Turkey encounters

[grizzly63]

I know this is the Deer forum but that's what I am hunting when these events happen so here you go. Couple of weeks ago I am sitting in this stand and I spot a couple of deer out about 100 yds feeding in previously flooded area that has good green grass growing now. I spied a turkey in this same green area. Shortly thereafter I witness something I had not seen before. The gobbler would make a false charge at the deer. He would then fan out with his tailfeathers pointing about 45 degrees rearword, stretch his neck out straight forward and would run circles around this deer. Eventually the deer would make a false charge at him, he would jump out of the way. He must have done this 5 or 6 times before finally the deer ran him off. He eventually roosted in this large cottonwood tree about 50 yds from my treestand. I have seen them quite often in this tree so nothing new there. Now last night while heading down the road towards this stand area, I saw the turkeys a half mile away on a different section. I said to myself "you guys better get moving if you're going to get to your roost". So after sundown and before it got too dark, I'm in the stand looking north at a doe and fawn, I turn to look to the south just in time to see a turkey cruising by like a missile at 7-8 yds heading into the roosting tree. Holy crap, that can unnerve you. Two seconds later another one zips by followed closely by one flying over the top of the tree I'm in. A rather tall ash tree so I'm guessing that one is cruising in at 100' altitude. Another one zips by level with me close. I'm hunting next to an interstate so there is too much noise to easily hear them coming. I know turkey can really get up the speed when necessary, just wasn't expecting it so close. What kind of experiences have you had with turkeys while in the stand ?

 

[LopeHunter]

On a moonless night an hour before first light on a mid-november morning in the Midwest, I climbed up into a ladder stand about 15' off the ground in a big oak tree so could rifle hunt the wind while looking down to a creek which wound through the bottom of a hollow. In about 45 minutes the woods started to come alive. A few songbirds singing. Squirrels chattering then bounding through the fallen leaves.

First light is just filtering into the woods when two turkeys fly out of the tree I was in. They had been about 10 feet above me. No sounds until flew. If you have ever flushed bobwhite quail by almost stepping on the quail then you know how loud a few small quail are as the wind feathers churn the air to rise up as they flush. The turkeys were 20x louder. I thought a Blackhawk chopper was instantly hovering above me which has happened a couple of times in my life.

As a kid five decades ago, I would often see turkeys and whitetail feeding together in recently harvested corn and soybean fields back before harvesting became so efficient that not much grain falls onto the filed's soil. The turkeys have great eyesight while the whitetail have great noses so they partner to fend off predators that might be sneaking in on them. My opinion, anyway.

Turkeys can be a-holes so false charging a deer is right in their wheelhouse. Many a time have blasted a spring gobbler to have his buddies run over and put the dead bird and stand on top digging at the bird.

 

[reallyoldman]

On a moonless night an hour before first light on a mid-november morning in the Midwest, I climbed up into a ladder stand about 15' off the ground in a big oak tree so could rifle hunt the wind while looking down to a creek which wound through the bottom of a hollow. In about 45 minutes the woods started to come alive. A few songbirds singing. Squirrels chattering then bounding through the fallen leaves.

First light is just filtering into the woods when two turkeys fly out of the tree I was in. They had been about 10 feet above me. No sounds until flew. If you have ever flushed bobwhite quail by almost stepping on the quail then you know how loud a few small quail are as the wind feathers churn the air to rise up as they flush. The turkeys were 20x louder. I thought a Blackhawk chopper was instantly hovering above me which has happened a couple of times in my life.

As a kid five decades ago, I would often see turkeys and whitetail feeding together in recently harvested corn and soybean fields back before harvesting became so efficient that not much grain falls onto the filed's soil. The turkeys have great eyesight while the whitetail have great noses so they partner to fend off predators that might be sneaking in on them. My opinion, anyway.

Turkeys can be a-holes so false charging a deer is right in their wheelhouse. Many a time have blasted a spring gobbler to have his buddies run over and put the dead bird and stand on top digging at the bird.

Strangest thing for me and turkeys is when you shoot a tom and his his buddies mount him and try to have sex.

 

[grizzly63]

A friend of mine had perched on a limb before first light and as it started to lighten up, he saw movement farther out of the limb. A big white turkey started to get nervous and eventually flew off. Friend was having a hard time figuring out what it was until it got light enough.