Gobblers Gobbling / Something to think About - Hens

[Greg Massey]

ttt

[Marc]

I wonder how much we as hunters have changed the behavior of turkey behavior through genetic selection?

For example, apparently, pheasants used to hold (as opposed to run), and the majority of pheasants cackled when they flushed.  The pheasants that did run more, or did not cackle when flushed were more likely to survive and thus those birds were more likely to pass on those traits...  Now we have wild pheasants that run like heck, and rarely cackle when flushed.

No doubt but that a bird that gobbles is far more susceptible to being harvested by a hunter.  I personally have bumped a number of silent birds trying to get to one that is vocal...  Those birds lived, and probably survived the season...

Birds (normally willing to gobble) can often go quiet with increased hunting pressure...  But I wonder, with the increased popularity of turkey hunting, if we are not to some degree creating a situation of genetic selection for birds that do not gobble?

[Greg Massey]

I wonder how much we as hunters have changed the behavior of turkey behavior through genetic selection?

For example, apparently, pheasants used to hold (as opposed to run), and the majority of pheasants cackled when they flushed.  The pheasants that did run more, or did not cackle when flushed were more likely to survive and thus those birds were more likely to pass on those traits...  Now we have wild pheasants that run like heck, and rarely cackle when flushed.

No doubt but that a bird that gobbles is far more susceptible to being harvested by a hunter.  I personally have bumped a number of silent birds trying to get to one that is vocal...  Those birds lived, and probably survived the season...

Birds (normally willing to gobble) can often go quiet with increased hunting pressure...  But I wonder, with the increased popularity of turkey hunting, if we are not to some degree creating a situation of genetic selection for birds that do not gobble?

I do agree with you, i think over time the gobblers are changing and doing less gobbling..

[mikejd]

I wonder how much we as hunters have changed the behavior of turkey behavior through genetic selection?

For example, apparently, pheasants used to hold (as opposed to run), and the majority of pheasants cackled when they flushed.  The pheasants that did run more, or did not cackle when flushed were more likely to survive and thus those birds were more likely to pass on those traits...  Now we have wild pheasants that run like heck, and rarely cackle when flushed.

No doubt but that a bird that gobbles is far more susceptible to being harvested by a hunter.  I personally have bumped a number of silent birds trying to get to one that is vocal...  Those birds lived, and probably survived the season...

Birds (normally willing to gobble) can often go quiet with increased hunting pressure...  But I wonder, with the increased popularity of turkey hunting, if we are not to some degree creating a situation of genetic selection for birds that do not gobble?

I agree with this totally. I have seen the gobbling taper to almost nothing where i hunt through the years. I just heard 2 gobbles in the last 8 days of hunting.