I really didn't realize that a turkey had 2 separate ways of hearing or taking sound into the brain. I was watching Dr Chamberlain who does research about the wild turkey and he was explaining how each ear canal works independent of each other taking sound to each side of the brain. He said this was why they could radar in on your location while calling them with such pin point accuracy of your location.
Dr Chamberlain's research about wild turkey is pretty amazing.
Even us old guys can still learn about these birds...
That's incredible Greg, thank you for sharing
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Good info
Was always told they had exceptional hearing and their eyesight wasnt shabby either. :OGturkeyhead:
I know they can hear a cricket fart at 400 yards, which is slightly better than my deaf butt :OGturkeyhead: :OGturkeyhead: Z :OGturkeyhead:
I just watched that this morning to. Very interesting and he explained the feathers also
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Quote from: eddie234 on April 04, 2025, 10:52:18 AMI just watched that this morning to. Very interesting and he explained the feathers also
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Yes, the knowledge he has about wild turkey is amazing... Everyone should watch that video ... The feather part was pretty neat also.
I saw that video as well-good info. But if I were you, I wouldn't mention on here where you saw it or you may be drug outside the city walls and stoned. :TooFunny:
I can do that too.
I listen to my wife with one ear while ignoring her with the other!
Quote from: Greg Massey on April 04, 2025, 10:21:30 AMI really didn't realize that a turkey had 2 separate ways of hearing or taking sound into the brain. I was watching Dr Chamberlain who does research about the wild turkey and he was explaining how each ear canal works independent of each other taking sound to each side of the brain. He said this was why they could radar in on your location while calling them with such pin point accuracy of your location.
Not to be too skeptical about it, but my first question would be "by what means did they discover this phenomenon?" ::) ???
Second thing based on my own personal experience is that I am not completely sold on the concept that a turkey can pinpoint where sounds are coming from with the precision that seems to be commonly accepted as fact. I have had plenty of encounters where gobblers I was calling had to be "redirected" a bit while on their way to me. In my experience, they seem to get off course pretty often.
Of course, I am sure some of that has to do with how far away they are when that calling connection is made. Around here, it is not unusual to make that connection from many hundreds of yards away...or further. No doubt, however, that there is a point where they pretty much have you pinpointed. :D
It was an informative video. I believe they can pinpoint our calling location precisely but choose different routes or destinations to us on occasion due to terrain or just being turkeys.
Where would one listen to this?
Gobblenut I assume they have cut open a few turkey skulls over the years and or x rayed them? No idea why they would assume anything, if you ever hear a scientist talk they don't just go about making claims, can they be wrong of course but the anatomy of a turkey skull is something I would be confident they know well.
I too have seen birds that needed a reminder where I was but those a far less common than the ones that have it figured out, hell if I was listening to most turkey hunters call from the same location for an hour I am pretty sure I could pin point them as well.
It was on THP's youtube channel, you know the scourge of turkey hunting, the same ones who raised some substantial money for turkey research, hate them or not at least they are helping the resource in some fashion.
Quote from: Dtrkyman on April 04, 2025, 04:57:54 PMGobblenut I assume they have cut open a few turkey skulls over the years and or x rayed them? No idea why they would assume anything, if you ever hear a scientist talk they don't just go about making claims, can they be wrong of course but the anatomy of a turkey skull is something I would be confident they know well.
I too have seen birds that needed a reminder where I was but those a far less common than the ones that have it figured out, hell if I was listening to most turkey hunters call from the same location for an hour I am pretty sure I could pin point them as well.
It was on THP's youtube channel, you know the scourge of turkey hunting, the same ones who raised some substantial money for turkey research, hate them or not at least they are helping the resource in some fashion.
Thanks, have heard of them but do not know much about them. Will give it a listen
Quote from: CALLM2U on April 04, 2025, 12:34:51 PMI saw that video as well-good info. But if I were you, I wouldn't mention on here where you saw it or you may be drug outside the city walls and stoned. :TooFunny:
:TooFunny: I have no reason to run or worry about this bunch, most of them are good members ... OG
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 04, 2025, 01:32:23 PMNot to be too skeptical about it, but my first question would be "by what means did they discover this phenomenon?" ::) ???
Second thing based on my own personal experience is that I am not completely sold on the concept that a turkey can pinpoint where sounds are coming from with the precision that seems to be commonly accepted as fact. I have had plenty of encounters where gobblers I was calling had to be "redirected" a bit while on their way to me. In my experience, they seem to get off course pretty often.
Of course, I am sure some of that has to do with how far away they are when that calling connection is made. Around here, it is not unusual to make that connection from many hundreds of yards away...or further. No doubt, however, that there is a point where they pretty much have you pinpointed. :D
I would assume one of two ways. Dissection of the head to see how the nerve fibers run to a certain part of the brain
and/or
an encephalogram with audio input into each ear to see which region of the brain responds. I lean to this one as that is the only definitive way to test hearing in an animal. Known as a BAER ( Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) test.
I believe I have had birds both hear and see me blinking....
I have had a number of times were I call to a distant bird, forget about it, relax against a tree to eat lunch or something, and then have a bird startle me to death by suddenly gobbling behind the tree I am sitting against... It is the reason I wear brown pants turkey hunting. :goofball:
Opening day this year, no gobbles on the limb so I worked my way into the swamp. Slipped along and called. Stopped when I saw a sow and a couple of pigs. Was standing and watching them and they were feeding my way. I hit the slate and one gobbled about 150 yards and across a creek. So i eased away from the hogs (worried they would spook the bird) and found a spot to sit I could see the creek. The gobbler proceeded to close the distance, gobbling to my sweet talk and walked right to the spot I had first called from when I struck him, within 5 yards of it and proceeded to strut and gobble for an hour straight right there. Would NOT come the 50 yards to me. If I had sat right down I would have killed him. He got bored and walked away. Could not every get back in front of him.
If turkeys could smell we wouldn't stand a chance!