STRETCH 'N' FLAP

[drabndouble]

 Most likely we have all seen a turkey stretch out , stand on its toes and flap a time or two . I've seen young birds do it as well as old birds , both sexes .
 
 What is the REASON turkeys do this ?

[longbeardfever4ever]

Im curious as well. Seen it on quite a few different videos... Maybe just a wake up thing? Mostly seen it right after they fly down on the videos? got me curious!

[letinmfly]

I'm thinking that not unlike us they just feel the need to strecth every once in a while.  IMO

[B-Ready]

I call it "Fluffing" ...... I don't know why they do it ..... but it's pretty cool!

[Porter]

I always figured they were stretching, but now you got me thinking.. 

I've seen them do it off roost, during the day, etc...

[drabndouble]

I some how noticed birds doing it several years back . Now I try to pay attention to everything they do , in season and out . Last winter I was watching a gobbler flock . If memory serves me , there were at least a dozen . They had just entered a picked bean field . There were gobblers of several age in the group.  As I kept the big glasses on them one of the jakes sporting a 4-5 inch beard did the stretch n flap . Before he could fold his wings all the younger birds did the exact thing . Of course the few big old gobblers just watched , and then one took out after a certain jake for a short sprint .
 
 I ain't sure either .

Last spring I called up this gobbling hen ,,,,,,,,,,,,,that was one weird event,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,as soon as she reached ground where she could see the spot where my calls came from , she did the stretch n flap ,,,,,,,,,then we got into the awfullest fight you ever heard . Right in the middle of the fight she gobbled ,,,,,yet it didn't sound right , and she was behind some cedars and vines and I didn't actually see her do it. I actually thought a tom had followed her up the hill and was behind me ,,,,wrong. One week later , and at the same location she came in cluckin'. I remained still and quiet as she got up on a log at about  10 yards and double gobbled . I nearly spit my mouthcall out . I know I got off the stretch n flap a bit , but she was no doubt the BIG SHOT in the area when it came to hens . Her yelps sounded like a 1 1/2 yr jake .

 I don't know now if what we are talking about should be called the STRETCH N FLAP or some thing else . But we each know what we are discussing . I do actually belive it is something they do in relation to pecking order or dominance . Now when I see one YAWNIN' ,,,,,,,,,,I might change my opinion .

[turkey stew]

I'm thinking that not unlike us they just feel the need to strecth every once in a while.  IMO

 

[drabndouble]

Well , I see I'm outnumbered on this one . That's alright, it ain't the first time I been outnumbered or wrong about turkeys .

 But , if they are just stretchin' , why would that provoke another turkey to run at the stretching , in that ''I'll kick yur butt'' posture ? I know turkeys are a lot different than most , if not all species, but I ain't seen a hairy mammal or another species of bird , except for chickens , chase one of their own kind for stretchin' .

 No arguement is sought here ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,just beats the heck out of TV , or shovelin' snow .

[Bulldogmikey]

I just think it looks cool! Kinda like the hair stand up on the neck of a deer when he senses trouble!

Mike

[Gobbleking57]

If this occurs while you are set up on a bird hunting then get ready because you have been made.....I have seen gobblers/hens do this as if checking to make sure those wings are working right before they make their move......

[drabndouble]

 Now I have seen them REPOSITION their wings , as they stretched their necks ,,,,,clearly having seen something they didn't like . But I've never seen one stretch n flap that was showing any sign of suspicion .

 An old gobbler came in one morning right as the sun showed over the horizon . I knew he was out there but couldn't see him . Then I heard the spit n drum. I rolled my eyes to the right and there he stood in full strut . About that time , for some unknown reason , my breathing rate increased . The fog was rollin' out through my facenet , with me being directly between the tom and the sunrise . He folded quickly and then as he stretched his neck for a better look , he repositioned his wings . He didn't lift them more than a couple inches . I managed to make three soft yelps on a mouthcall without opening my mouth . He went right into a full strut again and came on over to within 10 steps . He then got a good look at my double , and took a ride in the truck .

 I believe there's more to the stretch n flap than just a stretch of the muscles like a lazy dog .

[Porter]

You know you got me to thinking...  I always figured they were stretching...  (hence the reason I see it more right after the land from roosting), but it could be more than that.  Kind of like beating their chest saying they are the king of the jungle... 

You talked about a gobbling hen... I've seen that on TV once.  It was the weirdest thing ever.  She came in and even fanned out.  I remember them talking about it and how crazy it was..  Just wish I could remember what show it was on!

[Zumer]

I have 22 exotic birds from Macaws down to an english sparrow.....I spend allot of time interacting with the birds...

     I have noticed a few things about wing movement...My Greenwing macaw is the Boss in the household. When he makes his presense known, it gets very quiet. If he stretches his wings over or around another bird, it's about protection.... Just like the hen does with her peeps.

   He will flap his wings at different time to convey different emotions such as frustration, anger, excitment, or just glad to get out of his cage and stretch those beautiful wings....His body language in conjunction with his wing movements will usually tell the tale of what, he's feeling.....

   I Do think, there is more then just stretching involved with the turkeys.... I think, wing movement does play a role in the establishment of the pecking order (body langage) and behavoir of turkeys......JMHO!

   Watch a gobbler sometime, when he comes to a spot, where he thinks, he should be able to see, that hen......If he becomes suspicious, he '' usually " will reposition his wings over his back and make his way out of that area. Watch a dominate gobbler move his wings out away from his body to look bigger to the opposing gobbler.....

    I've had numerous jakes come in during our PA fall season and flap their wings, when I wouldn't continue to answer their calling..... They would get to a spot, where they knew, they had heard another turkey, then can't found them.....Most always, I'd hear the searching cluck or a soft cluck-kee, next.......Frustration or anger??

  Don't mean to sound like an expert, just voicing, what I've experienced and have seen with my flock.

  Zips
   
         

[drabndouble]

 

[drabndouble]

 After one hunts the same public land for enough time , he'll meet some of the other ''CONSISTENT'' hunters . I met a feller one spring , and every time we would happen to bump into one another we would swap info about the area, and the birds . We kept out of each others way by hunting in opposite directions , but parking at the same spot.
 I killed a bird one friday morning , around 10 o'clock. As I sat there by a big old oak , studying my trophy , this feller appeared across the wide open timber . We joined up for some turkey talk. In the course of our conversation he relayed to me how he had been trying to kill this one public gobbler earlier in the season . He said he used every trick in the book trying to fool ol' tom , only to run out of time at noon each day . So , after a few days of non-stop hunting this tom he went somewhere else early in the morning . He then returned to the ol' toms hang out . He slowly picked his steps and gently made his way into the heart of toms domain. Picked out a good set up and got comfortable . He allowed things around him to return to normal for a while . Then he pulled out his wing and did a mock ''STRETCH'N'FLAP''. Minutes later tom come sneaking in ,,,,,LOOKIN',,,,,,never making a sound ,,,,,,,,,,BIG OLD , MATURE GOBBLER .