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snow cover obscures many potential food sources that wild turkeys will begin venturing further from their roosting areas to seek additional sources of food. Suburban lawns, which may include bird feeders and gardens, can become popular foraging places for wild turkeys. Acclimated urban turkeys may opt to roost on rooftops and/or decks, obstruct traffzc, or threaten homeowners due to the aggressive behavior of young males (referred to as "j akes"). Wild Turke_y Control for Homeowners Wi1d turkeys are protected by state law, thereby limiting a homeowner's capacity to forcibly remove them from their properties. The DNR has some recommendations on what property owners can do to deter wild turkeys from trespassing:l • Remove any potential sources of food from the yard. Clean up any spilled seeds from any bird feeder or discontinue its use if turkeys become problematic. Use protective netting over gardens to prevent turkeys from foraging in these areas. • When faced with an aggressive turkey, do not let them intimidate you. Making loud noises, spraying them with a hose or swinging a broom will usually scare them off. Keeping a dog chained or tethered in the yard is also effective at discouraging wild turkeys. • Remove or cover up any reflective surfaces on windows and if possible, keep your car in a garage. Turkeys can become aggressive when they see their reflection as they interpret it as potential competition. • Some companies sell commercial devices meant to scare turkeys. One such company, JWB Marketing, sells a"Scarewindmill" that emulates a flock of birds taking off to give the appearance of danger. Fleet Farm also sells a motion- activated owl decoy for approximately $35 this is designed to scare wild turkeys.2 For additional information, you may visit the DNR's page on wild turkeys located at: htt�://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livin�with wildlife/turkeys/index.html Wild Turke_y Control for Communities �When urban wild turkey populations become established, communities are faced with very few potential options for control. Many cities faced with problematic turkeys have first considered the possibility of relocating them. Although cities, including Arden Hills, have received calls from interested people willing to take captured turkeys to a preserve or game farm, permission must be obtained from the DNR. This is due to state statute 97A.025, in which states "a person may not acquire a property right in wild animals, or destroy them, unless authorized." Capturing and transferring a wild animal into the possession of a facility or individual is considered by the law an acquisition of a property right. However, despite this, the DNR would still not permit the relocation of turkeys for two reasons. First, the relocation of semi-domesticated birds from urban areas would only serve to move the nuisance they present to another area. Second, some 1 This information is provided courtesy of Bryan Lueth, Area Wildlife Supervisor for the DNR. 2 Wild turkeys have poor hearing, so scare tactics are more successful when directed to their keen visual sense. City of Arden Hills City Council Regular Meeting for March 8, 2010 Page 2 of 3