Games Turkeys Play

[OldSchool]

One of the things turkeys do that's impressed me the few times I've seen it, is to put a tree between himself and me and sneak in close, unseen. The first one that I know of to do it to me came over a hundred yards from where I'd seen him last. He was in open woods and just disappeared. I couldn't understand where he went and a few minutes later there he was. A slight movement caught my eye at about 25 yards and there's half of a turkey's head eying me from behind a cherry tree. A second later it disappeared and I never saw the bird as he left either.

There were a couple other times too and they were all birds that had been hunted hard for a few years that pulled it on me. It makes me wonder how many other times over the years turkeys have done it to me without me ever knowing it. If I hadn't been looking almost at the spot where they peeked around the tree each time, I probably wouldn't have seen them.

Bob

[Tail Feathers]

I haven't noticed it when they are coming in, but I swear they do it everytime when leaving!

[Marc]

Every once in a while a bird comes in from the logical direction (according to the terrain and where he is gobbling from).

But it seems to me, the vast majority of the time, they somehow get around to the side, or behind me.  There they are, 60 yards, right in front of me, disappear behind some brush or in a depression, only to show up somewhere totally unexpected.

I have learned to listen for the little pucks/putts, footsteps, or drumming.  Nothing more heartbreaking than hearing a bird right behind you drumming, and there is no way to turn around for the shot.  Hunting tight woods, birds coming in behind is the single biggest advantage of decoys...  Still don't use much for that tough.

[SteelerFan]

I haven't noticed it when they are coming in, but I swear they do it everytime when leaving!

X2!

[Happy]

I have had them circle on the approach and come in almost behind me. I have had them fly into trees for a better view and I had one hen behind my house figure out where the corn came from at my deer feeder. It's just a simple trough with a roof and the deer and bears would knock a little corn out I guess. She now jumps up into the feeder and has a quick snack from time to time. No other turkeys have figured it out other than her yet. Course I don't feed regularly since the neighbors like to shoot everything they can lay a gunsight on as long as it's in season. Usually wait till January to feed and quit inJuly. Love having wildlife to watch in my backyard. I have come to realize from observation that animals have some similarities to people. Some are smarter than others of their species.

[maytom]

One of the other ways they sneak in, is "peak" over a small rise or hill and stare you down.

[hobbes]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

[turkey_slayer]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

Exactly

[Marc]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

I both agree and disagree with that statement.  I do not think there is a cognitive thought process going on, but perhaps there is some instinctual aspect...

Valley quail certainly are not brain surgeons, but there is no doubt but that they will try to put some sort of obstacle between themselves and the hunter when flushed...  Too many times I have seen them run around to the other side of a tree or rock formation before flushing (safe from me shooting).

Maybe the fact that the hen is not coming in to them, sets off some sort of instinctual warning signal.  Conflicting instinct if you will, the instinct to breed, and the instinct to stay safe???

I like to hunt brushy or wooded areas (if I can see them, I can shoot them), cause it seems if I can see them coming from some ways off they always hang up.  Also, when just using a hen decoy, they hang up more than they come in (which is why if I am going to use decoys, I like to have a jake decoy).

I also wonder if after the hens leave, that they are not trying to sneak up on those hens?  I have noticed that even hot birds (after hens leave to sit on the nest) often come in that last 100 yards silently and from the wrong direction...

I think that us hunting birds has also changed the genetic pre-programming if you will.  The birds with that genetic programming to approach cautiously have a better chance of survival, and the ones without such programming tend to be shot.

[hotspur]

Where I'm hunting once the season been in for a few days the gobblers stay in thick cover and peer out to see the sour e of the calling, I've got in it with them and had them as close as five yards without seeing them

[Farmboy27]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

Absolutely!  Turkeys are wary and great at surviving. But as much as we brag them up, they are not really intelligent. They have no ability to reason or to know that we imitate them to kill them!  If a turkey responds to your calls and comes toward you then he thinks you're a hen!  Even when we call in a bird and miss him, he doesn't think "wow, that thing that sounded like a hen just tried to kill me". As far as peaking up over a rise, they do that to check for waiting predators because it's an area they couldn't see. They don't do it to see if the hen sounds they heard were real or if it was a hunter.

[M Sharpe]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

Absolutely!  Turkeys are wary and great at surviving. But as much as we brag them up, they are not really intelligent. They have no ability to reason or to know that we imitate them to kill them!  If a turkey responds to your calls and comes toward you then he thinks you're a hen!  Even when we call in a bird and miss him, he doesn't think "wow, that thing that sounded like a hen just tried to kill me". As far as peaking up over a rise, they do that to check for waiting predators because it's an area they couldn't see. They don't do it to see if the hen sounds they heard were real or if it was a hunter.

No, but I tell ya what, if he peaks over that hill and doesn't see a hen where he heard her calling from, he's not hanging around very long either. You may not get to see how long his beard is.
Saturday, the wind was blowing 25-30 mph here. I set up in a calling spot to call. Had a jake with about a 4" beard just materialize at about 2 o'clock of my position. Where he came from, I have no idea. It's stuff like this that makes you wonder how many snuck up behind you on days like this!! While you were busy looking to the left, he eased up on the right and when you moved your head back to the right, he caught that movement and put that tree between you and him!!!

[renegade19]

One of the other ways they sneak in, is "peak" over a small rise or hill and stare you down.

Had one circle right and do just that peak move this morning.  He won't do that again!  I'll post a pic later.

[Cutt]

One of the other ways they sneak in, is "peak" over a small rise or hill and stare you down.

Yes, have seen that a lot. The areas I hunt have many old logging roads through them, which I now make it a point to take them in consideration with my setup. As they approach them they will use the shelf from the logging road cut out to run their periscope up. Have had to let my share of birds walk like this and many were well within gun range.

[Farmboy27]

I've had them do it but it's purely luck on their part.  They can be spooky as heck but still aren't capable of the thought process required to decide "hey, I'll just keep that tree between me and that hen just in case it proves to be a hunter".  You're giving them way too much credit.

Absolutely!  Turkeys are wary and great at surviving. But as much as we brag them up, they are not really intelligent. They have no ability to reason or to know that we imitate them to kill them!  If a turkey responds to your calls and comes toward you then he thinks you're a hen!  Even when we call in a bird and miss him, he doesn't think "wow, that thing that sounded like a hen just tried to kill me". As far as peaking up over a rise, they do that to check for waiting predators because it's an area they couldn't see. They don't do it to see if the hen sounds they heard were real or if it was a hunter.

No, but I tell ya what, if he peaks over that hill and doesn't see a hen where he heard her calling from, he's not hanging around very long either. You may not get to see how long his beard is.
Saturday, the wind was blowing 25-30 mph here. I set up in a calling spot to call. Had a jake with about a 4" beard just materialize at about 2 o'clock of my position. Where he came from, I have no idea. It's stuff like this that makes you wonder how many snuck up behind you on days like this!! While you were busy looking to the left, he eased up on the right and when you moved your head back to the right, he caught that movement and put that tree between you and him!!!

A lot of that has to do with how recently you called to him before he popped up. If the bird is close to the brow and you call he knows the hen is right there. If he's still a hundred yards away the last time you called he's more apt to waltz right onto the flat too keep searching for the hen. I have really never had much issue with birds peeking up over and then leaving. Most of time if I stay still and give them time they keep right on coming. In fact, it's probably my favorite setup!