Understanding Wild Turkey Habits for Improved Hunting
Wild Turkey Habits. Wild turkeys roost in trees at night. They fly
to their roosts at about sunset and fly to the ground at first
light where they feed until mid-morning. They will often roost
again for a short period in mid-morning and feeding will resume
in the afternoon. Turkeys can cover several miles during the
course of the day while feeding.
Gobbling starts before sunrise often while they are still on a
roost. Gobblers strut to attract hens prior to and during the
breeding season. Young gobblers can be distinguished from adults
by the longer middle tail feathers of the fan, the length of
their beard, and their size.
Facts About Turkeys
The turkey is a large game bird native to North American forested
areas.
An adult male wild turkey is about 1.2 m (4 ft) long and has
metallic greenish, bronze, or brownish plumage, broad rounded
wings and tail, and long, slim, spurred legs.
Their field of vision is about 270 degrees.
A tuft of hair like feathers (beard) hangs from the breast.
A fleshy growth called a snood hangs from the front of the head.
Brightly colored growths called caruncles and a pouchlike area
called a wattle mark the throat region.
Turkeys feed on acorns, seeds, berries, and insects.
The hen incubates the 11 to 20 pale spotted eggs for about 28
days.
The young are called poults.
Turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour.
Turkey can reach flight speeds of 50-55 mph in a matter of
seconds.
Two species--the wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, of the eastern
and central United States and Mexico, and the ocellated turkey,
Agriocharis ocellata, of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and adjacent
areas--make up the family Meleagrididae, which is classified with
pheasants in the order Galliformes.
The smaller ocellated turkey lacks the tuft of breast feathers,
is more brilliantly colored, and has bright eyespots on the tail
coverts.
Article by Tracker Outdoors
www.tracker-outdoors.com
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