Lone gobblers

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Harold Money jr

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This may have been covered before but, why do you see single lone gobblers off feeding by themselves even when there's action happening all around them? Also, how about the ones strutting for hours in an open field while groups of hens come and go? I figure the reasons are too many to say. I've often wondered if they're injured somehow and just don't want to fight the "pecking order".
 
No biologist. But they still have to feed and survive. Also the hens are suppose to go to the long beards or males. That's how nature is suppose to work so if they are strutting by themselves they are trying to get hens to them. Of course there's pecking order and injuries.
 
some common reasons.

gobblers that show no interest are prob down the hierarchy for breeding especially if other toms are around. Turkey pecking order is very specific on mating males vs sub dominate ones.

Also just because you see hens doesnt mean they are breedable hens. there will be lots of jennies out walking around that toms know are not breeding ones so they pay them no attention.
 
Harold Money jr said:
This may have been covered before but, why do you see single lone gobblers off feeding by themselves even when there's action happening all around them? Also, how about the ones strutting for hours in an open field while groups of hens come and go? I figure the reasons are too many to say. I've often wondered if they're injured somehow and just don't want to fight the "pecking order".
Click to expand...
What time of the year you talking about? Right now, lone gobblers in TN (when they should be in bachelor groups for safety) means there basically aren't any birds in the area. Lone gobblers during actual breeding season are common for a bazillion reasons.
 
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one reason of many maybe
I firmly believe that older gobblers that have learned the hard way they cannot handle a group of unruly jakes may well peel away and not only be loners but also will gobble less, follow very predictable routines based on food and nesting hen areas, they are smart but can be called if you are patient, quiet and not call greedy. These gobblers are what I end up hunting late season
 
I saw a group of about 25 birds a few days ago. The group had 3-4 strutters and mostly hens. I then noticed another gobbler with a paint brush beard just walking and feeding 200 yards away from the group seemingly oblivious to the group, he was going his own way. There was about 40 more across the road, hens and gobblers, he was off on his own.
I see a bird or two doing the same at all times of the spring and it always makes me wonder.
 
Last edited:
Harold Money jr said:
I saw a group of about 25 birds a few days ago. The group had 3-4 strutters and mostly hens. I then noticed another gobbler with a paint brush beard just walking and feeding 200 yards away from the group seemingly oblivious to the group, he was going his own way. There was about 40 more across the road, hens and gobblers, he was off on his own.
I see a bird or two doing the same at all times of the spring and it always makes me wonder.
Click to expand...
Those are satellite gobblers that have been overthrown or beaten out for dominance within the flock. Sometimes they are 2-yr olds that are pushed out of the flock by the older bird(s). Sometimes they are old, mature gobblers that have been push out by a group of younger, more aggressive males.

This dynamic is why strutter decoys work. When you see a video of a gobbler (or gobblers) leaving a group of hens to charge across a field to confront a strutter decoy, this is what is at play. The strutter dek mimics a satellite gobbler infringing on the dominant gobbler's area. Now imagine they are real turkeys and not decoys. Every time the satellite gobbler gets too close or struts around the flock, the dominant gobbler(s) run over and whip his ass. So you end up with a gobbler hanging in the fringes away from the flock, hoping to peel off or intercept a hen, or waiting to challenge for dominance if the opportunity arises.
 

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