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Turkey fall behavior

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BSK

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OK, someone school me on turkey behavior. Will toms strut in front of females in the fall? Will a hen strut as a dominance display towards other females?
 
Mega or someone else can likely explain it better than I can....but from personal experience I can say tom's absolutely will strut in the fall and winter months....I've seen tom's strutting in December.... and opening of rifle last Saturday I had two toms gobbling on the ridge behind me.....as for hens....not sure I'd call it strutting but I've seen them puff up and dance around another hen making a bunch of racket.....I've always assumed they were working out the pecking order....but again, maybe Mega will check in with a better explanation.
 
In the first video, the birds strutting are clearly toms. But what about in the second video? Jakes?
 

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Yes and yes.

The 2nd video are hens (but I am looking via cell phone, so it's a little small).

Heck even baby turkeys as young as 2 weeks will strut to display dominance over their siblings.
 
I actually witnessed a hen strutting this past Saturday as several dozen turkeys fed through. For whatever reason this group had several small fights going on among the flock. Turkeys are great from March-May but I don't want them anywhere around during deer season. Too loud!!
 
BSK said:
OK, someone school me on turkey behavior. Will toms strut in front of females in the fall? Will a hen strut as a dominance display towards other females?
Click to expand...

Yes and yes, he'll strut and gobble when he wants to. Spring, summer, fall or winter. I've seen and heard it.

I've seen hens fan out and strut/walk around. I haven't heard it for myself but I've been told hens can/will even somewhat gobble.
 
I had 3 toms strutting Friday morning heads were white as snow. They also gobbled on the roost.
 
Forgive the quality as I was trying to video through binos. Past Saturday morning here. Tom strutting in circles around another tom for 15 min.
 
cbhunter said:
@gasman and myself witnessed this. She was actually pretty good at it. Sounded much like a jake would
Click to expand...
I called in a hen a couple years ago that gobbled twice from about 40 yards away. I would never have mistaken it for a tom gobbling. It didn't even really sound like a jake. Just a very feminine, high pitched, undeniable gobble. I've never seen one truly "strut" (head tucked, low to the ground, full display). I know they'll do it. I've seen videos. But I've seen them puff up and walk around with their fan partially out several times.
 
Yea, they do a lot of displaying/fighting when they're in fall and winter flocks. I've seen hens strut but only a couple times in the spring.
 

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