How well do you really think they hear?

[Greg Massey]

When a bird is in the heat of passion some of it's defense do go away. But the old wish saying for years has been if you can hear him he can hear you. They have a hearing that's more like a radar and can pin point you within a few feet. If they could smell as good as they can hear and see you never would kill one ...

[deerbasshunter3]

I gotta say, I used to give deer just as much credit about hearing, seeing, and smelling. Of course, after killing plenty of deer that were downwind, or even less than 40 yards away while I was sitting against a small diameter tree on the edge of a field (to include the biggest buck that I have ever seen live), I sometimes wonder just how smart they really are...

As far as turkeys go, I think we can tend to put them up to a higher standard than maybe we should. They are just animals, after all.

[Gumby]

I'm sorry if I offend, but the belief that a bird (or any animal) can interpret your "brain wave" or "thoughts" is laughable. The only physical evidence of an active brain is electronic in nature. Now can a bird detect this? I doubt it. But to think that it can take this electronic signal and interpret what is being thought is absurd. Go kill the stupid bird.

[guesswho]

I know as long as I wear my HECS suit I don't have to worry about brain waves etc. 

[Gumby]

I know as long as I wear my HECS suit I don't have to worry about brain waves etc.

Those are the best

[Happy]

I never have any brain waves so I guess I  am good to go.

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[Gooserbat]

I know as long as I wear my HECS suit I don't have to worry about brain waves etc.

I don't use a hex because if I did I couldn't sleep at night because of the unfair advantage.

[Marc]

I know as long as I wear my HECS suit I don't have to worry about brain waves etc.

Considering that we are getting up at some ungodly hour, to go hear a bird gobble in the woods and try to shoot it, after spending untold amounts of money on all kinds of equipment (and gas)...  And further considering that these birds have a brain far smaller than a peanut and generally outsmart us...

I do not think that hiding our "brain-waves" is an issue for most of us...

[deerbasshunter3]

Turkeys are always suspicious and paranoid by nature.  Anything that moves may be a predator and something that will try to kill and eat them. They know the area they call home like you know your living room. They can notice anything that looks out of place, anything new that wasn't there yesterday or anything that stands out. They will pick up the slightest movement or slightest sound that doesn't seem natural. They pinpoint the source of sounds especially turkey sounds with an uncanny ability. If they see something they don't like they will tuck tail and run, if they hear something they don't like they may do the same. Many times when a turkey gets close enough to see the hen but doesn't see the hen he gets suspicious and stops his advance. If he decides to investigate further and continue advancing towards the source of the unseen hen, he will normally proceed with caution and take a better (closer) look. This will be brief and often from a position that affords the turkey quick cover and an escape route. He may peek from behind a tree for a brief second and look for the hen he heard one last time. If no hen is seen he is gone quick in a hurry.  Turkeys often run off for what they don't see instead of what they do see/hear.
I have never considered brain waves while turkey hunting. I suspect that when a turkey tucks tail and runs off there is a more likely explanation than him receiving brain waves. Now, turkeys absolutely key in on predatory behaviors that we exhibit just like they observe these behaviors in other animals. But I have never believed they can read my mind and know that I plan to kill them.

I can agree with most of what you are saying, except for maybe this line. The first turkey that I ever killed, I shot it while I was sitting on one side of a narrow pine tree, and my hunting buddy was sitting on the other side calling. If a bird noticed every little thing different from the last time he/she was there, then I find it hard to believe that the bird would not notice two new clumps of leaves (we were wearing leafy suits) on either side of that tree...

[g8rvet]

I think I have had birds notice me, and just not be scared.  I have seen them do crazy things: the 4 jakes I got on my hands and knees and dog walked into easy shooting range - they just fed off - it was private land and the last day of the season and I had to go-so I did it for fun, not to shoot; the hen that walked within 5 steps of me and just sat there clucking at me - she knew I had not been there before, but had no clue I was anything to be scared of, she just fed away from me; the bird that was coming in across a field like at least 10 other birds had done that suddenly spooked - I had not moved, called or anything-she just decided something was wrong, I have no idea what; etc.  We all have a million of these stories.  I had one at just out of shooting range when my beeper went off (yes, beeper, it was years ago) and he could not have cared less and it was a very unnatural tone. He was about 55 yards away.  Fazed him not in the least.  He definitely heard it, he just did not recognize it as danger.  The public land gobbler that was at about 30 yards when I said SHOOT HIM in a normal voice to my son (after saying shoot him in a whisper about 5 times) - he walked off, still gobbling, but would not come back (go figure).  I don't want to talk about why my son did not shoot (my fault - he was young and was waiting for the bird to stop like I had told him to do when deer hunting - when I said "You can kill a teal at 40 mph, I think you can kill a turkey at 3 mph" he understood). 

We ascribe way too much intelligence and skill to a bird that is random and wary.  Makes me feel better when I can't close the deal, but not based in fact. 

[SteelerFan]

I know as long as I wear my HECS suit I don't have to worry about brain waves etc.

I don't use a hex because if I did I couldn't sleep at night because of the unfair advantage.

 

[THattaway]

I've watched through binoculars as a tom 600+ yards away on a windy day stretched his neck to gobble each time at my normal volume calls. I couldn't hear squat from him.

Me? That proved to me they can hear way further and better than we can.

[sasquatch1]

If you make turkey sounds, and he gobbles back at you, HE THINKS YOUR A TURKEY. Plain and simple. Try not to over think it, they don't have reasoning capabilities


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[Sixes]

Turkeys hear extremely well, but I think a lot of hunters give game too much of a human way of thinking.

Turkey can hear a whisper or talking from a long ways but they have zero reasoning ability to think "hey that's a hunter trying to kill me".

Same with a cough, I had a severe cough one year in deer season and it came back in turkey season, during both seasons, I would spontaneously cough, usually just a single cough and neither game animal ever went into alarm.

As long as a certain noise is not associated with danger, neither a turkey nor a deer will go in alarm. Have you ever sneezed while hunting? I've sneezed with deer and turkey close and again, don't recall them being spooked unless the sneeze came with a quick jerk of the head.

If they spook from hearing a voice, then it's probably due to them pinpointing your exact location and spooking from something they have seen.

[NFW]

They can hear plenty well, my hunted ended yesterday after a bird busted me from snapping on good branch while trying to make a quick move. I had him come in from 200-250 yards after soft yelping. Had him at 80 but then started to work off, so maybe I got too aggressive but knew we wouldn't wanna work out some real thick stuff and one good branch pop he closed his mouth. I don't know if cleared the next county or just just said I've got other hens that aren't poping branches.