Turkey behavior.

[b0bbyg]

I have very little experience but did get a hen yesterday, and based on how it all happened I have more questions than answers.
I'll give you the story and details and hope some of you with more experience can tell me if this is normal or not.

I got my turkey on a lucky spot and stalk. We happened to see some (7-8) cross the road we were on and I circled around in front of them. They spooked off 40-50 yards so I backed out and circled around in front of them again and they filed across at around 20 yards. They all seemed similar in size so I picked the one looking at me with its neck extended. It was a short hunt 15-20 minutes total. I was fairly quiet but was making some noise as everything is very dry and crunchy.

I have heard turkeys in this general area in the past but rarely could get close enough to see them. The few times in the past I did see turkeys they would run or at least put some distance between us. Not sure why they did not yesterday? I was not in camo since we saw them before I was to the area I intended to hunt. I was standing in a fairly open area and after the shot they did not go farther than 30-40 yards. Could have shot a few more times if I had of missed the first time.
Even after retrieving the one I shot and carrying it out the others did not spook just kind of filed off in front of me at 30-35 yards.

anyways a lot of typing just to start a thread about what is normal when you stumble into a flock of turkeys.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Maybe they were grouse?

[WaltAlpine]

My first turkey hunt was similar. Fall hunt. My partner shot, they all fluttered in the air and stopped and looked at me. I shot and they all fluttered, and slowly walked off. We could have shot til we were out of shells.

[Gobble Doc]

Sounds familiar.  I was trying a bow for the first time this weekend a long with my son.  He got off shots but missed.  I think the turkeys are pretty safe as long as we are flinging arrows at this point.  It seemed like a much bigger challenge compared to a shot gun.  I'm hanging up the shotgun and going to concentrate with getting my next one with a bow. 

[b0bbyg]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like that may just be how they are. Just seemed weird that they did not spook very easy.

I might have to try the bow next time, They sure hung around long enough to give me plently of chances.

[b0bbyg]

Maybe they were grouse?

Too funny.  I am still trying to get my first grouse. Darn things always blast out from under me when I least expect it. And usually when hunting with a bow.

[WaltAlpine]

You can expect them to act very differently in the spring.