Strange critters

4

4onaside

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
5,120
Reaction score
2
Location
Jackson,Tn
I had two hens and a jake dusting on the edge of the pasture this afternoon at 2:00. Two longbeards came along in the edge of the woods and passed within feet of the live turkeys. Got even with me and my dekes and stopped. The trailing bird blew up and the first just stood there. I yelped softly one time and the strutter gobbled. I waited just a bit and yelped and it answered again. Then I shut up, as they turned and started toward me. The lead strutter with the other bird right behind it. I was going to shoot the trailing bird but I couldn't get any separation. Finally at 15 yards, they separated and I shot. Both birds took off for a short distance landing going away. I smoked the bird that I had missed at 15 at 40 yards. Once again, gobblers attracted to rubber turkeys in lieu of the live hens that were in sight the entire time. Maybe its my great calling! lol 10in beard, sharp spurs starting to curve. Three year old bird. I'm happy.
 
Keep in mind those turkeys know each other, they live together all year and what you were likely seeing is 2 hens and a jake that were siblings. The hens being Jennies may not be fertile yet, and the jake is their brother and just hanging out cause he's an outcast.

This is really common early in the breeding cycle, and once those young hens become fertile that jake will get run off.

Congrats on the bird and I would say the plastic turkeys drew attention because they weren't familiar and were the new girl in town
 
I think that you absolutely nailed it! I had to look hard to find a beard on the jake, and I made the hens as jennys(a mature hen had just passed by). Big difference in their appearance. Normally I have almost always encountered jakes running together,tall and black and their beards, while small, are usually apparent. Also, I made the bird that I killed as a subordinate. Had about the same size beard as the strutter, but never once blew up and followed right behind the strutter coming in. He was also rather light for a mature bird, 15/8. Interesting watching them.
 
Yeah it's a strange dynamic and it took me years to understand some of the quirks, or should I say think I understand the quirks. There's no way to know for sure obviously but it does make sense. I guess :D
 
Several days ago I had a longbeard strutting his stuff for a pair of feeding hens in a field. He'd gobble occasionally just for the heck of it, spit, drum, and generally just keep tabs on the girls. A few soft clucks, they're all easing my way, so I'm thinking something good will happen...just a matter of time.

Off the hill at a run come not 1 but 4 bearded birds; they looked like 2 year olds (I've since nicknamed them The Brothers). The longbeard folded, they ran him off the field, and The Brothers just went to feeding...paid absolutely no attention to the hens. I mean showed zero interest which I thought somewhat bizarre. They eased back in the direction they'd come from. Never can tell with certainty what they'll do.

Strange critters indeed.
 
Setterman said:
Keep in mind those turkeys know each other, they live together all year and what you were likely seeing is 2 hens and a jake that were siblings. The hens being Jennies may not be fertile yet, and the jake is their brother and just hanging out cause he's an outcast.

This is really common early in the breeding cycle, and once those young hens become fertile that jake will get run off.

Congrats on the bird and I would say the plastic turkeys drew attention because they weren't familiar and were the new girl in town
Click to expand...

Excellent assessment.
 
Congrats on the gobbler. Setteman is probably in the money, but I'd also guess that a tom would be more interested in a hen standing there "yelping" than a hen that is obviously not in a breeding mood (dusting). But that would be my own guess and setterman knows a lot more about turkey behavior.

The other day I watched a group of hens dusting, and farther across the field was 3 or 4 hens feeding with a strutter.
 
Not too long ago, I had a gobbler coming in zeroed in on my fake hens and had the real deal literally walk between my set and the gobbler at spitting distance of each other. I thought, "I'm screwed, he's going with her". The gobbler was already pumped and when the lady came by, he turned and looked at her and then proceeded into my #6's. Maybe its like us. When you are focused nothing is going to deter you! lol
 

Latest posts

Back
Top