City mulls killing the wild birds

PHILOMATH - Turkeys may look and sound comical, but they're far from funny for some residents in west Philomath, who have complained that the large birds are causing property damage.

In response, the City Council decided Monday to look into trapping and relocating wild turkeys. Killing the birds, however, might be the more-likely solution, according to city paperwork.

"(Councilors) want to take definitive action to help folks," said City Manager Randy Kugler. "The council still, very clearly, is not taking a kill permit off the table. They just want to ease into this, and not eliminate options that might be beneficial to solving the problem."

To trap or kill wild turkeys, the city would need to get a permit from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

About 20 birds have been making their home in west Philomath, north of Highway 20/34. The turkeys have been scratching or tearing up landscaping and roofs, defecating on lawns and decks and making noise during the early morning, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Charlene Hendricks, who lives in the 500 block of Canberra Drive, said she's had an ongoing battle with the turkeys, which wiped out strawberries in her garden and tried to gobble up blueberries.

"I had to chase them off my property twice a day," Hendricks said. "We see them every morning and every night."

Hendricks said when one or two turkeys first came into the neighborhood in the early summer, she thought they were neat. Now she considers them pests.

"I'm just worried if something doesn't stop them from multiplying and staying here, we'll have a lot more turkeys in our area," Hendricks said.

The turkey issue first came to the attention of the City Council during its meeting Aug. 25. Since then, the city has distributed fliers to homes in neighborhoods with the birds, sent out a message in water bills, and consulted with ODFW about the matter.

Residents apparently have stopped feeding turkeys, as the fliers ask, Kugler wrote, in a city memorandum. However, the turkey flocks haven't dispersed. Hendricks said the birds still might be feeding on fruit dropped in orchards or other sources.

According to the memo, Nancy Taylor, an ODFW wildlife biologist, said trapping the birds was only a band-aid, and that problems would surface again next year.

"My take on her response is that we should expect to kill many turkeys to eliminate them permanently. This may not sit well with some citizens," Kugler wrote.

If a permit to kill the birds was issued, the Philomath Police Department likely would do the deed.

"Trapping the birds does not work," Taylor said in a voice mail Tuesday afternoon. She added that Northwest Corvallis also has a problem with wild turkeys, and it also is discussing kill permits. Philomath and Corvallis are mulling feeding restrictions regarding the birds.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.