Got Turkeys?

I should begin this post with a disclaimer stating I know nothing about turkeys… Now that I got that out of the way I have some questions for you boys. I put in the draw this year for a turkey tag and if this planting season is 1% easier than last years I will be hitting the woods this spring chasing my first Tom! In 2008 and 2009 it seemed every Tom I saw was dragging its beard across the ground and there was probably one Tom for every 4-5 hens. The last two years there seems to be more birds in general but less Toms? Here go the questions…
1. I only ever hear about or see Toms being shot and was wondering if any hunters ever shoot hens or jakes to try and “balance the flock” and if there are any turkey “meat hunters”?
2. I was also wondering about what goes into the making of a good Tom? Does their beard grow longer with age? Does the general health of the Tom affect the beard and spur size? Are some Toms luckier than others and just born in the right gene pool to have a larger beard ?
3. I am also wondering about the general structure of a flock…(is flock even the correct categorization of a group of turkeys?) and what is considered a healthy or normal ratio?
Thanks for any answers to these questions and I am sure there will be more in the future!

So we’ll be setting up here… I can’t wait to get in the woods chasing these plot vultures.

I’ll take a shot at answering a few of them questions.. of course by deer hunter standards I’m just a weekend warrior…

First off I want you to know judging a tom on the claw is a lot harder than judging a deer on the hoof. All them feathers really make it tough to see body structure and all you really can go by is the hardware.

Managing flock health is also a problem. We all have them neighbors that will kill any Tom that walks by. Some of us would like to grow the birds to those P&Y monsters we see on them huntin shows and in the magazines. Hopefully the DMV or somebody imposes some sort of spur restriction soon to make them meat hunters think about what they are doing. Maybe with some restrictions, someday we could be a turkey hunting hot spot like Alaska.

In WI Spring tags are “bearded” birds only.
Fall tags are any turkey. Personally I would like to see “beardless” birds only in the fall to try and control the hen population. But I don’t know of many fall turkey hunters. I get a tag encase 1 walks by while I am bow hunting.

Spur length is huge in making a “book” tom. The beard will get longer but can only get so long as it drags on the ground while the tom feeds. Multiple beards also make a big difference in a “book” tom.

Winter will bring flocks of all hens and flocks of all toms and jakes. This is not always true but for the most part it is the rule.

Hope this helps

I think a flock of ducks is a flock, same for geese and other flying rats. However, I prefer to see turkeys in a large gaggle of birds.

Not sure, but in my circle of hunyucks, we call it a gaggle.

t- two months to Nebraska and SD turkey hunting.

I’m thinking we should get you signed up to a MN DNR Turkey Clinic! These are a great way to get some basic turkey hunting knowledge, it’s cheap ($5), and they’re offered all over the place. Here’s a list for the dates/locations:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/wildlifeclinics/index.html

I’m teaching the one in Cannon Falls on March 10th, and would love to have as many IDOers there as possible. Classes fill fast, so drop me an email with name and number of people attending if you’re interested – [email protected]

Thanks!

Joel

Todders and I are headed down to Joel’s tonight to talk smart and then take in Joel’s turkey seminar in the morning. Can’t wait!!

I am only speaking turkey from the time I leave the deer classic this evening. Gobble gobble sip sip, going to be fun! Time to get addicted and educated to something else. Any other IDOers going to be there?

Thanks for having us down the other night Joel. Always fun to hang our and BS with some great buds. I also really enjoyed the seminar, you did a great job!

Thanks Kooty! I appreciate it, and had a great time too. Most of it was stuff you’d already heard or knew, but especially for folks that have never hunted them, there’s a sharp learning curve that any experienced turkey hunter can help shave down. I was lucky enough to have a true old-timer of the turkey woods do the same for me, and it made the sport into the one I enjoy today.

Joel