Stupid wild turkey is destroying my garden

[LSFL]

And injuring the neighborhood cats. I have ran it off with fireworks twice but it keeps coming back. The damned thing makes eye contact with me while it eats my tomatoes!
Any thoughts? It isnt in season so I can't harvest it and I cannot shoot in city limits anyway. It is such an arrogant little butt hole!

[Blues Heron]

1. It's cruelty to animals if your shooting fireworks at it. nt

[LSFL]

2. you misunderstood me. perhaps i was not clear.

I am lighting fireworks in the vicinity to scare it away. They even make purpose built fireworks for this purpose. I would never attempt to maim it. I am seeking to let it leave unharmed. God knows there are so many fireworks going on this week one little 22 pop would go unnoticed. But I like its ballsy manner so I am seeking non lethal methods.

[Blues Heron]

5. Turkey's thinking "stupid guy didn't put up any chicken wire around his 'maters"!

[pangaia]

3. Drink it...

[femmocrat]

4. Fencing?

Like rabbit fence? It's not terribly expensive unless you have a huge garden.

[LSFL]

6. it is a wild turkey

It flies. Maybe I should call animal control. I live right in the middle of town. Never saw one within 2 miles of here before. Its pretty aggressive.

[NotASurfer]

7. Motion-detecting sprinklers?

Worked well for me in deterring neighborhood cats. Of course if Tom is really ornery he might just counterattack, but worth a shot. Just be sure you use hose designed for constant pressure, not lightweight garden hose. Blew out one with the sprinkler in question.

[whistler162]

8. Stop drinking and gardening then!

[Not Ruth]

9. I emphasize with America's bird 👍

[Callmecrazy]

10. Shoot it...

Put the carcass in the driveway and make road kill out of it. It's just a damn bird. It can't vote, so it has no rights; it's food.
I can't believe you're letting a bird destroy all your hard work. If it was a neighborhood kid, you'd be chasing him down the street.

[doc03]

13. I agree the state wildlife agency stocked wild turkeys to

give hunters something to shoot and please the NRA. Same thing with deer they are so over populated so hunters can easily
get a deer and it supports the NRA to market guns.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. The OP is in a city; can't legally hunt there.

They don't want to kill it, just make it go away.

[Donkees]

11. Have you tried the iridescent reflector tape used to scare birds, or mylar balloons?

[csziggy]

16. I've read that old CDs would work, too

I think it's the shiny glittering that freaks animals out.

[Botany]

15. subsonic .22

They make very little noise and break apart in the animal.

Bottle rockets, a big dog might, and or a bow and arrow might help help too.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1301310307/cci-quik-shok-ammunition-22-long-rifle-subsonic-40-grain-plated-lead-hollow-point

Call your state DNR and ask for the wildlife department ..... if nothing else helps

[Blindingly apparent]

17. Plant a perimeter or sunflowers they like the seeds and will often ignore the veggies

It doesn't protect the cats but maybe you could teach them self-defemse

[Flaleftist]

18. Maybe something like this would help:

http://www.tbotech.com/blog/barking-dog-alarm-tough-enough-to-scare-bears-away

[LSFL]

19. thank you all

I realize this situation is not without humor. I appreciate the serious and not so serious responses. Believe you me, i have eaten better birds for less. But the in-laws garden is doing fine and I have first dibs. So I may let this play out.

But chances are that Ben Franklin's buddy will be feeding my colleagues if it decides to push its luck. Thanks all and I will try some irredecance.