You need to read turkey body language if you want to master the woods this spring, and we're here to help you do just that.
Turkey hunters spend a lot of time listening for gobbles, yelps and cutts, and for good reason. But if you really want to understand what a bird is telling you, pay attention to his body language.
Posture, head color, wing movement and even snood length can reveal whether a gobbler is relaxed, fired up, dominant, nervous or about to leave.
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Read His Posture First
Start with posture. A strutting tom is obviously interested in something, whether that is a real hen, your decoy or your calling.
A relaxed pose, with the head up and the body more or less parallel to the ground, can suggest either interest or indifference.
On the other hand, a turkey standing with its head, neck and body erect is usually on alert. That posture strongly suggests alarm. A little soft calling could still turn the tide, but if the bird is in range, that might be the time to pull the trigger.
Watch for the Small Tells
Sometimes the signs are not so obvious, but they are there if you pay attention.
You have called a bird close and want him a little closer, but he hangs up. Watch for a subtle flick of the wing. That is often a sure sign the bird is about to leave.
The same can be true when a turkey stretches its head, wings or legs. Those movements may look minor, but they can tell you the mood is changing fast.
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What Head Color Means
Head color is another important part of turkey body language. When relaxed, a tom’s head shows pale red, white and blue. When he gets excited, those colors become much more vibrant.
That excitement might be an amorous display aimed at a nearby hen, or it could be a sign of dominance over other males.
Meanwhile, the heads of subordinate birds will usually look paler. If your goal is the boss tom, pay attention to the bird with the brightest head.
If that head turns red, put the bird to bed.
Put the Turkey Body Language Pieces Together
The real advantage comes when you combine posture and color.
A tom in full strut, with his tail erect and head brightly colored, is clearly feeling his oats. If your calling only makes him stiffer and brighter, that is a good sign, and a little more excited calling might pull him closer.
If the colors start to fade or he relaxes even a little, you may want to back off.
You should also read the body language of any other toms in the area. Another bright-headed strutter could be a direct challenge to the boss, and more calling could create more competition.
If the other birds are only in half-strut, they are less confident, but they may still be interested. With the boss focused on his harem, those lesser toms may be more inclined to slip away from the flock and drift toward your setup.
Don’t Ignore the Snood
Another subtle signal is the snood, that dangly protuberance hanging over a tom’s beak.
The longer the snood, the more excited or confident the bird is. If the snood is retracted or shortened, the bird may be frightened or intimidated. It is one more clue that helps tell you whether a gobbler is ready to commit or ready to bail.
Hens Tell a Story, Too
The body language of hens can also reveal a lot about the mood of a flock.
Most of the time they are busy feeding, but there is often at least one hen standing taller and watching for danger. That is normal and not something hunters should panic over.
But hens also show the same warning signs as toms. Wing flicks, stretching and periscoping head movements can all signal alarm, and when that happens, the jig is usually up.
On the flip side, when a hen squats, she is signaling that she is ready to be bred. That can be a very good sign, and one hunters can sometimes use to their advantage with decoy placement. A strutting tom standing near a squatting hen is throwing down the gauntlet to rival males.
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When a Gobbler Hangs Up
When Old Tom throws caution to the wind and charges your decoy, the game is usually over.
But if he eases your way, then turns just out of range, all is not lost.
A tom’s dance of love is a beautiful thing to watch as he sashays back and forth, turning his body for all to see. It is also hard-wired into him to march like a sentry on a picket line. He may take his time, he may turn away, or he may stall and strut and make you sweat.
That doesn’t mean the hunt is over.
It may take minutes, and it may take hours, but as long as he shows no sign of alarm, there is still hope he will finally commit. Stay patient. Stay quiet. If you have decoys out, let them do their job.
One Last Thing to Watch
There is one final bit of turkey body language worth reading, and it comes after the shot.
You have rolled a bird and he is lying in a heap. The back-slaps start, and the high-fives follow. You ease toward your prize, empty gun leaning against a tree.
But hold up.
Is his head still up? Did that black eye just blink? You might want to go get your gun before you take another step.