Once again this business is a riot. Two days from Thanksgiving and we get our very first turkey removal job. ( I'm not kidding. I just talked to the DNR gal that issues permits )

The only thing standing in the way of fantastic success is that we've never had turkeys, much less a turkey over-population problem, so I am new to all of this.

Among my million questions is: Can I make any money? What do I need to catch them. Is relocation a realistic approach? And, of course, if everything works out, what is a good recipe for wild turkey?

Can't really help you on the money side other than to take a guess you're going to take a bath.

Catching by the DNRs is usually cannon or drop nets or alpha chlorase. Relocation is almost always a non starter due to there are already turkeys everywhere, at least here. Don't know how y'all got it up there but turkeys are big game down here and a live turkey, deer or bear in possession down here will get you all sorts of unwanted attention. Turkeys also have a high rate relocation myopathy.

Good news, wild turkey tastes great! Beats the pants off of any sort of butterball you've ever tried. The trick is cook them the same as a storebought but be more cautious not the let them dry out. They have far less fat than corn fed farm birds. BTW wild spring toms will have a layer of fatty tissue across the breast, DO NOT REMOVE. Unlike other wild game where it may be advisable to remove fat to remove strong gamy flavors this is never the case with wild turkey. Wild birds in my experience are never gamy just flavorful. Imagine the best storebought bird in tenderness with the full flavor of the storebought dark meat but even better.

Barring the use of nets or chemicals you could try a cabin or pen trap as that is what many of the old turkey men used. I know a few other less then savory methods used by poachers back in the day such as trotlining, ditch or roost shooting but I really wouldn't recommend those methods.

Around here, most turkey jobs are done with an extra full choke and #4 shot but I bet a .22 cb would get 'er done with very little attention.

I've wanted to try trapping a turkey for a while now but the GW doesn't agree. A foot snare would probably do the job.

I like to braise the legs and thighs and butterfly, stuff and roast the breasts. Use the carcass to make stock and gravy.

Paul call me after you catch it and I will relocate it to my freezer. I still have a turkey tag I won't get to fill.

Nate, you better get more freezers; there's 40 of 'em.

Hey Paul, how about fleshing out the details of the job?

Forty nuisance turkeys is very good luck!

I'd start buying lottery tickets if I were you.

Paul, Here is a great chance for me to recommend PJ acquire you folks a nice cannon net system! ($$$)

Outside of the hunting season (which includes the methods involving shotguns) I've only captured turkey
with nets. You can go the traditional rocket net route, which involves some gunpowder or use the "netblaster"
style system that WCS sells which is a pressurized air system. Either will cover the distance and range necessary
but you are going to lay out some coin for that.

You might have luck with a drop net system which can be cheaper, same concept with a baited location, but
the net drops from poles above, can't see why a large enough net wouldn't do the same as from the rocket, but
in a more controlled fashion.

I realize most jobs don't entail one of these expensive options, but they are good to have on hand if you plan
to become more involved in the type of critter that might be streamlined with it.

Did I mention $$$....

**Another thought if don't plan to make these into a table fare or donate to soup kitchen, there are some good
chemical immobilizers that can be put in baited station that will allow you to basically walk out and pick up these
turkeys, just need a local veterinarian to work with and I imagine you might just know a few.

Again, only if state law allows and consumption isn't an issue. Used on urban ducks and geese an awful lot by
G-men.

What about soaking the feed in liquor? Might be a waste of good bourbon, but I've heard stories of folks soaking feed in liquor and then walking out to pick up drunk birds....... but maybe that's a myth?

Sounds like you finally get to order the big canon net from WCS

What kind of a problem are the turkeys causing?

Around here, the only problem we have with turkey is that they are devastating to a corn pile placed for deer. I'd love to use that as an excuse for taking a few but, number one, our wildlife folks say that if you place food stuffs out for wildlife you don't get to choose what wildlife eats it. And number two, turkey is considered "Big Game" here as well. As an ADC agent, I'm not allowed to remove big game. I can only deter them.

But alligator IS on my list... Go figure.

Muddawg, good question! I'm not sure, but I don't see us having the same problem as the truck farms in California where they take out the entire flock with silenced high power rifles.

What I do know is that after having a very intelligent conversation from someone from the Wisconsin DNR and her subsequent E-mails, everyone of you guys should convince your states to only hire DNR employees who graduated from some college in Wisconsin. These people make entirely too much sense to be even vaguely connected to any government agency!

I doubt that turkeys have figured out the ol' walk-in ditch. It's laughably simple (1 ditch + a coupla hands-full of corn = easy pickin's). Could dig it in about five minutes with a backhoe.

So Paul, how did this turn out?

Will you be eating one on Wednesday?

Glad you asked because I had forgotten about it myself. I was very proud of the gal at the DNR. She said that she couldn't find any decent trapping methods for turkeys either. But she would try to get the customer a shooting permit. I doubt he'll go for that but if he does, I may have to get myself a Benjamin .25 caliber air rifle. ( Oh darn, another gun )

Nothing to it.

Oh Yeah; and I could probably haul them in with Dave's backhoe. And the snow is getting high enough that the turkeys will have to duck to get in.

OK so here is probably the stupidest thing your ever going to hear. I was once TOLD that you can trap a turkey with an old mattress springs and corn. A turkey pulls its toes together to step down but not to pick it up. And thus can not step out of a mattress springs. It was probably more for a let's watch and see if this idiot tries it thing. Which I have not but that's just It I don't have a clue if it will work or not but it might be worth a try if you have them sitting around.

I wonder if a laser pen harrasment program would work to at least move them elsewhere??

Did you ever come up with a solution?

Not yet, but I'm hoping he gets a kill permit. I haven't bought a new gun in the new year yet.