Bush Turkeys

[colbra]

Hi all I have what could be the start of a big problem in my veggie patch and its bush turkeys native I think there only small now but I can see them getting bigger each day and on my bloody vegetables no less.
Any clues on how to get rid of them other than the obvious and it may come to that yet; thought you forum members may have some clues on things
I may as well ask can you eat them and if so maybe a recipe or two :rolleyes:
Colbra:)

[jmk89]

My parents in law are "blessed" with these ugly blighters and there is no known way to get rid of them except a predator (often a fox or a feral cat - not really very nice solutions). They go in for a "protective" approach, using chicken wire fences to keep the turkeys away from the most precious of the plants.
As for eating them - apparently it was done in the Depression (but people even tried to eat galahs then - you know the one about cookking a galah, I'm sure).

[artme]

They are a protected species, so harming or eating is out of the question. You are not even allowed to destroy their mounds.

Fence off the veges as jmk suggests,


Actually I find them fascinating creatures, buut that is easy to say since they are not in my garden'!

[Scott]

Pardon my ignorance Col, but being a Mexican, I have no idea what bush turkey is. I guess it's some sort of wild Turkey, am I right?

[jmk89]

bush turkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Brushturkey)

[Scott]

There you go, thanks Jeremy, never knew they existed. Thanks :)

[Ironwood]

I am plagued by the rotten things as well. SWMBO used to feed them, but they got totally out of hand, they would take vengeance on the orchids and shrubs if they didnt get their handouts.

I chase them when they come into our yard, but they still come back.
We have some dingoes around lately, I havent noticed the turkeys around as much since they have turned up.
The dingoes are worse as they have attacked my chooks.

[colbra]

They are a protected species, so harming or eating is out of the question. You are not even allowed to destroy their mounds.

Fence off the veges as jmk suggests,


Actually I find them fascinating creatures, buut that is easy to say since they are not in my garden'!

Actually I could relocate them as our assisters did with us it’s about time we sent something back to them :rolleyes: LOL

Colbra:)

[colbra]

There you go, thanks Jeremy, never knew they existed. Thanks :)

Hi Scott
If I talk to you from the shed and it’s still daylight I will give you a personal introduction Col:)

[colbra]

I am plagued by the rotten things as well. SWMBO used to feed them, but they got totally out of hand, they would take vengeance on the orchids and shrubs if they didnt get their handouts.

I chase them when they come into our yard, but they still come back.
We have some dingoes around lately, I havent noticed the turkeys around as much since they have turned up.
The dingoes are worse as they have attacked my chooks.

Hi Ironwood could I swap you a couple of black swans for a couple of dingoes the swans are great to look at and don’t eat much. :rolleyes: lol
colbra:)

PS Artme This A Joke.... col

[Ironwood]

Hi Ironwood could I swap you a couple of black swans for a couple of dingoes the swans are great to look at and don’t eat much. :rolleyes: lol
colbra:)




Sounds like a done deal Col. :2tsup:

The dingoes are pretty quite, so they wont annoy your neighbours, they just have a taste for my Sussex hens :(.

[Poppa]

My mum and dad have brush turkeys near their place. They've placed mirrors around the plants that they don't want the birds to dig around. Apparently the brush turkeys don't like to see their reflection (they think it is another bird obviously) and leave them alone.

[mic-d]

The neighbours have had one with a huge mound right at our back gate fence and he endeavours to scrape our garden clean and push it onto his pile. Needless to say he doesn't think of the retaining wall and fence that stop him:doh:. I purchased two of these (http://www.derwenttraders.com.au/contents/en-us/d222.html) and my problems are solved. No affiliation with the company.
I have a grudging respect for them now having witnessed the trials of the chicks, they fend for themselves immediately and fly ok very young, but they don't survive the surrounding neighbour's dogs very well.

If you have been battling them for a while beware, if you solve the problem, life almost becomes boring!

Cheers
Michael

[Scott]

Hi Scott
If I talk to you from the shed and it’s still daylight I will give you a personal introduction Col:)

Be my pleasure Col! By the way, do they 'Gobble'?

[chambezio]

With capture and training they could make excellent substitutes for grey hound racing enthusiasts.
When driving on forestry tracks they shoot out onto the roads and run hell for leather for 50 metres then ....shoot off into the bush. Reminds me of the road runner (Bugs Bunny style)

[colbra]

My mum and dad have brush turkeys near their place. They've placed mirrors around the plants that they don't want the birds to dig around. Apparently the brush turkeys don't like to see their reflection (they think it is another bird obviously) and leave them alone.

Thanks Poppa I have a couple of old mirrors :2tsup:
Colbra:)

[Twisted Tenon]

We've got them all around us. The trick is to not let them start a mound. It's a game dog or cat that attacks an adult bird.

TT

[colbra]

We've got them all around us. The trick is to not let them start a mound. It's a game dog or cat that attacks an adult bird.

TT

Hi Twisted Tenon Its good to be talking with a forum member from the same locality I think it’s too late for that I was away for 3 months in the caravan, on coming home I found the new lodgers. I think they were hatched in my compost heap at the back of my property which faces on to Blackwall mountain if you have a similar problem I would imagine that you live on the coast as well I worked in the mountain area and was stationed at Toukley some years ago but only came across them at Wyong and south from there. I have not found them to be aggressive as a matter of fact they follow me about in the back yard.
I have not fed them nor do I intend to do so it’s just a nuisance factor that they are in the vegetable garden there are five there now, the other day they had visitors or maybe mum and dad.
On the front verandah we get king parrots lorikeets, kookaburras,
butcher birds, magpies and currawongs which we feed from time to time it’s all good stuff.
colbra:)

[Twisted Tenon]

Hi cobra
We're at Niagara Park and back onto the Strickland Forest. We get a lot of them through our yard. They fly over across the roof tops into our yard. We used to feed a lot of the birds around our area but had to stop feeding the them because of all the cats in our area. The only bird that withstood the cats are the Turkeys. 3 months is too long you don't have a chance. I have found nests a couple meters high and 10 or 15 wide up in the forest.

TT

[colbra]

Hi cobra
We're at Niagara Park and back onto the Strickland Forest. We get a lot of them through our yard. They fly over across the roof tops into our yard. We used to feed a lot of the birds around our area but had to stop feeding the them because of all the cats in our area. The only bird that withstood the cats are the Turkeys. 3 months is too long you don't have a chance. I have found nests a couple meters high and 10 or 15 wide up in the forest.

TT

Its a nice part of the valley there we use to use Mangrove Rd to get up to the F3 at Easter or if the hwy was blocked.
I thick I can recall seeing them a long there. I guess I will just have to live with them for a while
Colbra:)

[colbra]

With capture and training they could make excellent substitutes for grey hound racing enthusiasts.
When driving on forestry tracks they shoot out onto the roads and run hell for leather for 50 metres then ....shoot off into the bush. Reminds me of the road runner (Bugs Bunny style)
How there’s a thought what would you use instead of a tin hare to get them to move around the track maybe a bunch of carrots
:rolleyes: LOL colbra:)