Turkey Hunting Myths and Facts Examined

Written by M.D. Johnson

Despite having pursued them for over 200 years, hunters still have plenty of questions about the ‘ole king of spring—the wild turkey—as well as his lady friend, whom I’ll call the Mama Turkey. There are a lot of truths, but also not a few myths, surrounding these big birds. This week, Slayer Calls takes an in-depth look at what may or may not be true regarding our favorite big game bird, and in doing so, hopefully helps you wrap a tag just above those inch-long spurs this season. And with that—

Turkeys are dumb

It’s said that when it rains, turkeys—especially the little ones—tend to look straight up and, in doing so, fill up with water and drown. I don’t know where this one came from, but let me assure you, it’s not true. Over the past 32 years since I tagged my first gobbler, I’ve seen turkeys do some pretty questionable things—like being stymied by a strand of barbed wire they could easily jump over without flapping a wing—but I wouldn’t call them dumb. Maybe it’s me?

Turkeys are smart

Conversely, I don’t think turkeys are smart either. I do believe that, because everything out there wants to eat them at every stage of their lives, they are basically nervous all the time. A whitetail doe? She’ll stomp and blow, blow and stomp, trying to figure out what “you” are. A turkey? A turkey simply runs or flies, and then, settled down some time and distance away, tries to figure out—what scared it? My point is, don’t scare them.

Hunting pressure has no effect on turkeys

Sure it does. If you fumble around that little piece of property every day for a week, scaring birds here and there, it’s going to have an impact. Roosts will change. Travel routes will change. Unlike deer or ducks, gobblers won’t “go nocturnal,” per se, but they’ll shy away from the pressure—the interruption of their day-to-day routine—until some normalcy is restored.

Eastern wild turkeys roost in the same tree every night

Eastern wild turkeys live in relatively small habitats compared to their western cousins, the Rio Grande and Merriam’s turkeys. While they won’t necessarily roost in the same tree night after night—note: I’ve known some gobblers to roost not only in the same tree but on the same branch every evening—Easterns can often, maybe even usually, be found in the same general vicinity throughout the year. It might be the tree, or it might be where the tree is located, i.e., near food, near water, or near a favored hen roosting area.

You can’t kill a turkey in the rain (or snow)

I’ll be honest—I’d much rather hunt in a gentle rain or snow than under a high wind warning, but I’d prefer not to do any of the above. Generally speaking, turkeys will hunker down during rain and wait for better weather. What am I doing? I may be in the truck, in a pop-up blind, or under a pine trying to shed most of the water. But as soon as the rain quits, I’m headed to a field edge to sit over a decoy. After a rain, turkeys often head to the great wide open, where they can pick bugs, shake off, and dry out. That’s where I want to be, too.

The “Call-Shy Gobbler” is real

Think about it—if a gobbler ran from every hen it heard, it wouldn’t be long before there were no more turkeys, right? Call-shy? No. But can you over-call a gobbler and cause him to stand his ground, gobble incessantly, and wait for the “hen” he hears—that’s you!—to come to him? Absolutely. That’s how turkey biology, or good old Mother Nature, works: He gobbles, and the hen goes to him. He’s not call-shy; he’s just waiting for you. Back off. Lighten up on the call and make him hunt you. Get the gobble right with Slayer’s Gobbler Slayer but don’t overdo it. 

Hen decoys versus jake or gobbler decoys are always a safe bet

Usually, yes—but not always. I’ve seen two-year-old gobblers—fine, mature birds—run from hen decoys. Scared of a Mama Turkey? Why? These are subordinate toms, and they’re looking over their shoulders—do turkeys have shoulders?—for that mean Boss Gobbler who rules the roost. The same one that’s flogged them a time or two for butting in on his girls. Decoys can be tremendously effective, but understand—they can be a deterrent, too.

Spook a gobbler? Done for the day!

Maybe. Maybe not. Gobblers—and turkeys in general—are spooked by many things, including hunters during the spring. All may not be lost. If you have another bird on a string, play with him. If not, and the one you bumped is your best bet, take a break. Have a sandwich. Grab 25 winks. Drink a Gatorade. Then go back and try him again from a different direction and, ideally, with a different-sounding call. Sit tight and watch for him to come in quiet.