Mind Wandering!

[guesswho]

With my ADD in full swing my mind waders all over the place. Thought of something turkey related today that I've wondered for years.

Turkey habits on the same piece of property year after year. I've been fortunate enough to get to hunt some same properties for 10 to 20 years. It's seems like as long as the property hasn't been clear-cut the birds year after year will travel and react about the same they did the year before and the year before that ect. What I mean is I can find birds roosted in almost the same spot as previous years and they fly down and head the same way year after year, taking what sounds like the same route to get to the same areas. Birds I'm calling in will take almost the same route coming in as birds have in years past.

My question is do you think this behavior is learned from traveling with past generations of birds or is it terrain driven. I always wondered if something wiped out the entire turkey population on a tract of land, then birds were reintroduced would they use the same travel routes, roosting areas, strut zones ect. as the birds that were there before them. Or would I have to figure out the new population.

[drenalinld]

Great question. I have noticed they always move the same way after flydown, away from my calling.

Seriously, I think there is some of both. I think patterns of travel are influenced by terrain, food sources, and cover above all else. However individual birds can habitually use a particular route for no reason at all and other birds will follow. Crazy birds.

[Turkey Talker]

i believe that a bird or flock will react according to the terrain for safety reasons. they will also learn property lines and most will stay in the general areas that they know for most of their lives....reason behind this is comfort, knowledge of food source, and safety. A hen with a brood cannot travel far distances without the possible loss of little ones or leaving them behind. I do however believe that hens hold their babies in their heart and in mind with helping them to survive and showing them the way.

On to the Roosting aspect of this. I believe that a bird will roost in areas that he/or she can fly up to with ease, get good cover, have good vision from the roost to see idiots lurking below (you and me or a yote), and they also roost away from birds of prey (ie eagles, hawks ect.)
Gobblers tend to break apart due to the pecking order and follow the flock of hens (which i believe are roosted in great locations to minimize distances to nesting sites/food and water areas).. when toms get separated from their hens they are easy prey for us. Toms do in fact get lost in the woods more than hens. In this rarity you will see bachelor toms grouped up in couples or a set of 3. Lost birds spook very easily and get hung up way too often. Birds like to keep a safe distance from their zones, but they dont want to venture too far away unless they are very lonesome and need some companionship whether that be a male or female... These are just my opinions though, from what i have witnessed and spent countless hours of retard study on this creature.

[ICDEDTURKES]

I like you Ronnie have been fortunate to hunt some farms for close to 20 years.. Despite crop rotations the game is the same.. Its terrain and needs driven..

[Roy]

Pressure

[hawglips]

Can't imagine what it would be like to have a decent place for that long. What a blessing.

[timbrhuntr]

Not sure about them being wiped out but a place I hunt is an island and turkeys were reintroduced there about 10 years ago. They were released in 2 spots and roosted close to where they were released. The 2 spots were picked by biologists before they were released I can only assume because they felt the newly released turkeys would find what they needed.They still have their main roost in these 2 spots and they all seem to head back there when they flock up for winter. I also hunt in several other areas where turkeys have been recently released within 10 or so years. They all seem to spread to a new area along creeks or streams. Both of the spots I have hunted deer on for years are on long creek systems and both of these have had turkeys colonize them the last 3 or 4 years. The spots they head back to to flock up seem to be on private or protected land with little or no hunting allowed. I have one area were I watch the turkeys over the space of several weeks in the spring spread out along a small river system for 10 or so miles and out into every woodlot near it. I went along the same route hitting the farms and was able to score a couple new spots just for turkey.The spot I hunt in Michigan the turkeys roost in the same spot every year and it seems to be in a swampy area. I have seen over a hundred marching along. Not sure how long they have been there but again they are close to water.

So in answer to your question it would seem they first react to the land and what they need. Once they find it they seem to remain in that area probably for generations. Then I guess it would be learned and passed on.