Do you think gobblers communicate to each other by gobbling and are not necessarily always trying to attract hen's? So what other ways does a gobbler communicate ?
Most assuredly they gobble to communicate to one another. That's why it's such a deadly tactic late season when the boys start getting back together. I gobbled two in late last year on a Halloran box. They wouldn't respond to hen calling because the hens weren't calling. The hens were on the nest. But the gobblers and jakes were still talking to one another.
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Yes, gobbling is for territory, letting a buddy know where you are, calling to a hen to let her know the your location, fighting, etc.
Listen to Dr. Michael Chamberlain, he explains the exploded lek that turkeys use for breeding purposes. When you hear multiple gobblers on a 200-300 acre property for ex. gobbling from multiple locations in that area your witnessing an exploded lek and those gobblers are communicating to each other that this is my spot and I'm still in the game. There also letting the hens know, hey baby, I'm right here! Here's a link from the NWTF-
https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/what-is-exploded-lek
I am sure it works, but super iffy about using it where I hunt since it is public land. Currently no private land to hunt on. Kind of makes me nervous.
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Quote from: Greg Massey on February 24, 2021, 11:13:24 AM
Do you think gobblers communicate to each other by gobbling and are not necessarily always trying to attract hen's? So what other ways does a gobbler communicate ?
I think Strutting lets the flock know he's ready, dominant, and ready to rumble. I also think that the color in their head and neck that changes with mood is a communication technique? Just a thought...
Quote from: trkehunr93 on February 24, 2021, 11:32:52 AM
Listen to Dr. Michael Chamberlain, he explains the exploded lek that turkeys use for breeding purposes. When you hear multiple gobblers on a 200-300 acre property for ex. gobbling from multiple locations in that area your witnessing an exploded lek and those gobblers are communicating to each other that this is my spot and I'm still in the game. There also letting the hens know, hey baby, I'm right here! Here's a link from the NWTF-
https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/what-is-exploded-lek
That was a good article. Thanks!
Definitely feel it's a form of communication. I too have used it late in the season several times to call up gobblers that were getting back into bachelor groups. Called up 3 longbeards out west once and have called in singles and doubles late in the south. They likewise gobble in the fall on occasion when hens are no where nearby nor are the hens even interested.
They gobble in fall. With hens roosted near,without hens roosted near,in the tree,on the ground along with spitting and drumming. So I say communication.
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Quote from: trkehunr93 on February 24, 2021, 11:32:52 AM
Listen to Dr. Michael Chamberlain, he explains the exploded lek that turkeys use for breeding purposes. When you hear multiple gobblers on a 200-300 acre property for ex. gobbling from multiple locations in that area your witnessing an exploded lek and those gobblers are communicating to each other that this is my spot and I'm still in the game. There also letting the hens know, hey baby, I'm right here! Here's a link from the NWTF-
https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/what-is-exploded-lek
Interesting article, thanks!
Late in the season one year, after the bachelor groups had formed, I called a giant gobbler on heavily hunted public land back to me by imitating a Spit/Drum with my mouth mixed with hen yelps. The group had ignored the yelping, but the idea that an interloper was courting one of the giants girlfriends was too much for him. I have also heard a gobbler yelping in the woods. I assume that it serves the same purpose to gobblers as it does for hens.
All of the above. Funny you mentioned gobbler yelps Full Choke...my experience has shown that when one gobbles and then at a certain distance stops and only yelps, it isn't his first Spring breeding hens
Quote from: Ranger on February 24, 2021, 03:19:24 PM
All of the above. Funny you mentioned gobbler yelps Full Choke...my experience has shown that when one gobbles and then at a certain distance stops and only yelps, it isn't his first Spring breeding hens
This particular bird came past me yelping and gobbling through the woods. It sounded like a yard dog yapping at a neighboring farm house. I wound up calling his hen back up to me and killing him. He was a good 3 year old. As you said, he had bred hens before and planned on repeating himself that morning.
I call it an eff u contest. Like getting in between that argument!
I believe they Gobble to let me know they have arrived on my Lawn and looking for Breakfast. That happened this morning and out,I went with Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.
Gobbles most definitely use gobbles as a communication to other turkeys, not just to attract hens. I've witnessed it on several occasions where a gobbler was gobbling solely for the purpose of locating his gobbler buddy.
Gobbling to a bird can sometimes be just the thing to make him commit. Seen it happen more times than not.
Most folks I've heard trying to mimic a gobble font sound even close to the real thing .
They gobble all year long, so definitely a form of communication. I have also had gobblers yelp, purr and putt. But back to the gobble, from what I have seen is in the social structure of the flock and other birds can distinguish one gobble from a gobbler than another. I.E. Had a group of 3 young toms I had been watching in a field daily and a single solo tom would show up (Alpha) and the other birds would leave, at times his gobble was enough to have them hightail it out of there. I have also seen when I have killed the alpha it changes up the social structure of those birds and makes the remaining toms more susceptible to calling, IMO they no longer are hearing the Alpha and are now responding to hen calls better. I have a lot more I have learned between all this as it was a big part of "learning turkeys" for me.
Attached is a favorite pic of mine pointing out the social structure of a flock.
MK M GOBL
50 white toms inside a pen....blow the truck horn and 49 gobble at the same time......a wild turkey will gobble at a horn , thunder or even a shot just as readily as a owl, crow or a gobble call...how can this be presided as communication ????
Quote from: saltysenior on February 24, 2021, 08:52:07 PM
50 white toms inside a pen....blow the truck horn and 49 gobble at the same time......a wild turkey will gobble at a horn , thunder or even a shot just as readily as a owl, crow or a gobble call...how can this be presided as communication ????
Lot's of difference between pen gobblers and wild gobblers. Wild gobblers using gobbling as a way of communicating beside trying to always lure hen's. I guess you could say a lot of us have spend enough time in the fields and woods to understand some of this communications.
We ascribe intelligence to birds that beat us when hunting them that they do not deserve. They operate on pure instinct. God gives them that coming out of the shell. No smarter than they are they do communicate like animals much higher on the 'smarts' scale. Turkeys talk to each other, never doubt that. They do respond to loud noises, don't know why. When pressured birds get lock jaw be listening in front of a thunderstorm and see if you don't find some more.