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T.R.
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T.R.'s
Understanding Turkeys/Turkey Biology 101 By T.R. Michels, I've always felt that the more you know about the biology of the animal you are hunting, the better you will be at understanding when and where to find it, and that will make you a better hunter. So let's talk turkey. Sight is a main means of defense against predators for turkeys, so they often use open fields and meadows as feeding and strutting sites; and wooded areas as mid-day loafing and roosting sites. Forage Turkeys eat a wide range of foods including succulent grasses and forbes (wild flowers), insects, leftover grains, fruits of the grape, cherry and black gum, and seeds including mast crops of acorns, pine nuts, juniper (cedar) berries, and new growth agricultural crops. In the winter turkeys rely heavily on acorns and seeds, branch tips of brush and trees, leftover grain crops; and they feed heavily in fields where manure has been spread, at corn cribs and feedlots, and at silage piles. In early spring turkeys often rely heavily on leftover grain in agricultural fields. Once the weather warms and new green growth appears they will begin feeding in pastures, river and creek bottoms, and hayfields and pastures, where they eat green forage and search for insects. Hens often seek out sources of calcium (such as land snails) for egg production in the spring. Roosts The availability and location of roosting sites is a determining factor in
turkey use of the habitat. If there are few or no roosting sites available,
turkeys may leave the area or not use it. In the southern states turkey roosting sites are often located over or near water. In western areas turkeys use fir, pine, spruce, cottonwood and large aspen trees as roosts. Eastern birds often roost in pines, elm, maple, box elder, large oak, and cottonwood. Mature toms often choose pines because the pines can reduce wind speeds by 50-70 percent. Eastern turkeys generally have several roost sites in their home range, and they may use different sites on successive nights. In limited and poor habitat, Merriam's turkeys often roost in the same trees on a regular basis. Scientific studies have shown that turkeys often roost on an east or south-facing slope, about a third of the way down the slope where the winds are calm. East and south facing slopes also receive the earliest sunlight, allowing the birds to warm-up and be able to see early in the morning. In one study roost sites were often within one half mile of water, and five hundred yards of a meadow. This could be attributed to the fact that turkeys often feed before going to roost in the evening, and they don't travel far at dusk. The preferred roosts in the study were mature trees with open crowns giving the turkeys room to fly into the trees and move around. They also preferred trees with large horizontal limbs to roost on. Vision Vision scientist, Dr. Jay Neitz believes that birds see in trichromatic color like humans, and that many birds actually see four colors, because they see ultraviolet light as a different color than the three primary colors of red, yellow and blue seen by humans. This helps birds because they can detect ultraviolet light in low light conditions when humans can't. Because turkey are a prey species their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, giving them a wide field of vision. But, because of their wide spaced eyes, turkeys sacrifice depth perception; they see very little in front of them with both eyes at the same time. As turkeys walk, their heads move back and forth, giving them two different angles of an object, which helps them determine the distance of the object. Because of their poor depth perception, turkeys have difficulty determining the relative size of objects. Hearing Bird's ears are also located on the sides of their heads, and because they have no outer ear with a cup to enhance the sound in one direction, they hear sounds all the way around them. Sound received by one ear but not by the other ear helps the birds determine the direction of sounds, but not the distance of the sounds. Loud sounds are generally produced at closer ranges than quieter sounds, and cause turkeys to become alert. This makes it clear why prey species (like turkeys) with widely spaced eyes and ears give an alarm signal first, often try to verify the danger with both their eyes and ears, and then flee. If they don't know which direction the danger came from they need to verify the danger, and the direction, before trying to avoid danger; or they may actually flee into, rather than away from it. Daily Activity I've seen a wintering flock of turkeys spend four hours in a cornfield in early spring, prior to the breeding season. However, the normal amount of time spent by large flocks or groups feeding in open areas is about an hour to an hour and a half. Then they move to a new opening, or into the woods. During mid-day the turkeys may loaf in wooded areas and fly up to roost. They generally begin to feed again in the late afternoon, and fly back up to roost about a half hour before dusk. Reaction to Environmental Conditions Cold, snow, rain and high winds may restrict turkey activity, in particular breeding. During extreme wet and cold or wet and windy conditions turkeys may not leave the roost, if they do they often leave later than normal. When snow depths inhibit walking and feeding turkeys may stay on the roost for several days. During my research I found that when wind-chill factors dropped below 34 degrees gobbling was reduced, and the turkeys often stayed in protected areas, on the downwind side of hills and woods, out of the wind and cold. They also sought protection in low-lying areas, and spent more time in the woods. If the weather warmed after a cold spell or storm, the birds often began to gobble later than normal. According to noted waterfowl biologist, Dr. Jim Cooper, birds have numerous air sacs in their bodies and are able to detect slight changes in barometric pressure, which may allow them to feel approaching storms. Many hunters believe birds, including turkeys, feed heavily up to two days before a storm because they feel it is coming. This would allow the birds to wait out a storm and begin feeding after it passes. During my studies I found that the normal pattern of the turkeys was disrupted the day after a storm, particularly if the storm began in the late afternoon, before the birds went up to roost. If the storm caused the birds to roost earlier than normal, they often did not make it to the trees they would usually roost in when they were in that particular area. Instead, they often roosted early and choose the first suitable trees they came to. They were often late getting to the nearest feeding/strutting area the morning after a storm. Wind and Rain Strong winds and rain can disable the turkeys ability to hear, which makes them reluctant to move. Strong winds also make it difficult for turkeys to move effectively. Rain is probably uncomfortable for turkeys, which causes them to seek shelter and restrict their movements. Prevailing wind patterns may affect where turkeys roost. They often choose roost sites in ravines and on downwind sides of hills and wooded areas out of the wind. This may also affect their daily movement. Because turkeys prefer to take off and land into the wind they should leave the roost into prevailing winds, and land in suitable landing sites: open meadows or fields. Once they are on the ground they may continue moving in the same direction, until they reach protected areas. While prevailing wind patterns may influence traditional daily movement patterns, current conditions do prevail and determine to some extent the direction and location of turkey movement. The availability of suitable food sources at the time of the year greatly influences the direction of movement. When strong winds or rain make it difficult for toms to hear other toms gobbling, they don't gobble in response as often as they normally do, consequently gobbling may be reduced on windy or rainy days. During my research I found that toms gobbled less than normal in the morning if it had rained within the last 12 hours. Light Because turkeys rely on their sight for protection, any condition that reduces visibility makes the birds cautious. If the amount of light is reduced by clouds, fog, rain or snow, turkeys move later than normal in the morning, waiting until they can see effectively before they fly down from the roost. My studies show that turkeys fly down from ten to twenty minutes later than normal on cloudy or hazy days. Sign This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.
Natures Clues To Spring By T.R. Michels Although the first day of the spring turkey season was cloudy, and a cold wind was blowing, I headed for the soybean field where I had seen a flock of turkeys just after daylight for the last two weeks. I was fairly sure the birds wouldn’t show up because of the weather. But, just to be on the safe side I drove to the field forty-five minutes before daylight. I parked on the road, got out of the Suburban, and owl hooted loudly. When I didn’t get an answer I hooted again, still no answer. I waited several minutes as the sky grew lighter and then blew a Flydown Cackle, no answer. The birds were either not there, or they weren’t talking. Luckily, I had been studying this flock for more than two years, and had an idea of where I could find at least two of the fourteen jakes and toms in the area. I got back in the Suburban and drove to a small bean field that was protected from north and east winds by the surrounding woods. By the time I got there the sky was already turning gray, so I grabbed my bag of decoys and quickly made my way to the edge of the woods. When I reached the gully that ran into the field from the north I put out two hen decoys and two toms decoys, one in a semi-strut position, the other in a full strut. I chose a large tree at the edge of the woods, checked to make sure I had a clear line of sight, sat down, and yelped softly on my Haydel’s box call. With the wind blowing as hard as it was I wasn’t sure if I could hear the birds if they answered me, or if they could hear me. I called intermittently for the next fifteen minutes without getting a response. Then I heard a double gobble. I called one more time and waited. I knew the birds were coming toward me because they kept gobbling every two to three minutes, and each time the sound was closer. A half-hour after I set up two long bearded toms walked down the gully, into the field, and approached the decoys. If I had been hunting, the toms would have offered an easy shot at fifteen yards. Research As a guide, writer and seminar speaker it’s my job to know when and where to find game animals on a regular basis. Like most hunters I have had days when I felt I had chosen the right day, location time to hunt, and I still didn’t see anything. I was fairly sure the weather had a lot to do with not seeing any game. From the research I read I knew that turkeys often roosted on the downwind side of a hill, to get out of cold winds. From my own experience I knew that they often flew down later than normal on cloudy days. But, I wasn’t exactly sure of when, where or how other weather conditions affected the activity of turkeys. That’s when I began watching the flock of thirty-four birds a half mile from our house. For four years I watched, listened and recorded the movements of the birds. Almost every day, from the middle of March to late May, I went out in the evening to find out where the birds roosted. The next morning I would go back to the same spot an hour before daybreak. Before I left the house I would write down the date, temperature, wind speed, wind-chill, sky conditions and the type and amount of precipitation. Once the toms began to gobble I'd record the time and number of the
gobbles, any other calls the birds made, and how many hens, toms and jakes I
saw. I would also write down what the birds did and when they did it, how
long they did it, and where they went. I would usually listen to and watch
the birds from sunrise to as late as What I learned in four years has allowed me to see more birds, find them on a regular basis, and get closer to them. My research shows that several different meteorological conditions affect turkeys activity on a daily basis. These conditions include the amount of available light (time of day and cloud cover), temperature or wind-chill (whichever is lower), wind speed, and the amount and type of precipitation. Available Light The first thing I noticed was that the toms usually started gobbling about forty-five minutes before sunrise; and that most gobbling occurred from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunrise. On clear days the birds generally flew down from five to thirty minutes before sunrise. When the sky was cloudy the toms usually called ten to twenty minutes later than when the sky was clear, and both the toms and hens flew down later than normal. Temperature I noted that gobbling was correlated with temperature and wind-chill;
there was more gobbling on warm days than on cold days. Most gobbling
occurred when the temperature or wind-chill was between 34 and 55 degrees.
When the temperature or wind-chill dropped below 34 degrees there was little
gobbling, and the birds often waited until the temperature warmed later on in
the morning before actively gobbling. These temperature parameters may vary
in different areas, because turkey researcher Lovett Williams informs me that
turkeys in Wind Speed There was much less gobbling when wind speeds exceeded 10 miles per hour. I suspect that high winds, and the sound of falling rain, make it hard for the birds to hear each other calling, which causes them to gobble less in response to each other’s calls. I also found that the toms responded less to my calling on windy and rainy days, probably because they couldn’t hear my calls. On exceedingly windy days the turkeys often spent less time feeding in open areas, and more time in protected areas. When it was windy and cold the turkeys generally stayed out of open feeding areas, choosing to move to the downwind side of hills and woods; or low-lying areas out of the wind. On one morning when there was a 23 mile per hour wind, and a windchill of 34 degrees, I watched three jakes come off the roost and land in the field where they normally gobbled and strutted. Within minutes of flying down from their roosts the three jakes moved to a small, protected, low-lying field surrounded by woods, and stayed there for twenty-five minutes. They ate infrequently, never gobbled, did not strut, and stood with their backs to the wind most of the time. Precipitation When it rained in the late afternoon, evening, or during the night, the toms gobbled less than normal the next morning, and all the birds usually flew down later than normal. I suspect this was because it was usually still damp, windy, and cloudy. But, even when it was clear and not windy, there was reduced gobbling if there had been precipitation within the last 12 hours. If it was still raining in the morning gobbling began later than normal, and there was less gobbling activity. If the rain stopped during the morning the toms often began to gobble within the hour. At night the birds usually roosted within a few hundred yards of a feeding/strutting area, and generally choose the same group of trees to roost in when they were in particular areas. But, when it began to rain or snow early in the afternoon the turkeys often roosted earlier than normal, and they chose the nearest large trees to roost in, rather than going to the trees they would normally use when they were in that area. This caused the turkeys to arrive at feeding/strutting areas later than normal the next morning, because they had to travel farther to get there. Drizzle or light rain and snow, that started during the day, and lasted for more than ten to fifteen minutes, did not seem to affect the turkeys. But, if light rain or snow lasted for more than 20 minutes the birds usually moved to cover in wooded areas, where the hens often fed and the toms continued to strut. When it was raining heavily the birds usually moved to wooded areas within minutes, where they sometimes fed, but often stood under the trees or flew up to roost. During or after rainy conditions the birds often traveled where the ground vegetation was low (pastures and fields), where they wouldn’t get any wetter than they already were, or they traveled where there was less vegetation (game trails and roads in wooded areas). After a heavy rain or snow I often saw the birds sitting in protected areas with their wings outspread, so they could dry out, especially if the sun was shining. Once they had sufficiently dried out they began to move and feed. The toms rarely gobble however, because they were often with the hens. Spring Spring is when turkeys begin to shift from winter to summer ranges. This shift doesn’t happen at the same time each year, because it depends on the amount of food available, and the weather conditions. Depending on where you hunt the summer ranges may be from as little as a half mile to several miles apart. In areas where the winter and summer ranges are only a few miles apart the shift may occur over several days, with birds leaving one day and returning the next. In areas where the winter and summer ranges are several miles apart the move may take weeks, with the birds advancing only as far as new foods become available.
Scouting Because of this shift from winter to spring ranges the only way to determine where the turkeys are is by scouting the area from a week to a day before you hunt. When you are scouting you may see tracks, droppings, feathers and dusting bowls. These signs help you determine whether or not there are birds in the area, and how recently they were there. While you are scouting you should carry a topographical map or aerial photo of the area, and a notebook. Mark the areas where you see turkeys or turkey sign on your map or photo, and note the time and weather conditions and the number, sex, and location of the birds in your notebook. If you can, you should watch the turkeys several times before you hunt, so you know where they normally roost and feed. You should also watch more than one flock if you can, so you have backup birds to hunt when you can’t find a particular tom or flock. Patterning Once you have scouted the area you can begin to pattern their movements. Patterning is the best way to be able to predict where to find the turkeys on a regular basis. In order to successfully pattern the turkeys you need to know when and where they fly down from their favorite roosting areas; where they feed when they are in that area; and the route they usually take when going from the roost to the feeding area. You should also know where they go after they leave the early morning feeding area, so that you can hunt them later in the day if you didn’t get a bird early in the morning. If you have done enough scouting, and taken enough notes during your scouting, you will begin to notice patterns of where the birds are at particular times of the day during particular weather conditions. Daily Movements During the day the birds intermittently feed and roost in wooded areas; the hens may lay eggs or nest; the toms may gobble. In the late afternoon hours the birds may return to an open feeding area before flying up to roost. Laying hens don’t usually stay on the nest at night until after their last egg is laid; nesting hens spend the night on the nest, and move to feeding areas in the morning and evening. Roost Sites Feeding Areas In early spring, before the snow has melted, or new green growth has
appeared, turkeys often move to agriculture fields shortly after leaving the
roost. When you are ready to hunt, look and listen for turkeys going to roost at night, so you know where to find them in the morning. If you see birds feeding in open areas within a half-hour of sunset, they will usually roost nearby. They may return to feed in the same area the next morning. If you don’t see birds, drive around to likely roosting areas and try to get the toms to shock gobble in response to a crow call, owl hoot, Pileated woodpecker call, or a gobble. Once you've located a roosting area figure out where the birds will likely feed the next morning, and the travel route they will take. Then setup the next morning along the travel route, or in the feeding area. If the weather is nice expect the birds to feed in unprotected areas, where you can set up. If it’s cloudy, windy, cold or rainy, set up in protected areas; and expect the birds to call later than normal, to call less than normal, and to move less and later in the day than they would on warm sunny days. When you're calling, try to get close or upwind of where you think the birds are, so they can hear you calls. By T.R. Michels When you are calling turkeys you need to understand the meaning of the
calls they use, and when and why they are used. So, let's talk
turkey talk. Agonistic Calls (as in agonizing, not antagonistic) The Feeding Whine or Purr sounds like the call made by a feeding chicken: a soft errr, or err-err-err-err. It may be followed by one or more Feeding Putts: a soft contented putt ... putt ... putt. I use these calls a few minutes after I use a Flydown Cackle, to convince the toms that there are hens on the ground and feeding. I also use these calls on toms that hang up out of range, to bring them in. When turkeys fight they may use a Fighting Purr. This call is louder and
more insistent than the Feeding Purr. The call is often interrupted by the
sounds of flapping wings as the turkeys kick and neck wrestling often with
each other. Alarm Call When a turkey becomes aware of danger it makes a loud, sharp Alarm Putt of from one to five notes: TUT ... TUT ... TUT that's used to warn other birds of danger. This call is a sign that a bird has seen a potential predator; the call and is usually followed by the bird running or flying away. Do not use this call when hunting turkeys. Contact and Maternal/Neonatal Calls Because the contact calls are used most often between the hen and her poults they are basically the same as the maternal/neonatal calls. When turkeys use these calls they are saying, "Here I am, where are you. The contact calls of young turkeys are the Lost Whistle, the Kee-Kee and the Kee-Kee Run. These are all high-pitched calls that get deeper as the young turkeys grow. The Lost Whistle is the sound very young birds make, a high-pitched whistle: peep-peep-peep. As summer advances the voices of the poults change, and the Lost Whistle becomes the Kee-Kee, which usually has three notes strung together: kee-kee-kee. As fall gets nearer the young turkeys begin to add Yelps at the end of the Kee-Kee to produce the Kee-Kee Run. Many callers fail to recreate this call correctly by using only two notes, or by using up to five notes. The Kee-Kee Run is the basic Kee-Kee followed by several yelps: kee-kee-kee chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp. I use these calls in the fall, after I have scattered a flock. Adult turkeys use many different yelps and clucks to keep in contact in different situations. Most yelps are the same as the "Here I am, where are you?" call of geese and other flocking birds, which is used to keep the birds in contact with each other. The Tree Yelp is often the first sound of the day; a soft, nasal, three to five note call, performed while the birds are on the roost before daylight: chirp-chirp-chirp ... chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp, or some variation. There are usually three to four notes per second, with each note about .08 seconds in length. This call is one bird telling the others it is awake, and asking if there are other birds nearby and awake. This is the first call I use in the morning, to see if there are toms in the area and still on the roost. The Plain Yelp is used by turkeys when they are within seeing distance of each other. It is louder than the Tree Yelp. The call often consists of three to nine notes of the same pitch and volume, with three to four notes per second, and each note lasting .08 to .10 seconds: chirp-chirp-chirp. I use this call when toms are up close, or within seeing distance of the decoys. This call is louder than the Tree Yelp. The hen uses the Assembly Yelp in the fall to regroup the young. It
usually consists of The Lost Yelp is much like the Plain Yelp but may contain 20 or more notes, and becomes louder toward the end. The bird's voice may "break" during the call, which causes it to have a raspy sound. There may be from three to four notes per second, with each note lasting .10 to .15 seconds. This is the loudest of the yelp calls. The Plain Cluck is used by turkeys when they want to get the visual attention of another bird; it is primarily a close range contact call, again saying "Here am I, where are you?" A bird making this call wants to hear another bird make the same call so they can get together. It is a sharp, short sound similar to the alarm putt but not as loud or as insistent: tut ... tut. The notes of the cluck are often separated by as much as three seconds, which distinguishes it from the faster, closely spaced Fast Cutt. I often hear hens use several soft Clucks and Purrs while they are feeding: putt-putt-putt, errr, putt ... putt, putt-putt, errr. I use this call when a tom hangs up nearby, or to stop it for a shot. The Fast Cutt, or Cutting, is one turkey using the "Here I am, where are you?" but telling the other bird "If we are going to get together you have to come to me." It is a loud insistent call, and the notes are strung together in bursts of two's and three's, with about a second between each burst: TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT or other variations. The rhythm is somewhat like the Flying Cackle, and I have used a Flying Cackle to get a tom to "shock gobble" by answering my call. I also use Fast Cutt to bring in a tom that hangs up. Flying Call The Flying Cackle is the sound a turkey makes as it flies up or down from the roost, or when it flies across ravines. Many hunters have difficulty with the correct tempo of this call. Actually it's quite easy, the calling of a bird in the air is directly related to the downbeat of the wing stroke, it's when the bird contracts its chest muscles and exhales, and it's the only time the bird can call. When imitating this call visualize the action of the turkey as it takes off, first with slow, powerful wing beats, then faster, then tapering off slowly before the turkey glides and lands. I often use this call to get a "shock gobble" from a tom before daylight, so I can locate the tree he is in. I also use it to get a tom to come off the roost in my direction. Movement Sounds There are sounds other than calling associated with different animals. The
movement of the animal alone creates a sound that is associated by other
animals as coming from a particular species or sex of animal. When turkeys fly down from the roost they often perform the Flying Cackle call. They also produce a flapping sound with each beat of their wings. A turkey hearing the combination of both wing beats and a Flying Cackle thinks another turkey has flown down from its roost. A turkey hearing a Fighting Purr expects to hear the other sounds associated with a fight; the sounds of flapping wings as the turkeys try to peck or kick and spur each other. When a male turkey struts, it often Spits and Drums. The sounds of these two actions have been described as a "Chump" and a "Hum." Many hunters believe that both the Spit and Drum are vocalizations. However, after watching toms snap their wings open on gravel, and hearing a sharp "phht" sound when they do it, I believe that some of the sounds that hunters refer to as the Spit are the sounds of the wing tips snapping open or hitting the ground. At close range the sound of the wing tips of a strutting tom may also be heard dragging the ground as it struts. The actual Spit "call" is produced when a male turkey exhales sharply through its mouth, after it has inhaled air to fill the air sack in its chest. Filling this air sack is what causes the "puffed up" appearance of a toms chest when it struts. A male turkey may produce the sound of the Drum when it struts. The "Drum" of a tom turkey appears to be produced in the same manner as the "boom" of a Prairie Chicken; it is not produced like the "drum" of a ruffed grouse or pheasant, when they beat their wings. After listening to a domestic tom drum, and feeling its inflated chest while it produced the drum sound, I believe the Drum is caused by the vibration of air within the air sacs in the tom's chest; I suspect the breast sponge of a tom turkey is in fact an air sac. It's not just the calls of the turkey, but the other sounds, and the actions or posture of the bird, in combination with the calls, that relays the meaning of the sounds to other turkeys. You can't recreate most of the movements and body postures of a turkey unless you use decoys. But, if you know when and why the sounds occur, you can reproduce the sounds turkeys make in the right way, and at the right time, to help you bring in a tom. This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.
Understanding
Roosts The availability and location of roosting sites is a determining factor in turkey use of the habitat. If few or no roosting sites are available turkeys may leave the area or not use it. They prefer to roost in heavy timber in ravines if possible; where they can be out of strong prevailing winds in winter, but they will roost in trees open to the wind. Roost sites are often located over or near water in the south. Scientific studies have shown that turkeys often roost on an east or south facing slope, about a third of the way down the slope where the winds are calm. East and south facing slopes also receive the earliest sunlight, allowing the birds to warm-up and be able to see early in the morning. In one study roost sites were often within one half mile of water, and five hundred yards of a meadow. This could be attributed to the fact that turkeys often feed before going to roost in the evening, and they don't travel far at dusk. The preferred roosts in the study were mature trees with open crowns giving the turkeys room to fly into the trees and move around. They also preferred trees with large horizontal limbs to roost on. In western areas turkeys use fir, pine, spruce, cottonwood and large aspen trees as roosts. Eastern birds often choose pines, elm, maple, box elder, large oak, and cottonwood. Mature toms often choose pines because the pines can reduce wind speeds by 50-70 percent. Eastern turkeys generally have several roost sites in their home range, and they may use different sites on successive nights. In limited and poor habitat, Merriam's turkeys often roost in the same trees on a regular basis. Winter Behavior During the winter turkeys separate into flocks of different sexes and age groups; the old and young hens remain in their own flocks, the jakes in other flocks, and the toms in yet other flocks. This flocking instinct is strong in most grazing animals that depend on their ability to see and hear for defense. Because they spend so much time eating they can't always be on guard. Therefore, the more animals there are together, the more time each one can spend eating while others watch; there is security in numbers. Spring Behavior With the approach of spring the weather gets warmer, daylight hours become longer and turkeys get the urge to mate. The jakes may join the toms and begin forming small groups that search for hens. Both the jakes and toms begin to associate with the hens as they all look for new spring growth, succulent grasses, forbs and insects that appear near stream beds and on south facing slopes that warm up first. They look for leftover agricultural crops, mast crops of nuts and acorns, and pick through cow chips, cattle feeding areas, and old and new plowing for insects and leftover food. Where turkeys inhabit hilly or mountainous terrain they may even change home ranges, seeking higher elevations as snow depth decreases and new forage becomes available. They may travel from as little as a quarter mile, to as many as several miles between their winter and spring range. Daily Activity I've seen a wintering flock of turkeys spend four hours in a cornfield in early spring, prior to the breeding season. However, the normal amount of time spent by large flocks or groups feeding in open areas is about an hour to an hour and a half. Then they move to a new opening or into the woods. During mid-day the turkeys may loaf in wooded areas and fly up to roost. They generally begin to feed again in the late afternoon, and fly back up to roost at about sundown. Habits
Reaction to Danger Wild turkeys are extremely wary, with excellent eyesight, but they don't
hear much better than the average human. However, they are very aware of
suspicious noises and their first reaction to possible danger is alarm, and
when they are alarmed they usually run away or take flight. While the first response of a turkey to danger is an alarm call and then
flight, it will not usually leave its home range. Because of the small size
of their brain turkeys don't have the ability to learn as well as animals with
larger brains. With limited ability to learn, and because they inhabit a
traditional home range, fleeing turkeys usually do not leave their range but
flee back into it; or if they do leave they return soon after. Because they
have not been outside their home range, the risk of danger is greater outside
the home range than in it. Click here for more Turkey Hunting Tips
Fall An understanding of the different calls that turkeys use in the fall will
help when you are trying to call turkeys. Alarm Call When a turkey becomes aware of danger it makes a loud, sharp Alarm Putt of from one to five notes that is used to warn other birds of danger; TUT, TUT, TUT. The call is a sign that a bird has seen a potential predator, and is usually followed by the bird running or flying away. Do not use this call when hunting turkeys. Agonistic Calls Fighting Calls Fighting turkeys use an Aggressive Purr that is louder and more insistent than the feeding purr; the call is often interrupted by flapping wings, kicking and neck wrestling. Other turkeys hearing a fight often come running to see which birds are fighting, and which birds win and lose. The loser often drops down in the flock hierarchy, leaving room for the birds beneath it to move up. Any bird that has a chance to move up in the hierarchy will do so. The sound of birds fighting will cause dominants and groups of toms, even hens, to come running, so they can see which birds are fighting in their area. I use this call to bring in dominant toms or hens when everything else fails. I've heard toms use a churrt - churrt as a threat. This is probably one of the most aggressive forms of an agonistic call. Contact and Maternal/Neonatal Calls Because the Contact Calls are used most often between the hen and her poults they are basically the same as the Maternal/Neonatal Calls. When turkeys use these calls they are saying "Here I am, where are You?" The contact calls of young turkeys are the Lost Whistle, Kee-Kee and the Kee-Kee Run. These are all high pitched calls that change as the young turkey grows. The Lost Whistle is the sound very young birds make. It is a high pitched whistle; peep, peep, peep, peep. As summer advances the voices of the poults change and the Lost Whistle becomes the Kee-Kee; a lower coarser kee, kee, kee. It usually has three unevenly spaced notes in about a second, with each note .10 to .15 seconds in length. Many callers fail to recreate this call correctly by using only two notes, or by using up to five notes. Maybe the name of the call should be changed to the Kee-Kee-Kee. As fall approaches the young turkeys begin to add yelps at the end of the Kee-Kee and produce the Kee-Kee Run. The Kee-Kee Run is the basic Kee-Kee followed by several yelps; kee-kee-kee, chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp. The notes of this call are unevenly spaced, with each note from .05 to .10 seconds in length. All three of these lost calls are used by the young to tell their mother they are lost and to trying to get back together. I use these calls in the fall, after I have scattered a flock. Adult turkeys use many different yelps and clucks to keep in contact in different situations. Most Yelps are the same as the "Here I am, where are you?" call of geese and other flocking birds, which is used to keep the birds in contact with each other. The Tree Yelp is often the first sound of the day, a soft, nasal, three to five note call performed while the birds are on the roost before daylight. It is a soft chirp-chirp-chirp ... chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp, or a variation. There are usually three to four notes per second, with each note being about .08 seconds in length. This call is used by a bird when it is telling the others it is awake and asking if there are other birds nearby and awake. This is the first call I use in the morning, to see if there are toms in the area and still on the roost. The Plain Yelp is performed when the turkeys are within seeing distance of each other. It often consists of three to nine notes, all on the same pitch and of the same volume, with three to four notes per second, and each note lasting .08 to .10 seconds; chirp, chirp, chirp. I use this call when toms are up close, or within seeing distance of the decoys. The Lost Yelp is much like the Plain Yelp but may contain twenty or more notes, and it becomes louder toward the end of the call. The bird's voice may "break" as it tries to make the call as loud as possible, which causes it to have a raspy sound. There may be from three to four notes per second, with each note lasting .10 to .15 seconds. The Assembly Yelp is used by the hen in the fall to regroup the young. It
usually consists The Plain Cluck is used by turkeys to get the visual attention of another bird. It is primarily a close range contact call, again saying "Here am I, where are you?" A bird making this call wants to hear another bird make the same call so they can get together. It is a sharp, short sound, similar to the alarm putt but not as loud or as insistent; tut...tut. The notes of the cluck are often separated by as much as three seconds, which distinguishes it from the faster, closely spaced Fast Cutt. I often hear hens use several soft Clucks and Purrs while they are feeding. It sounds like putt, putt, putt, errr, putt .... putt, putt, putt, errr. I use this call when a tom hangs up nearby, or to stop it for a shot. The Fast Cutt, or Cutting, is one turkey using the "Here I am, where are you?" but telling the other bird "If we are going to get together you have to come to me." It is a loud insistent call, and the notes are strung together in bursts of two's and three's, with about a second between bursts. It sounds like; TUT...TUT...TUT, TUT. TUT .TUT, TUT...TUT...TUT, TUT...TUT... TUT, TUT... TUT, or any variation of clucks. The rhythm is somewhat like the Flying Cackle, and I have used a Flying Cackle to get a tom to "shock gobble." I also use this call to bring in a tom that hangs up. Flying Call The Flying Cackle is the sound a turkey makes when flying up or down from the roost, or when flying across ravines. Many hunters have difficulty with the correct tempo of this call. Actually, it's quite easy; the calling of a bird in the air is directly related to the downbeat of the wing stroke, it's when the bird contracts it's chest muscles and exhales, it's the only time the bird can call. If you are trying to imitate this call visualize the action of the turkey as it takes off, first with slow powerful wing beats, then faster, and tapering off slowly before gliding and landing. I often use this call to get a "shock gobble" from a tom before daylight, so I can locate the tree it is in. I also use it to get a tom to come off the roost in my direction. Advertising/Mating Calls Tom turkeys Gobble to express social status, telling other males they are ready to fight to prove their dominance, and to attract hens. The Gobble is most often heard while the bird is on the roost early in the morning. Studies show that most gobbling occurs from about a forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunrise. Individual toms also call most frequently at this time. Gobbling is a means of long distance communication and the tom may expect the hen to come to him, if she is ready to breed. However, I often see toms arrive at the strut where the hens are already calling. Whether the toms are responding to the calling of the hens or not I am not sure. Use a gobble only when you are sure there are no other hunters in the area, because they may mistake you for a turkey. Hens in the presence of a tom may Whine, causing the tom to begin strutting. The medium pitched single drawn out errr of the Whine or Purr may be used by the hen to get the male to prove how large, colorful and healthy it is. I use this call when toms are close, to convince them there is a hen nearby. It has been said that hens make a whut churr - whut churr when they are ready to breed, and a prrrt - prrrt while being bred. This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 s&h), by T.R. Michels. It is available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products Catalog. Click here for more Turkey Hunting Tips
Daily I've seen a wintering flock of turkeys spend four hours in a cornfield in early spring, prior to the breeding season. However, the normal amount of time spent by large flocks or groups feeding in open areas is about an hour to an hour and a half. Then they move to a new opening or into the woods. During mid-day the turkeys may loaf in wooded areas and fly up to roost. They generally begin to feed again in the late afternoon, and fly back up to roost at about sundown. Habits Reaction to Danger Wild turkeys are extremely wary, with excellent eyesight, but they don't
hear much better than the average human. However, they are very aware of
suspicious noises and their first reaction to possible danger is alarm, and
when they are alarmed they usually run away or take flight. While the first response of a turkey to danger is an alarm call and then
flight, it will not usually leave its home range. Because of the small size
of their brain turkeys don't have the ability to learn as well as animals
with larger brains. With limited ability to learn, and because they inhabit a
traditional home range, fleeing turkeys usually do not leave their range but
flee back into it; or if they do leave they return soon after. Because they
have not been outside their home range, the risk of danger is greater outside
the home range than in it. This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 s&h), by T.R. Michels. It is available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products Catalog. Click here for more Turkey Hunting Tips.
By T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors As my wife Diane and I were driving to the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge to photograph bald eagles and waterfowl a tom turkey accosted our car in the middle of the road. I took three photos of the tom from within the car. When I got out of the car to get a few more photos the tom attacked me, and would not let me get far enough away to get many shots of him strutting; without chasing me, even with a whole flock of hens and other toms nearby. Once the birds left the road they went around a small bank, and I grabbed the camera and slowly made my way though the 1-2 foot snow- to peak around the corner. Seeing the birds at about 75 yards away I began shooting photos. And I got a few good shots. But, the tom evidently saw me, and instead of running away, he slowly worked his way towards me - and I kept taking photos. The next thing I know the tom is within 20 yards of me, the 10 yards of me, then 5 yards; strutting and gobbling s he got closer - it was great. He was so close I couldn't get any full body shots, because all I had was a lens full of feathers. Then, even though I shouted and waved my arms to get him to move away, so I could get full body shots (he was now so close all I could get was a lens full of feathers). Instead of spooking, like I thought he would, the tom ran in and tried to hit me with one of his wings. I had two options, let him keep attacking me, or get him to back off (you don't just run away from a turkey through 1-2 feet of snow). I choose to try to get him to back off, first by yelling and waving my arms, and when that didn't work by kicking at him. But, he never even moved. When that didn't work I grabbed my gear and tried to leave, all the while with the darn bird hitting my legs. My wife thought it was all quite hilarious - me yelling to get the bird to
back off, stopping every once in a while to wave my arms and kick at the tom
to try to get him to leave me alone, stumbling though the snow - and the bird
having his way with me. She said that she wished she would have had a video camera
- because we probably could have gotten a buck or two from She'll be telling the story of how I got run out of the woods by a "little old turkey" - for at least the next five years. Lessons Learned: The first thing I noticed when the tom was coming toward me in attack mode (preparing to hit me with a wing), was that he produced a soft whine (a fighting purr), a short pit (possibly a "spit" produced when a tom turkey fills the air sack in its chest and then lets out the excess air before it produces the "drum", which is actually a "booming" sound - similar to what prairie chickens do), and he continuously gobbled. Since the could not see the hens - and he was being aggressive toward me, I can only assume that the gobble was some sort of threat, which means that the gobble is probably used as both a warning to other toms, and as an attraction call to hens, much like what I've seen during my 4 years of elk research. Bull elk bugle to express dominance (threat) and to get the cows to come to them, or stay by them (attracting). One of the first things we need to understand about turkey behavior is that within their Annual Home Range (the entire area they normally use in a year), they often have Seasonal Home Ranges, sometimes one each for each season; winter, spring, summer fall. While the turkeys are on these seasonal home ranges they tend to stay there, and, depending on the habitat, they generally stay within about a 1-2 mile radius of the center of that home range. Which means that, even when you don't se or hear them, they are there - someplace. Within their Spring Seasonal Home Range they often have preferred roosting sites, and preferred feeding and strutting sites. And, when they use one of their roosting sites, they often go to one of the nearest feeding sites the next morning. And they often take preferred travel routes to and from those areas Having seen the turkeys moving between feeding and roosting sites in the morning, I knew all I had to do was figure out where they were feeding, and where they were roosting and I could probably get some photos. Or, if I could hunt in that area (which I couldn't), I could set up to ambush one of the toms when they walked by, using decoys and calls to bring the birds within range if I needed to. After the first encounter with the tom and his flock I knew at least one area where the birds were feeding. To find out where the bird roosted, all I had to do was go out in the evening and see where the birds were within an hour or so of sunset, and then either watch or listen to them as the flew up to roost. After two evenings of looking for the birds I knew exactly which trees they preferred to roost in. The second time I saw the birds I walked into the woods (just like I would if I was hunting) and set up within 75 yards of the trees where they were roosted. That way I could get some photos of them in the trees, and watch which way they went as they flew down at about sunrise. If I had been hunting I would have set up either where I thought the birds would fly down to, or I would have set up where I thought they would eventually show up to feed and strut. Lessons Learned: While the tom was on the roost, with me sitting nearby, he only gobbled twice, about 10-20 minutes after sunrise. My studies, and the studies of several other researchers, shows that most gobbling occurs between 45 minutes before and 45 minutes after sunrise. But, because cloud cover can alter the amount of available light from the sun, turkeys may gobble later than normal on cloudy days (and fly down later than normal), which is what I suspect caused the tom to gobble so late. Lessons Learned: Instead of flying downhill as many experts suggest, the turkeys flew uphill, and landed in a small opening on the top of the hill, where (as the video shows) they spent about a half an hour looking for food before they headed to another larger open area to feed. The next time I see the birds in those same trees it is a pretty good bet they will either fly uphill, or down. But, either way they will probably end up in the lower larger feeding/strutting area sometime within an hour or two of sunrise. And, if I'm sitting between the roost tree and the larger feeding area, someplace along the travel route they normally use to get there, I stand about a 50/50 chance of having the birds walk by me. Since I saw the tom fly down about 5 minutes later than the hens, and I know that when the hens left their landing site and began to move downhill the tom was about 5 minutes behind, I know I might have a pretty good chance of using decoys and calls to get the tom to come within range, because he might not be with the hens - but he will be looking for hens. Then, all I have to do is convince the tom that my decoys and calls are real. and hope for a clean shot. And hope that my failing eyes don't let me down. Lessons Learned: When I saw the turkeys fly down from the roost, and go uphill, I immediately went after them. As I got to a small opening in the woods at the top of the hill I saw the big tom, strutting and walking around in a patch of sumac. As soon as I saw the tom I stopped, trying to avoid him seeing me or if he did see me - to keep him from becoming nervous at my presence. As the tom looked my way it appeared that he saw me, but that he was not alarmed. To keep the tom from becoming alarmed I only moved when his head was behind a tree or when he was facing the other way; and even then I moved very slow. I eventually worked my way to within 15 yards of the tom - the two of us playing hide and seek among the trees for about 10 minutes. It became very obvious the tom saw me, and that he knew me for a human, but because of his elevated testosterone levels (due to the breeding season) and his familiarity with humans, he was not alarmed. I took several photos (and some video) of him through the sumac as he strutted and gobbled. But, I didn't get a good shot of him strutting because of all the sumac stems in the way. Eventually then the tom began to move toward me, gobbling as he came. He finally ended within 10 feet of me, and offered me a shot of him strutting in a fairly open area - and then, in a moment, he was gone. But, I'd had a fantastic encounter with a magnificent tom turkey in his prime, and I'd gotten one good photo, and some very interesting video. I thought about following the tom down the hill, to try to get more photos, but, since this had been our first encounter in the woods. But, because I knew the birds would be in the same area for the next month or more, I decided to leave him alone, with the hopes that after a few more short-term encounters he would be accustomed to me enough to let me get several good photos and video of him in more open areas in the upcoming weeks. |
T.R.'s Tips; T.R. Michels with #19, 11 1/2" bearded
Merriam's Foul Weather By T.R. Michels,
Even though the first day of the spring turkey hunt was cloudy, and a cold wind was blowing, I headed for the soybean field where I had seen a flock of turkeys appear just after daylight for the last two weeks. I was fairly sure the birds wouldn’t show up because of the weather. Just to be on the safe side I drove to the field forty-five minutes before daylight. I parked on the road, got out of the suburban, and owl hooted loudly. When I didn’t get an answer I hooted again. Still no answer. I waited several minutes as the sky grew lighter and then blew a flydown cackle. No answer. The birds were either not there or not talking.
Luckily, I had been researching this particular flock for more than two years and I had a good idea of where I could find at least two of the fourteen jakes and toms in the area. I got back in the Suburban and drove to a small bean field that protected from north and east winds by the surrounding woods. By the time I got there the sky was already turning gray, so I grabbed my bag of turkey decoys and quickly made my way to the edge of the woods on the west side of the small field. When I reached the gully that ran into the field from the north I put out two hen decoys and two toms decoys, one in a semi-strut the other in a full strut. I chose a large tree at the edge of the woods, checked to make sure I had a clear line of sight, sat down, and yelped softly on my box call. With the wind blowing I wasn’t sure if I could hear the birds, or if they could hear me. I called intermittently for the next fifteen minutes without getting a response. Then I heard a double gobble. I called one more time and waited. I knew the birds were calling because they kept gobbling every two to three minutes, and each time the sound was closer. A half an hour after I set up two long bearded toms walked down the gully, into the field and approached the decoys. If I had been hunting the birds would have offered an easy shot at fifteen yards.
Research As a guide, writer and seminar speaker it’s my job to know when and where
to find game animals on a regular basis. After hunting for more than thirty
years I have learned a bit about animals. Reading magazine articles and
attending seminars me a lot at first. Then I began to talk to researchers and
biologists throughout the Like most hunters I have had days when I felt I had chosen the right day, the right spot, and the right time to hunt, and still didn’t see anything. I was fairly sure the weather had a lot to do with game movement because of some of the research I had read. I knew that turkeys often roosted on the downwind side of a hill to get out of cold winds, and from my own experience I knew that they often flew down later than normal on cloudy days. But, I wasn’t sure when or where the birds moved when the conditions weren’t right.
That’s when I began watching the flock of thirty-four birds that were about a half mile from my house. For two years I watched, listened and learned the movement of the birds. From the middle of March to late May I would go out in the evening to find out where the birds roosted. The next morning I would arrive an hour before daybreak. In a notebook I wrote down the date, temperature, wind speed, wind-chill, sky conditions and precipitation. Then I recorded the time and number of all the gobbles, any other calls the birds made, how many hens, toms and jakes I saw, what they did and when they did it, how long they did it and where they went from sunrise to as late as 1:30 PM. What I learned has allowed me to see more birds, find the birds on a regular basis, and get closer to them. My studies show that several different meteorological conditions affect when and where turkeys move on a daily basis. These conditions include; the temperature or wind-chill (whichever is lower), the wind speed, amount and type of precipitation, and the cloud cover. The first thing I noticed during my study was that the birds generally started gobbling about forty-five minutes before sunrise, and that most gobbling occurred from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunrise. They generally flew down from five to thirty minutes before sunrise. When the sky was cloudy the birds usually called ten to twenty minutes later than when the sky was clear, and flew down later than normal. When the temperature or wind-chill was below 34 degrees there was very less gobbling, and they sometimes waited until later in the day until they began actively gobbling. There was far less gobbling on windy and rainy days. I suspect that high winds and the sound of the rain make it hard for the birds to each other, causing them to gobble less in response to each other. I also found that the birds responded less to my calling on windy and rainy days, probably because they couldn’t hear my calls. Stormy weather in the evening often caused the birds to be late on their daily routine. Usually the birds roosted within a few hundred yards of a nearby feeding/strutting area, and they generally choose the same trees to roost in. But, when it began to rain or snow early in the afternoon they often roosted earlier than normal, and chose the nearest sheltered areas rather than going to trees they would normally use when they were in that area. This caused them to arrive at feeding/strutting areas later than normal the next morning, because they had to travel farther to get there. When I did see birds the next morning in open areas it was later than normal. The birds would often sit in protected areas with their wings outspread so they could dry out, especially if the sun was shining. When the weather was cold and windy the birds generally stayed out of large open feeding areas, choosing to move to feeding sites on the downwind side of hills or woods, and in low-lying areas out of the wind. I watched three jakes come off the roost one morning and land in the field where they normally gobbled and strutted. There was a 23 mph wind that day and the wind-chill was 34 degrees. The birds moved to the small, protected field I mentioned at the beginning of this article and stayed there for twenty-five minutes. They ate infrequently, never gobbled, did not strut, and generally stood with their backs to the wind.
Spring Spring is when turkeys begin to move from their winter to summer ranges. However, this shift doesn’t happen at the same time each year, it depends on the amount of food available and the weather conditions. Depending on where you hunt the summer ranges may be from as little as a half mile to several miles apart. In areas where the winter and summer ranges are only a few miles apart the shift may occur over several days, with birds leaving one day and returning the next. In areas where the ranges are several miles apart the move may take weeks, with the birds advancing only as far as new foods become available. The only way to determine where the birds are on a regular basis is by scouting the area from a week to a day before you hunt.
Predicting The best way to find turkeys on a regular basis is to pattern their
movements. In order to do this you should thoroughly scout the area you
intend to hunt; key areas to look for are roosting
sites and feeding areas. Studies by several researchers show that turkeys
prefer to roost out of the wind when possible, in areas that are open to the
early morning sun. I often find roosts on east and south facing slopes, or on
the east and south side of wooded areas. The trees selected for roosting
sites are usually taller than the surrounding trees, with large horizontal
limbs. Large oak, elm, maple and box elder are used in the The preferred food sources of turkeys depend on the time of the year. In
early spring, before the snow has melted or new green growth has appeared,
turkeys often use agriculture fields shortly after leaving the roost.
Unplowed fields of corn and soybeans will we be used frequently as long as
grain is still available. Grain fields that have been heavily grazed by cattle, or that have been plowed under will receiver less
use by turkeys. Agricultural fields and pastures where cattle are fed on a
regular basis are frequently used by turkeys as they search for leftover food
and pick through cow droppings for undigested grains. Once the weather warms the birds may begin frequenting CRP and agricultural fields, pastures and open meadows in search of grasses, hay, alfalfa and winter wheat. They will also use south and east facing slopes and creek bottoms where they feed on insects and newly grown forbs. Scratching in leaf litter in wooded areas, where new forbs have been eaten, is a sure sign or a turkey travel route. During your scouting you may see tracks, droppings, feathers and dusting bowls. These signs help you determine whether or not there are birds in the area and how recently. While you are scouting carry along a topographical map or aerial photo of the area and a notebook. Mark the areas where you see sign. When you hear or see birds note the time and weather conditions, and the number, sex and location of the birds in your notebook. Then mark the area on you map or photo. If you can, watch the birds several times before you hunt, so you know the areas where they normally roost and feed. Watch more than one flock if you can, so that you have back up birds to work if you can’t find your first choice. You should know where the birds fly down, when they leave their favorite roosting areas, where they feed when they are in that area, and the route they usually take when going to the feeding area. You should also know where they go after they leave the early morning feeding area. Generally the birds will stay in an open feeding/strutting area a half an hour or more before moving to another area. They may move through wooded areas, feeding as they go, and arrive at another open feeding area, or they may stay in the woods. Knowing where they go when they leave the early morning feeding/strutting site will give you the opportunity to hunt the birds later in the day. Look for birds going to roost the night before you hunt, so you know where to find them the next morning. If you see birds feeding in open areas within a half-hour of sunset they will usually roost nearby. They may return to feed in the same area the next morning. If you don’t see any birds drive around to likely roosting areas and try to get the birds to shock gobble in response to a crow call, owl hoot, pileated woodpecker call, or gobble. Once you have found a roosting area figure out where the birds will likely feed the next morning, and the travel route they will take. The next morning setup along the travel route or in the feeding area. If the weather is nice expect the birds to feed in unprotected areas. If it’s windy, cold or rainy set up in protected areas, and expect the birds to call less, call later than normal, and to move later in the day than they would on warm sunny days. Hunting Prairie Hunting Merriam's By T.R. Michels The sun was already high in the sky when Bill and I saw our first I couldn't understand what the birds were doing on the open prairie until
a few days later, after I had been hunting. Because of the limited habitat
available to the big birds in I'd chosen this area to hunt because a map provided to me by the National
Wild Turkey Federation showed that one of the highest concentrations of
Merriam's, and Merriam's/Eastern hybrid turkeys in In open country I prefer to locate birds by calling from the top of a
ridge that falls into a ravine or valley on one or more sides, so I can hear
any answering calls from as many directions as possible. I use a crow call or
owl hooter to try to get the birds to "shock gobble' in response to my
calling. If I don't get an answer I wait five to ten minutes and try again.
If I still don't get an answer I drive to the next ridge and continue until I
get a bird to answer. When I use turkey calls in wide open country I use a
high pitched mouth diaphragm, or one of the new aluminum striker calls,
because the high pitched sounds of these calls carry farther than other
calls. Recent turkey research shows that the calls of Merriam's, When you hear a bird in this country you have to realize that sound carries a long way. I have had birds respond, and heard them, from as far away as a mile and a half. You also have to realize that calls echo off the bare canyon walls in this country; one lone tom may sound like a whole flock. On more than one occasion I have gone to look for a flock of toms I though was in the next ravine, only to find out that it was one bird, and it was two or more ravines away. When you put birds to bed at night be sure you know the exact location of the bird before you leave, or you may start hunting the next morning only to find yourself in the wrong ravine. Hunting this wide-open country presents some problems that eastern hunters may not be prepared for. Spring weather on the prairie may change from blizzard conditions with temperatures in the 30's one day, to clear skies with temperatures reaching the upper 80's the next. You should take along both heavy and light camouflage clothing, and rain gear. A good pair of comfortable, lightweight waterproof boots are a must when you walk miles across the prairie and cross low lying boggy areas and streams to get the birds. Because of the distances traveled on foot I also take along a combination backpack and folding seat to sit on. After getting a response from a nearby tom on the second morning of the hunt Bill and I decided to set up a flock of Feather Flex turkey decoys and try to call the bird in. I took the three decoys out of my backpack and set them up in a small clearing in the pines. After choosing a couple of trees for back rests I set up the hens on a small rise slightly to the left of where I expected the tom to come from. Then I placed the jake within shooting distance, where it could be easily seen by an approaching tom. I like to place the decoys off to one side of my shooting position, so that when a bird comes in it is attracted to the sight of decoys, which keep the bird from looking in my direction. I place the jake decoy in a clear shooting lane, because I've found that a tom will often attack a jake before it will go to the hens; when the tom approaches or attacks the decoy I have a clear shot. After the decoys were setup Bill and I positioned ourselves so that we could each watch a different approach to the setup. Then I yelped a couple of times on my Haydel's mouth diaphragm. A few minutes later Bill whispered that he could see two toms strutting below us on the next ridge. I called a couple of more times and heard the birds gobble back, but they were unwilling to come any closer. We waited a half-hour while the turkeys continued to gobble, but they didn't come any closer. Finally we decided to move to the top of the next ridge, closer to the turkeys. When we got there I set up the decoys again and called. Almost immediately there was a thunderous gobble with an echo, and then another thunderous gobble; I was sure at least one of the birds was coming in. After twenty minutes of calling the bird hung up just below the rim of the ridge. I knew the bird was close by the sound of its call but I couldn't see it. In an effort to bring the bird in I started a series of fast clucks, simulating the "cutt" of a turkey. The cutt is the sound of one bird telling another that if the two are going to get together, the other bird will have to do the walking. Almost immediately a double gobble echoed up from the valley below us. I waited a while then let loose with another cutt; cluck...cluck...cluck ... cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck ... cluck ... cluck cluck. There was another double gobble from about twenty yards away. With the sheer drop of the ridge and the echoing I couldn't pinpoint the tom, but I knew it was close. As I looked over at Bill I could see the excitement in his eyes. I motioned for him to get ready. I clucked softly; cluck. Then I moved my head slowly to search for the bird. I saw a bright red and glowing white head appear over the lip of the rim off to my right. I looked at Bill, to see if had spotted the tom. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, "Where is it?" When I looked at the bird there were not one, but two heads peering over the rim. The double gobble I heard had come from two birds. They were about ten yards away, and I was sure that Bill could see them. I looked at him again, but he still hadn't seen the birds. I had two turkey tags and was thinking that this would be a great time to fill one of them. But, Bill had never hunted turkeys before, and I wanted him to get the first shot. Although we were both well camouflaged, I was afraid that at this range the birds would spot us. They were staring right at me, and I heard one of the toms putt; putt...putt...putt. Not really an Alarm Putt, more like the bird was nervous. The bird's necks crossed as they tried to locate me, and I clucked softly to settle them down. Bill's bow was still down and I motioned to him with my hand to get ready. If the birds saw us there wouldn't be much time to draw and shoot. He shrugged his shoulders slightly. He still didn't see the birds. I was glad that I had stopped using my striker call earlier and had begun using my mouth diaphragm; using the mouth diaphragm reduced the chance of the birds spotting my hand moving and left both hands free to hold my bow. One of the birds putted again and I clucked in response. The sound was so loud I half expected to see Bill's hat blow off. Fortunately he saw the bird and had the presence of mind to let an arrow fly. When I got up to see where Bill's bird was I heard him say, "Well I rolled that one." I said "You sure did." as I watched the bird roll down the ridge. Then I heard Bill say, "He's going to go all the way to the bottom." And that's exactly what happened. I watched in amusement as Bill tried to catch up with the bird as it cartwheeled, wings flopping wildly, 150 yards down the steep embankment. It finally hung up in a yucca plant, 20 yards from the bottom. A couple of days later Bill and I spotted a flock of fifteen turkeys near an abandoned farm. Through a break in the trees we could see three toms strutting in the grove behind the old house. I knew there was no way to call the birds in because they were already with a dozen hens. As we watched, the birds began to walk toward the far end of the grove, and I noticed a small brush choked ravine that began near the grove. I told Bill that we should work our way done the ravine to the far end of the grove, to try to intercept the birds when they came by and he agreed. We quickly worked our way through the brush and up the ravine toward the grove. No sooner had we gotten into position than the first hen walked by at about fifteen yards. Behind her the flock slowly fed and walked it's way toward us, with the toms taking up the rear. It wasn't long before the hens walked out on to the prairie. I told Bill to wait until the toms were within range, then pick out the largest tom. Before I knew it the toms came out of the grove, and I just had time to draw and release. At my shot the tom fell down, and the rest of the flock scattered across the prairie. When we got back to Valentine we registered our birds and weighed them.
Bill's tom weighed 22 pounds and had a 9 1/2 inch beard. My bird weighed just
under 21 pounds and sported a 10 1/2 inch bird and
long spurs. He now sits in my living room, in a full strut pose, a reminder
of hunting Some of T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, and outdoor writer and speaker, who has been researching game animals for several years. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck and Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are the 2005 Revised Edition of the Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2005 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2005 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors. E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com Website: www.TRMichels.com
Spring Much of the calling hunters hear in the spring is used to keep the families, and the flock together. Many of these calls fall into the Social Contact and Maternal/Neonatal Calls category. Let's review some of these calls. Hen "Family" Calls The Yelp is often the first sound of the day, a soft, nasal, three to five note call performed while the birds are on the roost before daylight. It is a soft chirp-chirp-chirp ... chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp, or a variation. There are usually three to four notes per second, with each note being about .08 seconds in length. This call is used by a bird when it is telling the others it is awake and asking if there are other birds nearby and awake. In the case of spring turkeys, it is often one of the female family members asking if the other family members are still there. I use this call in the morning to see if the birds are still on the roost. The Assembly Yelp is used by the hen to regroup the young, and this
probably carries over to some extent in spring calling. This call usually
consists of The Lost Yelp is much like the Plain Yelp, but it is often used by female offspring to locate their mother in the spring, particularly after the hens have been bred and begun nesting. When they return to traditional feeding/strutting areas they often try to regroup with each other. This may call contain twenty or more notes, and it becomes louder toward the end of the call. The bird's voice may "break" as it tries to make the call as loud as possible, which causes it to have a raspy sound. There may be from three to four notes per second, with each note lasting .10 to .15 seconds. Hen Flock Social Contact Calls Adult turkeys use many different yelps and clucks to keep in contact in different situations. Most yelps are the same as the "Here I am, where are you?" call of geese and other flocking birds, which is used to keep the birds in contact with each other. These calls are basically variations of the hen "family" calls. The Plain Yelp is performed when turkeys are within seeing distance of each other. It often consists of three to nine notes, all on the same pitch and of the same volume, with three to four notes per second, and each note lasting .08 to .10 seconds; chirp, chirp, chirp. I use this call when toms are up close, or within seeing distance of the decoys. The Plain Cluck is used by turkeys to get the visual attention of another bird. It is primarily a close range contact call, again saying "Here am I, where are you?" A bird making this call wants to hear another bird make the same call so they can get together. It is a sharp, short sound, similar to the alarm putt but not as loud or as insistent; tut...tut. The notes of the cluck are often separated by as much as three seconds, which distinguishes it from the faster, closely spaced Fast Cutt. I often hear hens use several soft Clucks and Purrs while they are feeding. It sounds like putt, putt, putt, errr, putt .... putt, putt, putt, errr. I use this call when a tom hangs up nearby, or to stop it for a shot. The Fast Cutt, or Cutting, is one turkey using the "Here I am, where are you?" but telling the other bird "If we are going to get together you have to come to me." It is a loud insistent call, and the notes are strung together in bursts of two's and three's, with about a second between bursts. It sounds like; TUT...TUT...TUT, TUT. TUT .TUT, TUT...TUT...TUT, TUT...TUT... TUT, TUT... TUT, or any variation of clucks. The rhythm is somewhat like the Flying Cackle, and I have used a Flying Cackle to get a tom to "shock gobble." I also use this call to bring in a tom that hangs up. Male Groups; Family and Social Contact Calls Hunters may also not realize that the males in a tom or jake group may also be related. Since dominance, or social status, is often established when the birds are growing up, and because there is very little squabbling for social status between family members (because social status is already established), it is easy to see how male turkeys who are brothers may stay together as long as the live. Again this means they know the voices of each other. So, they often use the same social contact calls the hens use, except they generally have deeper voices. And because they are males and do not separate to go off and lay eggs, they rarely use the "family calls" such as the Assembly Yelp and the Lost Yelp, or the Fast Cluck. The may use Tree Yelps and Plain Yelps to help them remain in contact with each other. What this all boils down to is that it is difficult for a hunter to convince a turkey it is a member of its family or flock. However, this doesn't mean calling won't work, because you can use hen calls to call toms, and you can use aggressive hen calls, such as a Fighting Purr, to call in hen groups. What it does mean is that hunter should "think" about what they are trying to simulate when they call, and use the appropriate calls to accomplish their task. If you are interested in more turkey hunting tips, or more biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about turkeys log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 s&h), by T.R. Michels. It is available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products Catalog. Click here for more Turkey Hunting Tips. Spring After you have spent time and effort understanding, locating, observing, recording and patterning the turkeys you can put everything you have learned into practice. You have chosen the state you want to hunt, the unit and the property. You have spent hours scouting and watching the birds and know where the roost is, the travel route the birds normally use, the time they usually come off the roost, and the time they arrive at their favorite feeding spot, and where the toms gobble and strut to attract a receptive hen. Now you are ready to hunt. To be sure which roost the tom is using I go out the night before the hunt to "put a bird to bed." I stop near the area where I expect the tom to be roosted and crow or owl call, trying to get the bird to "shock gobble." Tom turkeys often shock gobble in response to a loud noise; a dog barking, door slamming, coyote, crow, owl or Pileated Woodpecker calling, even thunder. I prefer a crow or Pileated Woodpecker call during daylight, and a Barred Owl call during dusk and dark, when these animals are most often heard. If I don't get an answer I move to the next likely roosting site, one where I have observed birds before. I continue moving until I get a response, then I get close enough to tell exactly which ravine and which group of trees the bird is in, so I can set up near the bird the next morning. I know several hunters who did not determine the exact roost site, and then set up too near or right under the roost tree the next morning. When this happens the bird may flush out early; watch as you approach under cover of darkness and remain on the roost; or fly away from you instead of coming to your calls and decoys. Once I have put the bird to bed and determined its location I leave the area as quietly as possible, so I don't spook the turkey off the roost. On my way out I take note of the surrounding terrain and mark certain features in my mind, so I can find the roost the next morning. Before returning to hunt the next morning I review my knowledge of the
land and look at my topographical maps and aerial photos. I check the weather
conditions for that day knowing that clouds, rain, snow or heavy wind may
keep the birds on the roost longer than normal. Then I look for the feeding
and strutting area closest to where the bird is roosted, and the nearest
water. Before I go to my hunting site I use an owl call to get the tom to shock gobble, to be sure it is still on the roost. I make a point of getting to my hunting site before dawn so I don't spook the birds. If I do spook a bird going in before daylight, and I am there long enough and out of sight, it usually forgets I am there. When I get to my setup site I decide where the bird is likely to appear, where to place my decoys, and where to sit. Then I get in front of a large tree to break up my outline. Many hunters choose a large tree to lean against to protect their back. When I hear the first sounds of the turkeys in the spring, just before daylight, I tree yelp softly to get their attention. If there are hens roosted nearby they may respond with their own tree yelps, toms often gobble. If you aren't fully awake yet the sound of an early morning gobble can really get your heart pumping. From here on it's a matter of experience and personal tactics. I try to imitate all the sounds that are normally heard. In the morning the tom expects to hear the sounds a hen or flock makes on the roost; the tree yelp, pit and cluck. When the birds fly down they yelp or do the flying cackle. If the tom is close enough he expects to hear flapping wings. I use all these sounds to convince the tom there is a hen or flock in the area, and to get him to come my way. My first call is a tree yelp, and if I get a gobble I yelp a little louder. I may or may not get a response, either way I have to make a decision to do something. I usually wait until I hear the turkeys moving, then I use the flying cackle and the Flapp 'n Tom or Wing Thing flapper to simulate the sound of a hen flying down. The combination of these sounds usually gets the attention of the tom and gets him fired up enough to gobble, and often to come in. If the tom doesn't answer, or is reluctant to come, I make the sounds of birds feeding on the ground. I start out slow and easy with soft yelps, purrs, whines and clucks. I rustle the leaves, simulating birds scratching and feeding. If I get a response I keep doing it, letting the tom set the tempo of the calling. When he gobbles, I wait awhile then gobble back. As long as he keeps answering and seems to be coming my way I keep it up. My motto is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." More times than not the bird will "hang up" and not come in. Maybe he is with a hen, maybe he is detouring around some obstacle, maybe he is spooky or alerted, maybe he just doesn't want to come. This is when I try something different or get aggressive, when experience helps and the game begins. There is no set routine to get a reluctant tom to come. This is the time to experiment, fail and learn. When a tom hangs up I first use a loud assembly yelp or lost yelp, trying to imitate a hen looking for other hens. These calls work well on most toms and jakes, because it means there are hens nearby. If that doesn't work I use a series of loud hen clucks, imitating a bird trying to get another bird to show itself. If that doesn't work I use the fast cluck or cutting, the sound of a bird telling the other bird that if they are going to get together the other bird will have to do the walking. This call is very effective on reluctant dominant toms; it does not work well on subdominant toms and jakes because it may scare them. When I use the fast cutt I make sure the call is loud and insistent, telling the other bird "come on over here." If the tom still won't come in I use the deep cluck or yelp of a jake along with the hens cluck, to get the tom to think there is a young male with "his" hen. Often the tom will come in to establish dominance, ready to fight the jake for the hen. If these calls fail, I resort to the fighting purr of two birds. This call
appeals to a turkey's curiosity, it wants to know which birds are fighting
and why. Just like teenage boys after school in the parking lot, they just
have to go and watch. This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 s&h), by T.R. Michels. It is available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products Catalog. |
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