There used to be a time when the only garden pests I encountered were deer, raccoon's and some potato beetles. Then a few years ago I started to have a problem with cucumber beetles damaging my vine crops and root maggots destroying my broccoli and cabbages. Last year I decided to put my whole garden into buckwheat and till it in in hopes of increasing the organic material in the soil and getting rid of some of the cucumber beetles and root maggots. I got four plantings of buckwheat and tilled each one in. Now, this year I have another pest that I've never had a problem with...A Turkey. A couple times every day one hen turkey comes to my garden a dusts itself, creating divots, usually right where I have something planted. When I've caught her in the act I've tried scaring her away by yelling and chasing her and I've hung things in the garden in hopes of scaring her. Nope nothings worked. I can't really shoot her because it's not legal and I am sure she has a nest of eggs somewhere in the back fields. This turkey may get the best of me. :x
Garden Pests
- Thread starter nekvermont
- Start date
crewdog05
Single-Sixer
shoot shovel and shut :D :D :D up.!!!!
Pat-inCO
Hawkeye
Slingshot.
rugerguy211
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2013
- Messages
- 401
Pellet rifle. Not too powerful as you don't want to kill or injure the bird.
700 fps is plenty.
A "friend" used to have a problem with Canada Geese.
A couple plunks in the rear end and they'd leave the yard for a couple of days.
Just stay away from the neck, head, and feet.
700 fps is plenty.
A "friend" used to have a problem with Canada Geese.
A couple plunks in the rear end and they'd leave the yard for a couple of days.
Just stay away from the neck, head, and feet.
Merle1948
Buckeye
refugee from California said:
What do you mean shovel? Warm up the oven instead! :mrgreen:
toysoldier
Hunter
Red Rider BB gun or paintball gun. Excellent animal training devices.
Viking Queen
Blackhawk
Contech Motion Activated Sprinkler. Google it.
They work like a charm for all kinds of critters. We used to sell them at the feed store for chasing away skunks, deer, racoons ....should work for turkeys.
I used one for keeping hoards of drunken college students out of our yard at night after they partied hard and felt the need to roam the neighborhood and do some rather unseemly deeds in neighboring yards. Worked GREAT!!Funny too ! :mrgreen:
They work like a charm for all kinds of critters. We used to sell them at the feed store for chasing away skunks, deer, racoons ....should work for turkeys.
I used one for keeping hoards of drunken college students out of our yard at night after they partied hard and felt the need to roam the neighborhood and do some rather unseemly deeds in neighboring yards. Worked GREAT!!Funny too ! :mrgreen:
Merle1948
Buckeye
Viking Queen said:
Did you get any video? :mrgreen:
Viking Queen
Blackhawk
Oh, I wish I did have video. Did not have a camera that was good at taking night time video. I lived near the University and when Friday and Sat. Night parties would break up the hoards of drunken students would blanket the neighborhood. I was tired of the noise, beer cups in the yard and drunks throwing up in my bushes, and WORSE. Much much worse. THE ICY COLD MOTION SPRINKLER DROVE THEM OFF QUICKLY. It was entertaining.
Then, I moved. I do not miss the commotion.
I did have a neighbor use the motion sprinkler to drive off a skunk family which was trying to nest under his shed. The sprinkler worked like a charm and noone got "skunked".
Then, I moved. I do not miss the commotion.
I did have a neighbor use the motion sprinkler to drive off a skunk family which was trying to nest under his shed. The sprinkler worked like a charm and noone got "skunked".
OP
The sprinkler sounds like a great idea but is more than I can afford right now. I just planted 6 hills of buttercup squash and 4 hills of pumpkins today and drove 6 steaks in the ground around each hill to keep the turkeys out (I hope). We have a frost advisory in affect tonight so I have to cover up a bunch of things. If I didn't like gardening so much I would give up and go to the farmers market each week.
Jim Puke
Hunter
Those sprinklers did not work on my deer...have seen nearly a dozen standing under them while devouring my lilies.
Don Lovel
Hunter
Growing buckwheat, especially if you also put in some field peas, winter rye, Daikon long white icicle radish, will really make a great garden spot. The radishes grow down and break up hard pan, then in winter, rot in the ground injecting nitrogen deep. The tops are really good to compost into your soil with a big tiller.
I just had a deer come up on my porch and eat my best tomato plant, yeah, critters, love having them around, but now I hve the entire deck upstairs covered in potted plants to keep them away from the deer in the front yard.
Chipmunks got one of my nice chili peppers the other day. Wish there was enough meat on one of them to eat, I have a zillion of them around here.
I just had a deer come up on my porch and eat my best tomato plant, yeah, critters, love having them around, but now I hve the entire deck upstairs covered in potted plants to keep them away from the deer in the front yard.
Chipmunks got one of my nice chili peppers the other day. Wish there was enough meat on one of them to eat, I have a zillion of them around here.
Selena
Hunter
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2013
- Messages
- 2,948
- City & State/Province
- A long way from heaven and far too close to Chicag
Viking Queen said:
VQ, you have a rude and imaginative sense of humor...
I like that in a person
powder smoke
Hawkeye
nekvermont, Turkey chicks have hatched out here in Maine got one nested on the edge
of one of my fields seen her and the chicks.
In Maine you can shoot anything bothering crops or livestock.
I had a turkey a couple of years ago daily in my garden. I welcomed
it man did it love potato bugs best year ever for spuds.
I have notice more pest than usual cucumber beetle is the worse.ps
of one of my fields seen her and the chicks.
In Maine you can shoot anything bothering crops or livestock.
I had a turkey a couple of years ago daily in my garden. I welcomed
it man did it love potato bugs best year ever for spuds.
I have notice more pest than usual cucumber beetle is the worse.ps
OP
Powder smoke, it's funny you should mention turkeys eating potato bugs. I always thought turkeys would be great at controlling potato bugs but have noticed just the opposite here. you must either have some better tasting potato bugs or your turkeys are hungrier. :lol:
powder smoke
Hawkeye
nekvermont said:
That hen that keep coming around took good care of my spuds.
According to my neighbor guinea hens will eat potato bugs. ps
volshooter
Buckeye
Round here it's coons and cut worms. Hard to get an ear of corn. I have had turkeys picking seed up out of the rows I was dropping in! If they scratch and find one seed they will scratch some more and they are smart enough to see your row! I have to use a leaf rake to camo my rows. Squirrels are bad to dig young corn and eat the seed.
Merle1948
Buckeye
volshooter said:
Pests like that are why God invented silencers & pellet guns.... :mrgreen:
volshooter
Buckeye
Don't have to be quiet round here, just got to be there when their there. My garden is bout 600 yards from the house across the ridge. Yeah I could plant closer but the best soil is where it is. TN red clay mostly but back there is washed in top soil and stays moist due to year round underground spring. Grows great gardens , just ask the varmints.
gunsmith11
Bearcat
Turkey day is coming up,,do you have freezer
karen123
Bearcat
Hahaha turkeys eating potato bugs that funny
contender
Ruger Guru
Paintball gun for the turkey. Right in the butt.
