Wild Turkeys

[pop pop]

Yesterday afternoon a lone turkey hen showed up at my bird feeder. This morning 9 hens showed up. One of them is a white hen with a little feather etching in black. She was here last year, but all the other turkeys were fighting her and she was solid white.  I'm guessing because she is off color with no cammo effect.  Even the 3 resident deer does were chasing her in our woods. 

There was also a bearded hen with them last year. She is back also, and has a double beard, about 5" long, this year. Both her and the white turkey are much larger. The males are not here yet, but if they do as they did last year, the males  will be following soon. I had 5 big toms and 5 jakes last year. Be interesting to see how many males they are this year.

In years past we have had 2 large groups of hens, 30 in one group, and as many as 40 hens in the other one, with each group having different species of Toms shadowing  them. One species was the blue heads and the other is a much larger red faced male. Last year we only had 15 hens and the males. I guess predator's have taken a large toll on their numbers in our area. Also a local farmer is not raising the same crops as he did in years past. I always have another neighbor come and hunt the males, and I suppose he will be calling me soon. I don't know exactly when turkey season opens, but after they show up I know it will be soon. Don't know if they will have the big turkey expo in Nashville this year as the canceled it last year because of Coved. I may go and attend one day of the 3 days event, if they have it this year. 

Cool and wet here this morning and I guess I will stay in today. We have had 1 and 3/4 " of rain in the last 24 hours. About 38 this morning . 

[RED333]

Come on Pop Pop, we wanna see some pictures! On when season starts it looks like April 3 I believe.

[pop pop]

Sorry. Don't do pictures. 

[Thadern38]

On 3/19/2021 at 9:45 PM, pop pop said:

Sorry. Don't do pictures. 

without a photo in 2021 :))