Knowledgebase
Too many turkeys!! #868738
Asked May 16, 2024, 2:28 PM EDT
My mother lives along an urban boundary and her back yard butts up against a small bit of wilderness that is connected with other agricultural and woodland areas in the Willamette Valley, I grew up in this home and we always had a parade of woodland critters visiting our backyard, but never turkeys. In the past 10 years the turkeys arrived, first 2-3, then 10+, and now they travel in a flock of no less than 30 turkeys! I am not exaggerating. We have counted them. The turkeys parade up from the lower yard, through the back lawn, around the house and out into the neighborhood. In their wake they leave large poops on the lawns, the decking, in flower pots, and even on the roof! Sometimes they perch on the roof and you can hear their scratchy claws. I do realize that part of the draw is my mother has a bird feeder and a squirrel feeder and the turkeys benefit from their messier colleagues. Her yard isn't fenced and although turkeys don't fly far, I believe they could get over even a deer sized boundary. What are my mom's options? Is there a government entity with responsibility for culling the herd, so to speak? The turkey population is truly becoming ridiculous. And my mother is now watching her 1 year great-grand daughter who will want to play in the yard soon. How dangerous is turkey poo?
Best regards,
Big Flocking Problem
(aka Jenni)
Polk County Oregon
Expert Response
ODFW offers a living with turkeys publication with some useful tips https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/Considerations_For_Coexisting_With_Wild_Turkey_2014.pdf
Turkeys can and will destroy roofs through their feces and especially their scratching, and especially on composition shingle roofs- they see the "pebbles" of the comp shingles like a dirt surface in which they can dig for bugs. Roof replacement is very expensive, so I would immediately address that issue. Motion-activate scarecrows that shoot a jet of water can be useful in the yard, but in your case with turkeys already roosting on and scratching the roof, I would see whether one could be mounted on your Mom's roof.
All supplemental forms of food (intentional in the case of spilled bird & squirrel food and unintentional such as garden crops or waste) has to stop, or as a first step at least make sure zero spillage is available to the turkeys.
I would also call your District Biologist immediately and request assistance, whether that's nuisance removal tags (hunting may or may not be possible at your location) or other technical assistance. Call the ODFW HQ to give them your property address so you can get contact info for the correct District Bio
Main Phone<personal data hidden> or (800) 720-ODFW [6339]
ODFW offers a living with turkeys publication with some useful tips https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/Considerations_For_Coexisting_With_Wild_Turkey_2014.pdf
Turkeys can and will destroy roofs through their feces and especially their scratching, and especially on composition shingle roofs- they see the "pebbles" of the comp shingles like a dirt surface in which they can dig for bugs. Roof replacement is very expensive, so I would immediately address that issue. Motion-activate scarecrows that shoot a jet of water can be useful in the yard, but in your case with turkeys already roosting on and scratching the roof, I would see whether one could be mounted on your Mom's roof.
All supplemental forms of food (intentional in the case of spilled bird & squirrel food and unintentional such as garden crops or waste) has to stop, or as a first step at least make sure zero spillage is available to the turkeys.
I would also call your District Biologist immediately and request assistance, whether that's nuisance removal tags (hunting may or may not be possible at your location) or other technical assistance. Call the ODFW HQ to give them your property address so you can get contact info for the correct District Bio
Main Phone<personal data hidden> or (800) 720-ODFW [6339]
