The birds in Michigan are flocked up right now, even though there is little to no snow. I have seen several flocks. But I also saw a solitary hen last week and a definite fresh tom track in another area. Anybody know what is going on with these birds? Are they outcasts or just independent? The hen may have been near a flock that I could not see but the tom was in an isolated area.
Hard to say for sure, obviously, but I think the hen being by herself is much less common than a gobbler being by itself this time of year. I suspect there were other turkeys in the vicinity of that lone hen, but who knows for sure.
The lone gobbler, on the other hand, is not entirely an anomaly. Here is a theory that has been presented by "the experts",...and one I happen to think has merit:
Male turkeys have a tendency to make bonds with other male turkeys based on age. A group of jakes that get together as youngsters may stay together their entire lives (the exception perhaps being during the spring breeding season when they may disperse for a while to find hens). As members of those bands perish for whatever reason, the group becomes smaller and smaller until there may well end up being only a single, old "hermit" gobbler left that spends his final years all by himself.
I suspect that may have been the explanation for the lone gobbler, but that is purely speculation. Perhaps the same applies for a group of older hens, but I have no clue.
Gobblenut has the same theory as I do after killing numerous late winter gobblers i have seen this time and time again. Lone late winter gobblers usually have some nice hooks 1.5+" usually the last of its group still living. And when killing multiples out of a group of winter toms spurs and size of birds would end up being the same on them.
I never would have guessed that. Big track so it all fits. Hoping someone would say he will be in the area in the spring but sounds iffy.
Quote from: GobbleNut on January 22, 2023, 09:19:37 AM
Hard to say for sure, obviously, but I think the hen being by herself is much less common than a gobbler being by itself this time of year. I suspect there were other turkeys in the vicinity of that lone hen, but who knows for sure.
The lone gobbler, on the other hand, is not entirely an anomaly. Here is a theory that has been presented by "the experts",...and one I happen to think has merit:
Male turkeys have a tendency to make bonds with other male turkeys based on age. A group of jakes that get together as youngsters may stay together their entire lives (the exception perhaps being during the spring breeding season when they may disperse for a while to find hens). As members of those bands perish for whatever reason, the group becomes smaller and smaller until there may well end up being only a single, old "hermit" gobbler left that spends his final years all by himself.
I suspect that may have been the explanation for the lone gobbler, but that is purely speculation. Perhaps the same applies for a group of older hens, but I have no clue.
Same thing happens to us brother. Everyone our age dies off, we look around and we're all alone. Kids won't hang w the grumpy old no fun guys so I guess it's the way of the animal kingdom. The last man standing dies alone! Sorry to divert thread. Gobblenut gave a good explanation course coyotes, farm dogs or kids coulda just scattered em too and when you saw them they hadn't reflocked yet.
I agree with everyone, it's the cycle of life ...
Requiem for an Old Gobbler??? :'( NEVER!