My parents live in colorado on 90 acres and have wild turkeys?

Question

On my parents property there are 30 plus wild turkeys and deer. My dad stands on the deck every morning and throws dog food out to them and the deer and the turkeys and my parents dog and cat all sit out there together and eat this dog food like one big happy family. My only concern is will this cause the turkeys and deer to get used to being fed by humans or will always survive in the wild on their own.

Answer 1

you mean they all eat dog food?, if they do I might visit them but, I'll cook those dam turkeys and deer.

Answer 2

Both the turkeys and deer are survivors. We have both on the 40 acres of rural farmland we live on, and they range over a 5-10 square mile area.
There's a flock of wild turkeys which clean up under my birdfeeder a couple times a week, but they roost in the bottomland near the creek about a mile away. I'm sure they visit a lot of birdfeeders in the area, not just mine.

I wouldn't worry about the turkeys and deer. Though they may get a little of their daily calories from the dog food, it sure isn't enough to sustain them.
They are already used to people simply by being in the same 90 acres. What a fun way to connect with the wild inhabitants of the world.

Answer 3

When a hunter goes up into the area either your parents place if it is not posted no hunting, or beyond there place where the critters still go, the deer and the turkeys will not run from the people making them someones dinner, or target practice.
Not a good thing to do is feed the wild animals, but your parents get the pleasure from seeing them, for now.
Tell your father to post signs " Absolutely no trespassing, Violators will be prosecuted" and make your father call the law and enforce these rules. Word will get out in that area...
Hopefully your parents do not tell many people they do this right?
Also this could get someone shot (or peeps bow hunting, no noise) by a gung ho hunter if the property is not posted, experience talking here!!

Answer 4

30 turkeys and deer will need several pounds of food every day. Unless your parents are spending a ton of money on dog food, the deer and turkeys are just getting desert. They'll still be foraging in the forest for their main course. The bigger danger will that they lose their natural distrust of humans and walk right up to a hunter expecting some Kibbles and Bits.

Answer 5

While many people believe they are helping wildlife by feeding them. They are not ESPECIALLY feeding them an improper diet. If he is going to feed them he should at least feed them something nutritious.

And I hope he is dedicated to this task. If he decides not to do this in the middle of winter those poor animals now have to really struggle to find a winter food source or go hungry.

Also the next person they decide to walk up to for a hand out may be thinking "Here comes dinner" instead of lets feed him.

Answer 6

Turkeys will always survive.If its a hard winter ,more and more deer will show up. They will wipe out the nearby food supply so your dad will have to keep feeding till spring

Answer 7

It's hard to resist feeding wild animals. I have a raccoon that eats on my bench, and my Mom has a possum that likes to drink milk out of a coffee cup. I know we are supposed to let them fear humans, but for gosh sakes they live nearby and know humans are around! Let Dad and the whole gang have their fun. Just think about a video to America's Funniest Videos!

Answer 8

If your parents have been feeding them every day, the animals will come to rely on it especially in the winter when food runs low. They better keep doing it at least until spring when the animals can find food easily.

Answer 9

Your parents eat dog food? Or your parents' dog and cat eat dog food? Punctuation is critical!

I'm not sure about the answer to your question but I don't think it is a good idea.

Answer 10

Never a good idea to mess with nature, only as last resort and in extreme circumstances. Some say even under these conditions humans should not interfere.