This is why we call em smart!

[bucont]

I am hunting about 100 acres, with hardwoods, pines and two meadows, (one large and one small). There are two large groups of pines that separate the two meadows and the birds take to these every night. This morning I jumped into the smaller meadow, set the blind up and got ready. About 7 AM a doe shows up at 100 yrd (range finder), and while I am ranging her a snort from a buck 63 yrds out to the south in plain sight.
I watched for a half hour or so as they made their way through. Another hour passes with nothing much happening, about 8:30 by now. All the gobbling had stopped and I had not seen anything but deer and I have work to get done at home so I pack up.
The trail the leads back to the truck forks off, one to the truck and one to the large meadow. I reach the fork and head to the other meadow for a look. I creep into the meadow and sure enough there are all my play mates, the 4 hens and the two toms. I crawl 10 yards out to the crest of the hill and plant the decoy and then back into the pines I go. Can't get the blind set up I'll get busted, so I take a seat.
Out comes the slate, four yelps and couple clucks and hardly got the call down and the gun picked up and in come the four hens on the run. Two right on top of the decoys at ten yard and the other two at 25. Now looking over the field the two toms have disappeared.
A couple of clucks with the mouth call and up come the heads at about 75 yards. 15 minutes pass with no sighting so a couple more clucks and again up comes the heads at 75 yards but they moved to the east by about 30 yards.
This goes on for about another 3/4 of an hour of back and forth and I need a position change. Well with four hens well with in range I got busted. They did not run or fly they all just walked away. What a great morning!

[hockeyfodder]

I hate it when a bird with a brain the size of a pea outsmarts me.
I wish they hadn't told us how small the Turkey's brain is in the Seminar...it makes me feel dumb...

[mikej]

sounds like an exciting hunt, hope you have better luck next time

[Grizzly Adam]

I hate it when a bird with a brain the size of a pea outsmarts me. I wish they hadn't told us how small the Turkey's brain is in the Seminar...it makes me feel dumb...

Easy on yourself, 'Hockey!

They ain't smart, brother ... it's all instinct ... all instinct.

Too true that by instinct they often survive our attempts to kill them.

Think on it, though ... anything that will hump a decoy can't rightly be called smart.

If some foe put a scantily clad female mannequin in your front yard, then hid in the bushes and said "Come and get me, big boy!", you wouldn't go out and attempt to mate with the dummy, would you?

We assume you would not ... because, like most humans, you are to some degree smart ... meaning that you reason. Turkeys, on the other hand, are not smart. They do not reason.

They're hard-wired ... to flee any hint of danger, among other things.

Their instinct often gets the better of us, and that instinct is almost entirely unpredictable ... but we are indeed smarter than them.

[bucont]

I hate it when a bird with a brain the size of a pea outsmarts me. I wish they hadn't told us how small the Turkey's brain is in the Seminar...it makes me feel dumb...

Easy on yourself, 'Hockey!

They ain't smart, brother ... it's all instinct ... all instinct.

Too true that by instinct they often survive our attempts to kill them.

Think on it, though ... anything that will hump a decoy can't rightly be called smart.

If some foe put a scantily clad female mannequin in your front yard, then hid in the bushes and said "Come and get me, big boy!", you wouldn't go out and attempt to mate with the dummy, would you?

We assume you would not ... because, like most humans, you are to some degree smart ... meaning that you reason. Turkeys, on the other hand, are not smart. They do not reason.

They're hard-wired ... to flee any hint of danger, among other things.

Their instinct often gets the better of us, and that instinct is almost entirely unpredictable ... but we are indeed smarter than them.

So true Grizz, it's all instinct, one of the deer would have been roasts and steaks by now if it had been muzzy or shotgun season. And that aint smart at all.

Second hunt on this property and two close calls, their luck should soon run out.

All the birds went northwest this morning. There was a northwest wind blowing here this morning.

[Sandman]

That's an awesome morning ..

[pdislow]

stay at it and you will get one sooner or later, but you will never get one sitting on the couch.

[saxman]

Grizz said
Think on it, though ... anything that will hump a decoy can't rightly be called smart.


I resemble that remark

[Cossack]

"anything that will hump a decoy can't rightly be called smart."

I hear tell some folks have blow-up, rubber 'girlfriends.'
No doubt to sit next to them while they are driving in the multiple person lane

[mikej]

Grizz said
Think on it, though ... anything that will hump a decoy can't rightly be called smart.


I resemble that remark

[lscha]

Good one Griz!!! There's alot of smart fellas out there.

[LeGrand]

[quote="Cossack"]"'
No doubt to sit next to them while they are driving in the multiple person lane [/quote]

Do they even bother dressing them for the ride downtown.