Urban Turkeys?

Yes, you read that right. Urban turkeys exist and they can be very problematic. Urban turkeys can do damage to your home, your cars, or other property.

As fun as it might be to see a turkey on your morning commute, they are not meant to be in an urban setting. Often times, their existence in an urban environment can cause more damage to themselves and potentially humans.

Urban turkeys aren't typically scared of humans so they will come up to your cars and peck at them, scratching the pant or denting your vehicle. They can also cause car crashes because they will walk across the street or fly across (yes, turkeys can fly) cause you to hit the big bird and get into an accident, damaging your property and potentially injuring you.

Trapping urban turkeys is an extremely difficult task and most pest control companies won't do it. When a company does trap urban turkeys, they have to have a permit from your state authority.

Typically, the best way to trap them is to bait them and use a drop net. Drop nets have specialized triggers on them so once the turkey(s) are under the net, the trapper releases the trigger, and the turkeys are trapped.

Relocation is the second most difficult part. Turkey's are large birds that can bite, peck, and claw you. Once you have trapped the turkey, make sure you're being safe by using the proper safety equipment, such as leather gloves up to your elbows and a heavy cloth to cover the bird so it limits their ability to harm you. Once you have the bird safe in your vehicle, call your local state animal control authority to work with them on relocating the animals correctly.