The gobbling gobbler

By Aaron Horrell

Missouri spring firearms turkey season ends May 6. The best way to locate a wild tom turkey in the spring woods is to listen for him to gobble. Missouri's wild turkey hens normally make their nests and lay their eggs during April and early May.

Wild turkey males are called toms and they always roost in trees at night. Wild turkey females are called hens and they roost in trees, but they nest on the ground. When they are nesting and when their chicks are too young to fly, they spend nights on the ground.

During springtime breeding season, toms will often gobble on the roost before and during sunrise. One of nature's finer audio offerings is to be in the dark woods at daylight when the sudden gobble of a tom booms from a nearby tree. I have heard this loud mating call many times and whether I am hunting or not, the gobble of a wild turkey always pleases.

I took this photo on April 11 at exactly the time this tom was gobbling. It shows how the gobbler extends its head and neck forward when it gobbles. You can also see the very red wattle which is just beneath the bird's beak. The wattle is integral to the sound of the gobbler's call. Farther down the neck the red lumps are called "caruncles." Hens do not have the red caruncles. Turkeys have very good vision and these red caruncles help the hen positively identify her male counterpart. Springtime turkey hunters are advised not to shoot before positive identity of the wild tom by seeing the caruncles as well as the beard (hairs protruding from the animal's chest).

The gobbler shown here is probably 2 years old, gauged by the length and relative leanness of the beard. This beard would probably measure about 6 inches long. Older gobblers will have a much fuller beard that may be 12 inches long. Do you know what the protrusion between the gobbler's eye and beak is called?