Why the lack of gobbling during wet weather???

[Skychief]

Greetings all.

It's a known fact that toms tend to be less vocal during wet weather. I'll not dispute that one bit.

My question is do any of you know why, from a biological aspect, why this is the case?

I don't remember reading or being told a sound scientific reason for this.

Turkeys still breed in rainy weather and we understand that gobbling ups the chances of breeding taking place, yet toms get mum when their heads are dampened.

It's hard for me to swallow that they simply get depressed by such conditions and don't feel like "singing" as much. Though I do realize and have attested to what moody creatures they are.

No, I think there must be more to it. Something biological that I have missed to this point.

Any thoughts?

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[andy52]

Who wants to have sex in the cold pouring rain...

 

[Old Hawkeye]

The rain lessens their ability to detect danger, so they tend to draw less attention to their location by being less vocal. Just a wild ass theory and I can't even remember where I heard it. However, if you say it with conviction, people will believe it.

 

[Brokennock]

The rain lessens their ability to detect danger, so they tend to draw less attention to their location by being less vocal. Just a wild ass theory and I can't even remember where I heard it. However, if you say it with conviction, people will believe it.

That would make some sense at least.
I also notice they get out of wet brush and woods soon after coming off the roost in rainy weather. Seems they would rather get rained on directly than be rubbing against wet brush. Maybe your theory applies here...

 

[DaveT]

From all the "hunting turkey" books I've read, they have all stated that the rain drops hitting everywhere pretty much takes out their ability to hear anything trying to eat them.

So, they head to the fields where they can rely on their superior vision and spot any potential danger.

I suppose if the hen's and gobblers are all in the filed, there's not much reason to gobble to locate a hen.

 

[SDSmlf]

Turkey lore I been told pretty much agrees with the article below, although I personally have only taken a few turkeys in what I would call a misty light drizzle. Heavy steady rain, or lightning and thunder and I am usually out of the turkey woods. How To Hunt Turkeys in the Rain and Wind

 

[Skychief]

Appreciating the replies and you may consider me subscribed.

Interesting theory (the predator avoidance), yet to me, does not explain why toms go mum in wet weather while still on their roost (morning or evening). Also, while in the fields, they could coax any hens from other areas toward them, if they would gobble and still rely on their and their harem's eyesight to detect approaching danger...

Puzzling.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I have also been told that the rain affects their ability to hear, was also told if a rain hunt the edges of open fields for the same reason.

 

[Spikebuck]

I think the whole predation theory and their lack of ability to hear as well also makes sense, even if still on the roost. If wiley coyote hears one gobbling on the roost, he knows that it will fly down and he may move toward the area. I don't know if wild turkeys are keen enough to figure that all out, but perhaps over eons of evolution, those that shut up stayed alive and bred and those that did not didn't breed since it's hard to do from a predator's belly. One thing I definitely noticed, on the lease I was on that had good turkey populations, was that when coyote populations were relatively high, there was almost NO gobbling once they came off the roost, and even minimal on the roost. During my time there we went through two coyote boom cycles and the turkeys went silent those years. So overall, predation avoidance seems logical. After all, how many "things" does a turkey, or most other prey, really think about? Eat, breed, avoid predators.

Dr Dave Samuel and others did studies on Whitetail movements and wind. They found that once winds reached moderately high levels to make a lot of movement and noise, deer activity dropped dramatically. Their theory was that if they were out moving and visible but had reduced predator detection capabilities they were more vulnerable, so stayed bedded. Their study also showed that in VERY high winds, the deer got so nervous they actually got up and moved more.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I've noticed during the rain and over-cast days that a lot of different birds mill around and loaf on the ground. I think that the rain makes them kind of lazy and that they don't worry as much about predators because of the lack of shadows and light mute their outlines and the rain mutes smell. Think about how relaxing the rain is for people. I believe that sense of relaxation comes from a general ease that predators are loafing as well. When I have hunted in the rain, I have not seen or heard much at all. As the predator myself, I kind of don't really feel much like hunting when I don't get a lot of action. I think the rain is like a break for everyone to snuggle up and take a nap. But when the skys clear and the sun peaks out, the action is hotter than ever.

 

[Skychief]

Appreciate your interesting observations Spikebuck. Are you turkey hunting tomorrow? Read on another thread that part of MN's season is opening.

Best regards, Skychief.