This is a new one for the Garden Clinic Forum, I think. I sympathize with you. Have you tried posting this in the Wildlife Forum? I'd also suggest that you contact your local Extension office, where you might find some good local information about who might be able to help. Seems like there should be a wildlife management office of some kind.

We don't want you to be doing any more 'creepy' things to keep the turkeys away, lol!

Birds have no olfactory senses so something that smells bad will not repel them. I have found that 4 foot high fences around the planting beds keep them out of where I don't want them very effectively. While the fences are a pain for me if I don't want the mulches, soil, and plants all over the place they are necessary.

rhizo_1- Makes sense to post in the wildlife forum... sorry about the categorization! I was so infuriated at the time I posted this that I had a hard time getting past using only very nasty words to describe the feathered terrorists; "pest" was the very nicest of them.

I contacted my local Fish and Game office and left a message. Hopefully something can be done about the darn birds.

Kimmsr- I never knew that! Thanks for the info. I guess I never thought of it, as birds (particularly my chickens) have their favorite foods, but you learn something every day.

I guess the garlic slop I made yesterday and spread around won't do much. At least it's a conversation starter, as the smell of garlic is wafting around all the flower beds.

The creepy garden tactics will have to wait for the deer to come down from the hills in a few months =)
Thanks for the help!

kimmsr. The darned things can fly! I see them atop peoples' roofs all the time!
We just had 2 Toms and a hen come to our neighborhood this week while we were away on vacation! AKKKK! NOOOOOoooooo.
We had a few a couple of years ago, but after the neighbors watched me chasing them down our long driveway with their eyebrows raised (the neighbor's not the turkeys)they didn't come back.....until today! Nancy

I must admit that I'm scratching my head over the four foot fence notion of keeping turkeys out. Considering that they roost high in trees and are excellent fliers....

The turkeys around here simply will not try to enter an area that is fenced, if the fence is closer than about 5 feet apart. They have not, in 12 years, attempted to fly over these 4 foot high fences. One day, while working out there, I left the fence open, went in for lunch, and when I came back out some of the turkeys were in that bed. They tried to run, not fly, and ran into the fence furthest away from me and then ran back before finally resorting to flying out of that contained area.
The turkeys around here much prefer to run although they will fly for very short distances when necessary.

Well, that does make sence about the width of the fences. If you look at birds up on a wire, they are mostly equally spaced....so they don't have to touch wings when they take off.
The thought of fencing each and every bed just isn't possible.
I'm going to hook up the power sprayer (not to harm, but to scare and have some distance)and hope I encourage them to nest elsewhere!
I've seen a few turkeys over the last few years, but they haven't stuck around. Crossing my fingers! Nancy

Nancy, I don't know if they would get used to it and come to ignore it, but you have said a couple of times they will leave if sprayed with water....

I have a Contech Scarecrow motion activated sprayer for deer, have used it for visiting cats. I took it to my mothers the year she had a heron visiting her man-made pond with gold fish, the heron quit coming back.

We have very few turkeys here, they don't seem to thrive where quite so wet in Spring - But Liquid Fence company (the makers of the deer repellent some use) say their Goose Repellent works for turkeys, I don't know how successfully, no experience, I'm just passing that along.

Here is a link that might be useful: Contech Scarecrow

That's interesting about the Goose Repellent, mor. I'm very familiar with this product and how helpful it can be in convincing Canada geese and ducks to find other feeding (and pooping) areas. I honestly don't remember that turkeys were listed on the label before, but they are now.

I fenced in my (32'x32') veg. garden, but found them sitting on the fence, surveying th edelicacies they were about to eat. Durn things just ate my garlic tops that were just showing, along with last ye'ar's leftover leek tops. I don't think alliums will deter them. I'd love to hear of anything that works.