# Color of Gobblers heads



## fredb6262 (Apr 6, 2011)

Does anyone know what the color of the tom's head mean? Or is it signifcant at all? I had two toms out in the field with really bright red heads. Neither were strutting or making any noise. Any thoughts? Red heads versus white?


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## turky93 (Apr 6, 2011)

They change color throughout the day. I believe its mood dependant.


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## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 6, 2011)

I have always been told that his head turns white when he is "excited".


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## Covehnter (Apr 6, 2011)

I just know.... That if you call in a bird that's on his way, big white/ blue head bobbing - and he pops that head up, its turns red immediately and that snood stands up. You better make a move to put some pellets in his head quick because he don't like something.....


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## Killdee (Apr 6, 2011)

Yeah what covehunter said about an approaching tom. White/ blue sexually excited with his snood extended. Red when he is unstimulated or feeding with the snood short.


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## trkyburns (Apr 6, 2011)

I like them best when they are red... stained with blood


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## head buster (Apr 6, 2011)

trkyburns said:


> I like them best when they are red...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



X2


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## ts602 (Apr 6, 2011)

I like them red and in the bed.....of the truck


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## billy673 (Apr 6, 2011)

Red , White & Blue !!


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## Tombuster (Apr 6, 2011)

I prefer red with a jelly appearance.......


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## blong (Apr 7, 2011)

I have noticed the same about the white, it is when he is ready for love. Red is when they get ticked off. Our toms loose color kinda like a hen when they get spooked.


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## cano (Apr 7, 2011)

i have always heard when a bird gobbles he releases the blood from his head.. so if you see one with a bright red head he probably hasn't gobbled in a while


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## Trizey (Apr 7, 2011)

cano said:


> i have always heard when a bird gobbles he releases the blood from his head.. so if you see one with a bright red head he probably hasn't gobbled in a while



How and where would it be released???


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## cano (Apr 7, 2011)

well i suppose it doesn`t leave there head. but when they gobble the blood is drained from the surface so you can`t see it


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## Brad C. (Apr 8, 2011)

I've always thought it was the opposite.  The more they gobble the more red their heads become.  I seen one of the biggest birds I ever saw to this day I believe and it wasn't gobbling.  His head was almost solid white.


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## Brad C. (Apr 8, 2011)

Every gobbler I have seen in the fall when they aren't gobbling near as much had a white head.


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## cano (Apr 8, 2011)

Brad C. said:


> Every gobbler I have seen in the fall when they aren't gobbling near as much had a white head.



yea thats the way pen raised birds are


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## Brad C. (Apr 8, 2011)

Yea my buddy who killed a ton of birds seen some the other day and he said their heads were pretty solid red so that tell him they have been gobbling.


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## BERN (Apr 8, 2011)

There is a great book I am currently reading on wild turkey behavior titled Illumination in the Flatwoods by J. Hutto. His observation is that bright red signals dominance. I am only half way though the book so I haven't read anything about white heads yet. This is a must read if you want to understand why they do what they do...


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## Core Lokt (Apr 8, 2011)

BERN said:


> There is a great book I am currently reading on wild turkey behavior titled Illumination in the Flatwoods by J. Hutto. His observation is that bright red signals dominance. I am only half way though the book so I haven't read anything about white heads yet. This is a must read if you want to understand why they do what they do...




I freind of mine said that is a great book about turkeys. Let us know what your take is on it.

Every bird I've killed has had a white "cap" and blue/red head/neck and had been gobbling/strutting prior to being shot.


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## Brad C. (Apr 8, 2011)

When I say white, I'm talking about not much red.  Every gobbler I have killed in the spring had some red, white, and blue in the head.


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## M Sharpe (Apr 8, 2011)

Brad C. said:


> I've always thought it was the opposite.  The more they gobble the more red their heads become.  I seen one of the biggest birds I ever saw to this day I believe and it wasn't gobbling.  His head was almost solid white.



That's right.


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## Brad C. (Apr 8, 2011)

Well according to this it's the actual strutting that causes the blood to rush to the head and make it more red in color.  But one can only assume that a bird that is doing a lot of strutting would have to be doing some gobbling as well.  

http://www.radford.edu/~jfuller/wildturkey.htm


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## chadf (Apr 8, 2011)

I've witnessed more than once a gobblers head change color.
From solid Red to white. Also from solid white to bright red....
No gobbles or strutting on one bird.......came in silent ! He was frozen in head up alert position when it happened. The next few steps, he died! Head was bright red then, before the shot! Very bright, wet red after!!!!

I don't know the real reason.... Would love to know!


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## Bama4me (Apr 9, 2011)

Brad... you're funny. I've seen several subordinant toms which had wings worn down but never said much at all throughout a whole season on a few leases where I hunted.  Regarding the original topic, as long as white is the color, he is completely fooled into thinking that everything is cosher.


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## Nitro (Apr 9, 2011)

I killed a Merriams in WA a few years back who gobbled a bunch. His head was totally white. 

One thing for sure, when it comes to Gobblers, the rules are written in pencil..

Just kill him.


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