How do you protect your pet turkey during hunting season?

[livenwpeeps]

Ok guys, I know this maybe impossible and you may think I am crazy but here goes ....
I live on a big farm that is rented out to a hunt club during the hunting season. I have pet guineas and a few chickens and there have been no problems with the hunters I guess because they look like guineas and chickens. However this spring, we picked up two turkeys to raise with our keets (baby guineas). We know nothing about turkeys so we asked the lady would these guys look like wild turkeys when they became adults because they were going to be pets and free range with the guineas. The lady swore up and down that they would not look like wild turkeys so we got them. Long story short, the tom (whose name is Memphis) looks like the wild turkeys that are roaming our farm. His buddy, Narma Jean, is a little lighter but still close enough to mistake and they both will walk right up to strangers. When they are in the field in front of our house and other then they are running with a bunch of guineas, you would never know the difference. We informed the hunt club of the two pet turkeys but I was wondering if there was some way to mark them? I thought of putting a blaze orange vest on each but they go through the brush and if the vest got caught they would be stuck. I thought about live stock paint like what you use on cows, pigs, goats, etc...... but there is nothing said about putting them on feathers. Has anyone ever had this problem or had to mark their birds with something? We do have a coop and I know that is what you are all going to say is to lock them up and let them out only on Sundays but I was hoping someone might have another answer. You would hope that someone wouldn't shoot so close to our house but I have been sitting on the back deck one morning and the hunters ran through our back yard so ............. that's my question. You can say I am crazy, lock them up in the coop, don't lease the farm to the hunters, etc..... but there might be one person out there that was in my shoes at one time or another and might know of a way. To all of you, thank you for any help you can give me.

 

[sourland]

The sad fact is that there are hunters and there are also fools with guns. I have had some of the latter shoot cockbirds on my front lawn. I soon educated that crew. For guaranteed safety, yep, keep them penned up. I'd be tempted to try spraying them with some of that garish hair coloring that kids used to put on their hair during Halloween and some now use on a routine basis. Livestock paint might be another option. I understand your concern, and it is valid.

 

[redstar14]

Their is some stuff called BLUE - KOTE for cuts on animals and wherever you spray stays blue they sale it at my local feed and seed not sure about where you live but worth a try

 

[junkprospector]

even if you blue kote'd them, if they are out during hunting season, they'll get shot and bagged and someone will tell about the HUGE wild turkey they shot opening day of turkey season. Put them in a pen. if not, they'll end up on someone else's dinner plate for sure. letting them free range during hunting season will end up bad - it wouldn't ever be worth the risk just to let them free range.

 

[redstar14]

I agree with that

 

[Celie]

I agree with the comments above, especially the hair dye and penning, but would like to add that these are one reason I raise White Heritage turkeys! No one can mistake white turkeys for a wild bird !

 

[cluck cluck 123]

Maybe you should keep it in a pen during hunting season and put something like a collar on it just in case.