Food Plots Suburban turkey help

[megalomaniac]

Got a friend who lives a couple miles outside the city limits with about 150ac of rough timber on it. He decided to plant part of one of the fields on his place and sowed 2.5ac of wheat, radishes, clover, and turnips. Came up great, but now the neighbors pet turkeys have found the plot and are destroying it. 25 hens and poults and 10 toms. The neighbor hand feeds them birdseed every day, so they don't wander far. This plot is about 300y from the neigh or house and about that far from their traditional roost site. They have very little fear of humans, so you have to get within 30 yards of them to chase them off.

He asked me what to do, and I don't really know as I've never had that much of a problem with turkeys decimating my plots. I suggested he put up a couple owl decoys on the plots with movement (told him to tie a couple turkey wing feathers to the decoy), but I have no idea if this would actually work. Any other suggestions?

 

[TN Song Dog]

Just give me written hunting permission, though i wont really hunt. Almost guaranteed there won't be a single turkey on the property.

 

[megalomaniac]

Just give me written hunting permission, though i wont really hunt. Almost guaranteed there won't be a single turkey on the property.

No need for a gun... just shake a coffee can with some rocks in it and they will come right to you. Some locals 'hunt' on the property opposite of the elderly couple who feed them a couple hundred yards away. They don't have any trouble killing birds first few days of season until they have tagged out.

 

[Popcorn]

Good fences make for better neighbors.
Turkey don't like to cross fences. They will walk a fence line till it ends or corners rather than fly over most of the time.

 

[muddyboots]

Fence be only option I see.

 

[megalomaniac]

I'll let him know he will have to out up a temporary fence. Think just a 2 ft polypropylene one will work?

 

[timberjack86]

They could call seek one

 

[Popcorn]

I'll let him know he will have to out up a temporary fence. Think just a 2 ft polypropylene one will work?

Never thought about something that short but it just might work. Keep it tight, give them no inside corners.

 

[poorhunter]

They could call seek one

Beat me to it

 

[Bgoodman30]

Good fences make for better neighbors.
Turkey don't like to cross fences. They will walk a fence line till it ends or corners rather than fly over most of the time.

Not suburban turkeys. They like fences I often see them sunning on them after a rain.

 

[Shooter77]

Best way to fix the problem, shoot a few and post pics on here. That way some members can say your shooting pet deer, I mean pet turkeys...lol

 

[megalomaniac]

Best way to fix the problem, shoot a few and post pics on here. That way some members can say your shooting pet deer, I mean pet turkeys...lol

10 years ago, the birds were somewhat wary. My friend killed his limit without regrets. They would run away if you were within 100y. Since the older fellow has domesticated them, my friend will no longer kill them. Just no sport in shooting a turkey at 30 yards that is looking right at you inquisitively wondering if you are going to give him a pocketful of feed.

But the door knockers have shown up in full force the past 2 seasons... when asked for permission, he tells the doorknockers that they are basically tame. Not a single doorknocker has had a problem with that. One even shot a tom from his truck and posted his kill all over facebook like he did something special (hearsay... was according to my friend).

Wish the elderly fellow would quit feeding them, but he really enjoys his babies.

 

[Shooter77]

10 years ago, the birds were somewhat wary. My friend killed his limit without regrets. They would run away if you were within 100y. Since the older fellow has domesticated them, my friend will no longer kill them. Just no sport in shooting a turkey at 30 yards that is looking right at you inquisitively wondering if you are going to give him a pocketful of feed.

But the door knockers have shown up in full force the past 2 seasons... when asked for permission, he tells the doorknockers that they are basically tame. Not a single doorknocker has had a problem with that. One even shot a tom from his truck and posted his kill all over facebook like he did something special (hearsay... was according to my friend).

Wish the elderly fellow would quit feeding them, but he really enjoys his babies.

I had a buddy that raised 8 poults back in early 90's back in the boonies on his grandparents land. He would go out in the evening when they were young and put them up in a tree in the yard. The the next AM, get them out of the tree. They finally learned to fly and do it themselves. Next year near the end of turkey season, a guy pulled up to his grandparents store just below their house and offered my buddy $50 to shoot one of his jakes. My buddy said for $75, he would shoot him for you. The guy handed my buddy $75 and his gun...lol That guy drove off like he had killed a world record.

 

[wildlifefarmer]

No need for a gun... just shake a coffee can with some rocks in it and they will come right to you. Some locals 'hunt' on the property opposite of the elderly couple who feed them a couple hundred yards away. They don't have any trouble killing birds first few days of season until they have tagged out.

Contact your NWTF chapter and arrange for a 1st timer to shoot a gobbler youth hunt. That just may get some first time hunter the push they need to get outdoors

 

[megalomaniac]

Contact your NWTF chapter and arrange for a 1st timer to shoot a gobbler youth hunt. That just may get some first time hunter the push they need to get outdoors

I'll ask him... but won't do any good right now. He put the owl decoys up and it seems to be working... that or the slow starter seeds have germinated or been eaten already. Much less pressure in the plots with the owl decoys