toms dusting

[wis. bowhunter]

Hello Yesterday I watched a couple of hens dust themselves in a sandy spot in a field. I was wondering if anyone has ever seen a tom dust himself. I realize that a lot of times a tom is going to be shot at before he can dust himself but there must have been someone who has watched a dusting spot from farther away. Has anyone ever seen a tom dust himself.  thanks  Jeff W.

[2eagles]

I watched a hen dust herself Friday. She had some light cover between us and was about 15 yards away. Funny though because I wasn't sure what she was doing. First I thought she might be laying an egg. She'd flop around and squat like she needed a c-section. After lots of struggling, she just tipped over like she was dead.  Then picked her head up and looked around. Kept that up for several minutes. After she left, I went over expecting to see a nest, but it was a dusting spot. Joke was on me!

[kjcamper]

2 years ago I watched 2 toms and 5 hens dust on the opposite side of a field from my set up. It was raining lightly at first light and cool. I think it was about 10:00 A.M. or so when the sun popped out and the wind picked up. About an hour later the group of turkeys emerged from the woods on that side of the field and started dusting. The hens dusted first and the longest and you could see the sand fly into the air. The two toms stayed in the area strutting for a few minutes after the hens walked off and then they dusted for a bit and left in the opposite direction that the hens went. The hens must have circled back in the woods while the toms dusted.

[Dtrkyman]

I see hens dust most every spring, never saw a tom or jake dust.

[silvestris]

I have seen gobblers dust on a number of occasions.  They get the same pests as hens under their feathers, and when they itch, they dust.