Are turkeys smart?
- Thread starter cnelk
- Start date
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Smart.... maybe
Great eye sight..... yes.
Don\'t get caught moving!
Great eye sight..... yes.
Don\'t get caught moving!
I was once told by a old turkey hunter, a deer will look at a human setting close to a tree and see a stump. A turkey will look at a stump and see a human..
I\'ve had a flock of gobblers walk up on me in my deer stand with me wearing blaze orange during deer gun season and not even look at me. I\'ve always said that I was going to hunt turkey just like I hunt deer. In my stand with all the orange I can wear...
I\'ve had a flock of gobblers walk up on me in my deer stand with me wearing blaze orange during deer gun season and not even look at me. I\'ve always said that I was going to hunt turkey just like I hunt deer. In my stand with all the orange I can wear...
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,345
\"iccyman001\" said:
This might be a stupid question, but what happens if a turkey sees you? Do they fly away? Do they take off running? Never gotten in close on turkeys in the handful of times I have hunted, so I\'ve always wondered about this.
Their first reaction is to stick their head up straight and look your way. This is the perfect time to blast them in the head so you don\'t get any shot in the breast. Their second reaction is to run. They usually run a few yards then burst into flight. Once the stick that head up and start the sharp quick loud clucks you don\'t have much time.
They do have a keen eyesight and will flee if they feel they are in danger.
Smart???? I\'m not sure about that one. I have watched several birds walk back and forth for 30-45 minutes trying to find a hole in a fence to get through. Even after some birds flew over. :crazy:
Smart???? I\'m not sure about that one. I have watched several birds walk back and forth for 30-45 minutes trying to find a hole in a fence to get through. Even after some birds flew over. :crazy:
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
i bet a turkey brain is the size of a pea. so i dont think they are smart at all. i\'ve seen one lock up behind a fence with a big hole a foot away...
BUT, they are programmed perfectly for danger. they see perfectly and are programmed to run at the tiniest hint of danger.
so dont look dangerous. i watched by buddy call a turkey to a black garbage bag.
BUT, they are programmed perfectly for danger. they see perfectly and are programmed to run at the tiniest hint of danger.
so dont look dangerous. i watched by buddy call a turkey to a black garbage bag.
They are actually closer to extremely dumb. That being said....they have great hearing and the only thing I have ever seen that has better eyesight is a pronghorn.
Their disposition is what makes them the most difficult. You never know what type of mood one will be in and it could change in minutes. All rules of thumbs for turkeys at times can be thrown out the window. Many times they will run to a decoy and attack it and you can\'t run them off. Other times they will run out of the country when they see a decoy. They will also walk right by your decoys at times and act like they aren\'t there.
I have a bunch of \"I can\'t believe that bird just did that\" stories. One that just popped into my mind is about a gobbler I located behind my house. I had him dialed in. I slipped in well before dark and set my blind, strutter and breeding hen up. Come daylight I had him gobbling good on the limb. After a few calls he was answering and he knew where I was. Once I knew he was on the ground I really started hammering on him. Calling very aggressive, which I typically don\'t do, and he was interested but not coming. I finally throw a series of gobbles at him (It is private land with no one else hunting) and he couldn\'t stand in and started coming hard. He is gobbling hard as he is on his way. Soon, I can hear him walking in the grass beside my blind. I can hear him drumming and he is within feet of stepping in my window and then he starts putting and runs as hard as he can out of the country.
He heard a gobbler and that is what brought him in but when he saw the gobbler he ran out of the country.
Who knows? I hunt really good private land for turkeys and gun hunting them is a lay up. But when you add a bow to the situation they are quite a bit more difficult.
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Their disposition is what makes them the most difficult. You never know what type of mood one will be in and it could change in minutes. All rules of thumbs for turkeys at times can be thrown out the window. Many times they will run to a decoy and attack it and you can\'t run them off. Other times they will run out of the country when they see a decoy. They will also walk right by your decoys at times and act like they aren\'t there.
I have a bunch of \"I can\'t believe that bird just did that\" stories. One that just popped into my mind is about a gobbler I located behind my house. I had him dialed in. I slipped in well before dark and set my blind, strutter and breeding hen up. Come daylight I had him gobbling good on the limb. After a few calls he was answering and he knew where I was. Once I knew he was on the ground I really started hammering on him. Calling very aggressive, which I typically don\'t do, and he was interested but not coming. I finally throw a series of gobbles at him (It is private land with no one else hunting) and he couldn\'t stand in and started coming hard. He is gobbling hard as he is on his way. Soon, I can hear him walking in the grass beside my blind. I can hear him drumming and he is within feet of stepping in my window and then he starts putting and runs as hard as he can out of the country.
He heard a gobbler and that is what brought him in but when he saw the gobbler he ran out of the country.
Who knows? I hunt really good private land for turkeys and gun hunting them is a lay up. But when you add a bow to the situation they are quite a bit more difficult.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Dumber than a mud fence! Anything that has a brain the size of a pea and tries to get it on with a plastic decoy can\'t be too smart. But they are big scaredy cats and will jump or run at just about anything that moves or is out of place. It isn\'t because they are smart, it\'s cause they are scared.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
i once hunted feral peacocks. i almost thought they were smart..but no. dumb.
but hair trigger flight mechanisms. anything looked out of place..phoosh!! gone. i\'m at the point i think the only way to kill one will be with a sniper rifle.
but hair trigger flight mechanisms. anything looked out of place..phoosh!! gone. i\'m at the point i think the only way to kill one will be with a sniper rifle.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
I\'ll gather more data tomorrow. Bow stays home
Sent via Jedi mind trick.
Sent via Jedi mind trick.
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"elky McElkerson\" said:I\'ll gather more data tomorrow. Bow stays home
Sent via Jedi mind trick.
Good luck!!!!!
