We are being invaded by turkeys…

For quite a few years we have fed the deer in the winter, starting right after deer season ends.  They usually start to come to the feeders quickly as though they know that it is safe to be out in the open again. This year, there was an ice storm just before the end of the black powder hunting season. Ice makes it more difficult for the deer to find things to eat so I figured that they would arrive quickly.

I put the food out on Sunday afternoon and the very next day, we looked out to see…TURKEYS!  There were about thirty of them. Now some folks think that they are fun to watch and even more folks think they are fun to hunt but I really could do without turkeys for either of those reasons.  Not only are turkeys ugly, they eat like little pigs and then leave—ahem—LOTS of droppings behind.  I figured that I could just go out and yell at them and they would leave but I stand on the deck and holler and they stand at the food and look at me as if to say “What the heck is wrong with that woman??”.  No, they don’t leave so I may as well save my breath.  Needless to say, there is never much food left for the deer. Here is a photo of just a few of them gathered around the feeder.

I have sort of figured out a way to outsmart them but we don’t get to see very many deer. I go out and feed in the late afternoon once the turkeys have gone to roost. We do get to see a few deer during the day that come in hoping to find a kernel of corn or two laying around. Most of the deer that we see are on the game camera that is attached to the tree out there.  I have the new handy, dandy infrared cam set up out there so the photo’s are black and white when taken at night,  but still fun to see. I captured the following photo a few nights ago. Looks like the deer fight each other for that food—as well as the turkeys.

We are finally starting to see a few deer come in during the day, but of course there is nothing left to eat so they don’t hang around long. All-in-all, I feel that we are pretty fortunate to be able to see the wildlife that we see here.  In the past few weeks, I have seen a fox, deer, turkeys (lots of turkeys) and even caught some coyote’s on the trail camera.  Perhaps one of these days the turkeys will tire of the crazy lady on the deck and leave.  One can dream…