Tuesday, April 18, 2017

LT

Every year about this time, we get one hen turkey who didn't join in the breeding festivities.  We have no way of knowing if it's the same turkey or a different turkey every year.  Since there really isn't much of a chance of distinguishing one turkey from the next, we simply call any hen we see by itself LT.  (Lone Turkey.)

Natural imperative being what it is, the big tom turkey - we call him Hans - doesn't recognize that she isn't interested.  All he knows is he didn't breed with her yet.  So, she'll be standing there eating corn and up he'll come on the trails through the woods.  He gobbles at her.  She ignores him.  He pumps himself up.  She ignores him.

Eventually either he gives up and goes away, or she gets sick of his antics and leaves.  Somewhere down the road, he learns his lesson and gives up entirely, leaving her to eat in peace for the remainder of the season.  Or until the hens currently absent because they're sitting nests return to the corn.  Then she has friends again.

Or she doesn't.  It's just as likely for her to eschew the companionship of the other hens, too.  She's her own bird, after all.

Personally, I like her.  Out there in the woods, doing her own thing.  Kinda like me*.  LOL

*Except I have my tom, and we both do our own thing.

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