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Turkeys & Wood Decks
dfletcher
Member Posts: 8,162 ✭✭✭
Bought my retirement home a few years back - southern Oregon, just enough off the beaten path to have a few acres, well, septic. No city services or problems. Just turkey and peacock problems. As in, crapping all over the deck. Which is about 80' X 45' and has a railing around it. They like sitting on a few spots of the railing, judging by the location of the pile of droppings on the deck.
Aside from running those spike strips on the rail, anything to keep them off the entire deck? I'm not up there enough now to pop them with a BB gun, and the damn things are so many (about 30 a day easy) and so stupid I don't think stinging them would sink in.
Predator pee, those twirling reflective flags, fake owls - anything really work?
Comments
Rubber snakes, maybe?
I used Roost-No-More, years ago to keep ravens off the wooden platform of the antenna system of an instrument landing system.
It worked!!
However, it was a nasty goo that burns their feet and you would not want it on a deck used by people.
I suggest you screen it in. We did that to our back porch - best improvement we ever made to the property.
None of the electronic devices I have seen tested worked at all. Nor do owl decoys and similar. Screening it in sounds expensive, but is likely the best solution. It will also keep mosquitos out. Alternatively spend more time there and eat more fowl.
80' X 45' that is some deck. You hosting weddings on it or what?
Rio Grande or Merriam? Also, would the Peacock be considered invasive?
could tell your neighbors to help themselves.....
I know what you mean about the droppings. We were adopted by a peacock and I clean the porch about once a week in the winter (or when ever it’s above freezing). And that’s just one!
Other than winter when he stays close to the house for food and water, he’s in the yard or woods eating bugs. So it’s not all bad.
Short of a dog or coyote not sure what you’d use to discourage them.
You need a pet bobcat!
What general area are you in? I get down to the Medford area on occasion to visit my dad.
Rubber bullets, maybe?
I dont know about peacocks, but we had a feeding station the turkeys raised hell with. I was told to put a hose around it on the ground and the turkeys wouldnt cross it, maybe snake related? It seemed to work until it snowed.
Was there when I bought the place, and it has an about 60' X 30" pool in the middle of it. Which I'm having decked over because it's in the front yard & about 10' above ground - pool motor never worked either. Gazebo and putting green going in. :)
Re the other points, don't know how the peacock got there. Last year there were two, this year just one and he's on his last leg. Surprised nothing's gotten him yet. The turkeys go through a few other yards before they get to me, so I'm figuring neighbors won't want to blast them.
Grants Pass, just outside of town. Not quite in Merlin and about 10 minutes away from the gun club.
Was thinking the 1st thing I'd do when fully retired & living there was sit on the deck, light up a Cuban and relax. I may be "lighting up" turkeys instead.
Get one of those solar powered electric fence units and fasten the wire along the top of the railing, a few zaps from that might teach them a lesson,
Any way to set up motion activated sprinklers to shoo 'em away?
I know Havahart makes one.
https://www.havahart.com/critter-ridder-motion-activated-animal-repellent-sprinkler-5277
eat more bird
Just to give you an idea!
Might think about a infrared detector like used on outside lights at night and tape over the photocell so as it will only detect heat movement day or night.
I rigged a infrared night light, to turn on a light and loud radio when heat was detected, I taped over the photocell so as the solar cell detector remained dark and only the heat detector operated and I could set the sensitivity and the time to remain on.
Had ottors and people getting into the boathouse from the water. Ottors are the worst pest, more so than humans, what they don't tear up they crap on it and their crap is like wet contact cement. When the night light detected movement heat it turned on a bright light and a radio. Did not have any vandals from people or ottors after doing such. Could have rigged it to play loud recorded gunshots.
I also have used it inside the house when away on vacation. Switches on a bright light aimed at the entrance door if detects any movement or heat.
Mouse traps. Might want to weaken the springs a little but if they have a few of the small wooden mouse traps pop they
will probably find a new place.
maybe keep pics of roast turkeys handy