Unless you live or travel to south Florida to pursue the Osceola subspecies of wild turkey, you’re still waiting for turkey season to open. As you prepare for hunt, it’s a good idea to check out your decoys to ensure they’re in good shape. After all, finding out your favorite deke has a missing or broken stake at 0’dark-30 of opening morning isn’t a good way to begin your season.
As a bowhunter, decoys play a vital role in my turkey hunting strategy. And just when I think I’ve discovered a can’t-miss setup that will bring gobblers on the run, the next time I use the identical decoy spread the toms ignore my offering, or worse, they are spooked by my fakes.
Hunt them long enough and you’ll learn that wild turkeys are unpredictable. Sure, at times everything goes right and they strut into point-blank range, but so often they win the chess match by making a move that makes zero sense — a move that keeps them alive one more day.
Check out the video below for proof of strange turkey behavior. This clip is the first of dozens I’m likely to see on my Facebook newsfeed this spring that showcase insane turkey behavior. YouTube is filled with similar videos of toms and jakes attacking U.S. Mail trucks (and mailmen), glass doors/windows, people walking, and just about anything else you can imagine.
My theory? I have two, actually.
First, I think a vehicle tire looks like a strutting tom or jake. When the wheel turns, it appears to the real bird that the intruder is moving or posturing. So they attack the stranger.
Second, I think the birds see their reflection in the glass doors/windows of buildings, or in the case highlighted below, the side of a shiny Corvette. Maybe they see their reflection in the tire rims, too?
Why do they attack people who are dressed (at least from the waist down) in a way that doesn’t resemble a turkey? I have no idea.
Whatever the case, the toms and jakes in this video (looks like Georgia to me) are aggressive and ready to rumble. I only hope to encounter a group of bullies like this when the snow finally melts here in the Midwest and turkey season opens.
Enjoy the video and good luck this spring! (Be sure to crank up the volume on the video for best viewing.)
