Turkey looking is plagued with previous wive’s tales, folklore, and myths. A few of that is innocent. A few of it might need an excellent rationalization. However among the misbeliefs may cost a little you a punched tag this spring.
Plus, the reality nonetheless issues. So, within the spirit looking with higher data, listed below are 23 turkey and turkey looking myths to ditch proper now.
The 23 Dirtiest Turkey Myths
Fable 1: Turkeys see shade like we do.
Some assume turkeys see in shade similar to we do, however they don’t. Turkeys do have nice shade imaginative and prescient, however not in the best way we expertise it. The structure of cones and rods of their eyes are totally different from ours. Whereas the precise composition of their imaginative and prescient isn’t identified, it’s believed they see shade, however a lot otherwise than people. That stated, similar to whitetails and different prey animals, their eyes detect movement extraordinarily properly.
Fable 2: Turkeys haven’t any sense of scent.
Wild turkeys actually don’t have a way of scent like whitetails, however they aren’t nostril blind, both. Turkeys do, actually, have a slight potential to scent. After all, it isn’t vital sufficient to affect the way you hunt them.
Fable 3: Turkeys hate or love the rain.
Some say turkeys hate the rain. Others say they like it. Neither are true, actually. The explanations wild turkeys spend a lot time in open fields throughout rainstorms are twofold. First is safety. The wind and rain make it troublesome to see inside cowl. Second is meals. Bugs and grubs head to the floor when the water desk rises. I’ve watched gobblers rip off gobble after gobble within the rain, too. They didn’t appear to thoughts it an excessive amount of. Examine ideas for looking turkeys in unhealthy climate right here.
Fable 4: Turkeys, particularly poults, drown after they lookup within the rain.
Turkeys younger and previous don’t drown by wanting up when it rains. If this had been true we’d discover useless turkeys far and wide after heavy rains. They do, nevertheless, head for open fields when the drops begin falling (until they’re roosted).
Fable 5: Turkeys all the time roost in the identical tree each night time.
In prairie settings the place roost bushes are drastically restricted, this fable can maintain up. That stated, all through most of America, it normally isn’t true. A small variety of turkeys routinely roost in the identical precise bushes, however that is the exception and never the norm. Wild turkeys nearly all the time rotate by means of quite a few roost bushes and even roost areas. Plentiful numbers of native birds could make it seem to be a roost is getting used each night by the identical turkey.
Fable 6: As soon as within the tree, turkeys don’t change roosts.
Turkeys do just like the roost limbs they fly as much as. However that doesn’t imply they’ll stay there. I’ve watched as roosted turkeys moved from one limb to the subsequent. I’ve additionally roosted a turkey in late night, went again the subsequent morning, and there wasn’t a turkey in sight. With out query, turkeys typically change roost limbs, and even roost bushes, after flying up.
Fable 7: A roosted gobbler is a assured bagged chicken.
Simply since you roost a turkey doesn’t imply you’re assured to kill it the subsequent morning. Actually, I not often kill roosted turkeys. Most different hunters have advised me the identical.
Fable 8: Heat late-winter climate drastically hastens the breeding cycle.
An unseasonably heat late-winter or early spring would possibly get turkeys to gobble and strut just a little extra, however that doesn’t imply breeding will happen any sooner (measurably talking). The wild turkey breeding cycle is pushed by photoperiod (daylight size), and that doesn’t change a lot 12 months to 12 months.
Fable 9: Calling closely will maintain turkeys on their roost limbs.
Some say that steady calling to a roosted gobbler will maintain it on the limb later into the morning. That isn’t true. If that turkey refuses to fly down, it’s as a result of it’s seen or heard one thing it didn’t like. Even when it’s gobbling, it would keep in mind one thing from earlier.
Fable 10: Name-shy turkeys give up responding to calling.
It’s lengthy been believed that calling an excessive amount of may end up in call-shy turkeys. That stated, hushed turkeys are actually attributed to gobbler elimination, elevated looking stress, and elevated predator populations. It’s not as a consequence of elevated calling by turkey hunters. Ever heard an enormous spring turkey flock? They actually make a ruckus.

Fable 11: Hens can’t gobble or strut.
Suppose that hen turkey can’t gobble or strut? Suppose once more. Nonetheless don’t imagine me? Watch it occur on this video. Whereas very uncommon, it’s believed to be a present of dominance towards different hens.
Fable 12: Gobblers don’t yelp.
Gobblers don’t simply gobble. They make different vocalizations, too. Considered one of these is the tom yelp. This three-noted yelp-yelp-yelp has the identical basic construction as a hen yelp, however it’s a lot deeper, raspier, at a slower tempo.
Fable 13: Turkey poop all the time appears the identical.
A lot of the time, male turkey excrement is J-shaped. In distinction, hen poop is normally spiral- or popcorn-shaped. These truths aren’t 100% correct, although. Weight-reduction plan, well being, and different elements can affect the looks of untamed turkey poops, altering stated waste from the standard anticipated kinds listed above.
Fable 14: That brief, damaged beard is a case of beard rot.
Some grownup turkeys is perhaps 2-plus years previous with a full fan and a partial or no beard to point out for it. Moreover, these are nearly all the time discolored, typically reaching a blondish coloration. The frequent fable attributes this to a situation referred to as “beard rot.” Nonetheless, it’s actually only a melanin deficiency.
Fable 15: Turkeys gained’t ever cross a fence.
Each turkey hunter and their brother has stated a turkey gained’t cross a fence. And whereas fences may cause turkeys to hold up, I believe it’s much less concerning the fence and extra about them probably not desirous to be on the opposite aspect of it. Give it some thought. If a turkey is already on the opposite aspect of the fence, it probably has the explanation why it prefers to be on the opposite aspect. Moreover, most properties I hunt have an abundance of fencing. One is totally woven wire, and daily, turkeys come out of the woods, fly as much as the fence posts, and hop right down to the opposite aspect earlier than waddling down the hill towards the cow pasture I arrange in. Why? As a result of they already wish to be there.
Fable 16: Turkeys gained’t ever cross water.
I’ve seen gobblers cling up at streams, creeks, and rivers. I’ve watched them fly those self same waterways. Likewise, wild turkeys aren’t swimmers, however they will swim. See it for your self proper right here. With out query, turkeys do cross, and even typically swim, throughout water.
Fable 17: Your calling should sound excellent.
No, your turkey calling doesn’t must sound excellent. It doesn’t must be turkey-calling-championship worthy. Actually, even wild turkey hens don’t all the time have the very best voices. Simply take heed to wild birds. A few of them sound like a 5-year-old screeching toys on a tile ground. All that stated, the cadence of a wild turkey’s name is vital, so hunters ought to give attention to getting this proper.
Learn Subsequent: Turkey Calling Ideas
Fable 18: You possibly can’t name a turkey down a hill.
It’s true — I’ve had higher luck calling turkeys uphill than downhill. However I’ve referred to as turkeys downhill, too. Give it some thought — turkeys should stroll down hills in some unspecified time in the future, or they’d by no means go away the hilltops. Normally, when a gobbler gained’t come down the hill, it’s as a result of he’s in a “strut zone” and expects the hen to come back as much as him.
Fable 19: Henned-up longbeards can’t be coaxed into vary.
Henned-up gobblers have already got the actual deal. That doesn’t imply they gained’t go away it to search out one thing new, although. Whereas the chances aren’t all the time nice, if you happen to play these playing cards proper, you simply would possibly pull a longbeard off an actual hen. When you can’t pull that gobbler away, attempt calling to the hen as a substitute.

Fable 20: You possibly can’t name again a spooked turkey.
Simply because a turkey is spooked doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t name it again into vary. Typically, you’ll be able to name a chicken proper again after killing the gobbler it was operating with. Or, if the turkey is de facto spooked, give it an hour or two, circle round from one other course, and go at that turkey once more. You would possibly have the ability to name it in.
Fable 21: Jakes efficiently breed.
Suppose a jake makes an excellent daddy? Guess once more. The overwhelming majority of jakes can not efficiently breed. Whereas they will conduct the ritual, most do not need viable sperm counts.
Fable 22: Beard measurement is indicative of age.
A whole lot of turkey hunters give attention to the beard, particularly newer turkey hunters. However the beard isn’t the very best indication of age. Trying on the spurs is a greater method to estimate the age of a gobbler. Usually, rounded off spurs belong to jakes, 4/8- to 7/8-inch spurs are on 2-year-old turkeys, 1- to 1 3/8-inch spurs belong to 3-year-old turkeys, and 1 4/8-inch and higher spurs are discovered on 4-plus-year-old gobblers. However this isn’t all the time the case, both.
Fable 23: You possibly can’t bag a chicken past 40 yards.
Many aged-timers will inform you to not shoot at a turkey past 40 yards, and that it’s unethical to take action. Whereas this was and nonetheless is sweet recommendation if you happen to’re looking with older gear, trendy turkey shotguns, turkey masses, choke tubes, and crimson dot sights have made it potential to make pictures past 40 and nonetheless be deadly and moral. The secret’s to sample your shotgun and discover your individual most efficient vary. Bear in mind, an excellent turkey killing sample is 100 pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle.