Local Authorities Up their Offense to Tackle the Turkey Problem in Casper

The National Wild Turkey Federation has gotten ahold of a new, specialized turkey trap to capture "over abundant turkeys in urban areas" like Casper and move them to the wild, a perk they say increases hunting opportunities.

In partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the groups released a statement saying that they're hearing more and more complaints form Casperites about the nuisance causes by these big-feathered birds in town. Residents face issues ranging from turkeys roosting above houses and damaging property. Some say the turkeys are aggressive and they interfere with traffic.

Another complaint? Poop. Town turkeys defecate on sidewalks and vehicles and people are fed up.

The Casper City Council took action in August 2023 by passing an ordinance prohibiting residents from feeding wild turkeys, but complaints to local authorities continue to pour in, especially during the winter when food becomes scarce.

During these periods, turkeys often flock to ranches, damaging hay bales and consuming livestock feed.

So what is this special, new turkey trap?

It was originally designed for capturing wild pigs. It's a live-capture device made of livestock panels with a remotely controlled door.

How it works is bait is placed on the ground... and once turkeys use the bait, the trap is placed over it.

A trail camera is then placed on the trap.

Once the turkeys enter the trap, the camera alerts a Wyoming Game and Fish employee, and the employee can then drop the door on the trap and catch the turkeys.

Several employees will show up, band the birds, then load the turkeys into boxes provided by the NWTF and haul them to their new home.