work because of the large area, plus no water these days. One of my neighbors buried a radio in his yard and claims that was a help. However, I have a large area and would need to bury a dozen radios — and keep changing batteries — so I don’t like that solution.
Last year, a neighbor let his dog out to chase the turkeys. One of them flew into the power line, thereby creating a power outage for our entire road.
Because there is an overpopulation of these birds, perhaps we can put out some food for them with added birth control?
Any advice would be appreciated.
J. Wyatt
Scotts Valley
DEAR J.: Wild turkeys are not native to California, and the ones we are seeing now are the product of an ill-advised plan to import the birds for hunting. The California Department for Fish and Wildlife now estimates turkeys cover 18 percent of the state, but officials don’t believe they are a threat that requires some sort of state action.
The drought has left many wild animals, including turkeys, without enough to eat and drink, so they are coming into urban areas in even greater numbers to find food and water.
To keep them out of your area, you will need to get your neighbors to join the “Move Along, Turkey” brigade.
First and foremost, the turkeys are in your area because they are looking for food and have found it. You and your neighbors need to make sure to remove what sources of food that you can. That means bringing in your bird feeders for a while and making sure not to leave any pet food out.
Despite their intimidating appearance — I’m a little over 5 feet tall and some of them come up to my shoulder — they generally are timid and cautious, which means they are easily frightened away and won’t stay where they don’t feel safe.
The Humane Society of the United States suggests you take advantage of the pecking order among poultry by establishing yourself as the dominant tom or hen. Do this by being completely obnoxious. Blast an air horn, pound on kitchen pots, or rapidly open and close an umbrella in their faces. If everyone in the neighborhood gets in on it, the turkeys will want to get as far from the crazy humans as possible.
You may find they return the next day, so you need to keep at it — drive home the message.
As you learned, sadly, using an unleashed dog is not a good idea. The turkey paid the consequences, but the dog could very well have been harmed or killed if it chased a turkey into traffic.
Turkeys are game birds and can be hunted in season and with a license. The state also offers special out-of-season permits in cases where the damage from the turkeys is extensive.
Other than structural damage and the extra work they cause folks, turkeys are no threat to humans or pets, so I vote for letting them live — somewhere else.