The Pecking Order

Something more about the brood turkey flock described in yesterday's blog post. 

On Labor Day the girls and I fetched the SD cards from the five trail cameras.  I uploaded the contents yesterday.  The three photos that follow are a sampling of multiple images captured by the DNR Snapshot Wisconsin camera over the space of three days - August 24th, 25th and 26th.

These pictures are exceptional on several levels including:

• They are nicely composed - I cropped them a bit and resized for storage
• They are evidence that brood flocks frequent the same territory
• It is a healthy flock - this one is composed of two adult hens and fourteen poults
• Turkey hens make for excellent mothers
• The first photo (August 24th) documented a unique behavior - a strutting hen 

For a closer look simple click on the image.

August 24


I witnessed this live while turkey hunting a couple of decades ago and couldn't believe I was observing a hen strut her stuff like a gobbler. The photo above is the first time I've captured imagery of it.  An inquiry of Wisconsin's National Wild Turkey Federation biologist led to a question -   was I hunting over hen decoys?  Responding affirmatively - he further explained that the matriarchal hen - or boss hen - of a flock struts like this to assert her dominance over adult hens in the group.  In my hunting experience those unfamiliar fake foam decoys were being schooled as to their place in the flock hierarchy.

In the turkey kingdom the wise old hen often calls the shots for the entire flock.

She sets the pecking order...


 

August 25

 

August 26