Understanding Wild Turkeys – Reading Signals in Wild Turkey Body Language

A turkey hunting mentor once said that always and never only apply to turkey behavior in two ways—they roost in trees and nest on the ground. Sounds about right! With their position in the food chain, wild turkeys haven’t survived for millennia being careless and predictable. What makes turkey hunting fun and downright addictive is there are few hard and fast rules about wild turkey behavior. One aspect that fuels our passion as turkey hunters, is the challenge to “read” what a turkey may be communicating with its body language, be its mood, status, intent, or a combination thereof. In my humble opinion, success in turkey hunting can be attributed, in large part, to dedicated scouting, calling, woodsmanship, and shooting skills. However, I believe consistently successful hunters—season after season— possess impressive observational skills and a keen eye for detail.