Turkey Behavior Question?

On the last day of deer season (northern zone) I was set up in the woods fifty yards from a large cow pasture. At daylight turkeys started yelping and flew down for about ten minutes.

They all pitched down in the pasture. There were two different groups, each had about 30 birds. You all know how hard they are to count when the whole flock is moving but there were at least 60 birds I could count.

There was not a single long beard in the bunch, although there were lots of jakes along with the hens.

We all know that the long beards group up in the fall and this leads to my questions. First, why do the big boys split off from the rest of the flock, and second, where do they go. This late in the year there aren't many acorns left and the fields seem to be the only place for them to feed.

I would have thought the toms would have been where the food was but I watched the flock for over an hour and never saw any. The others were grazing along and scratching at the cow chips, obviously feeding but no long beards ever showed up.

I know this post is kinda long, but deer season's over and turkey season still weeks away so this is as close to hunting as I can get right now. Anybody got any theories or observations?

Thanks...

wh

The big boys will back off around mid Feb to start there ritual.To see who will be the best tom on the block.

As for the jakes you see will be run off by the hens and other toms.

willhunt said:

We all know that the long beards group up in the fall and this leads to my questions. First, why do the big boys split off from the rest of the flock,

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Why would guys want to hang out with women if there was no breeding involved?

Hal

hawglips said:

Why would guys want to hang out with women if there was no breeding involved?

Hal

Click to expand...

Good question, for sure.

I have wondered the same. One thing is for sure...the big ones definitely have their own haunts this time of year.

I was sitting in a plot last year to take some photos in early February. About 50 some odd hens and jakes showed up at about 8:00-ish a.m. and walked all over the plot not making much sound, and feeding.

About 1/2 hour later, I heard steps in the leaves behind my blind, and looked out to see 7 big longbeards all together coming from a totally different direction and area than where the other flock had earlier arrived.

The minute the hens and jakes spotted the toms, they started raising cain, yelping and cuttin' real loud. A couple of the toms blew up sorta halfway,a nd went straight at the jakes. Those jakes and the hens got outa there quick!

It was a sight.

Those toms had been roosted together in some 15 year old planted pines on the hill, and the other group had come out of the creek bottom in the hardwoods.

I have basically gone most all deer season long this year, and seen a group of 5 toms in the same place twice, but have seen or heard hens and jakes virtually every time I
have gone deer hunting.

Those toms definitely have a way of making themselves very scarce this time of year, and they hang tight.

willhunt said:

On the last day of deer season (northern zone) I was set up in the woods fifty yards from a large cow pasture. At daylight turkeys started yelping and flew down for about ten minutes.

They all pitched down in the pasture. There were two different groups, each had about 30 birds. You all know how hard they are to count when the whole flock is moving but there were at least 60 birds I could count.

There was not a single long beard in the bunch, although there were lots of jakes along with the hens.

We all know that the long beards group up in the fall and this leads to my questions. First, why do the big boys split off from the rest of the flock, and second, where do they go. This late in the year there aren't many acorns left and the fields seem to be the only place for them to feed.

I would have thought the toms would have been where the food was but I watched the flock for over an hour and never saw any. The others were grazing along and scratching at the cow chips, obviously feeding but no long beards ever showed up.

I know this post is kinda long, but deer season's over and turkey season still weeks away so this is as close to hunting as I can get right now. Anybody got any theories or observations?

Thanks...

wh

Click to expand...

Why would guys want to hang out with women if there was no breeding involved?

Click to expand...

Not very scientifically stated, but factual.

hawglips said:

Why would guys want to hang out with women if there was no breeding involved?

Hal

Click to expand...

Yeah gotta give you props on that one.........

I cant explain it. I just know that is the way it is. I can take you to a secluded overgrown creek bottom that always has a group of longbeards wintering there.
Another spot the longbeards will roost and feed in the next pasture over from the hens and jakes. They can see and hear each other from the hill tops but seem to prefer not to mix until middle febuary.