Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Spring Gobblers

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — With dawn’s first golden light a pair of wild turkeys greets the day.

This duo of Rio Grande gobblers is searching for a flock of hens to impress, as it is spring mating season in the ranch country of deep South Texas.

As the day brightens, the resplendent toms locate their love interest and fan out gaudy tail feathers in an attempt to woo hens.

With 5,000 to 6,000 iridescent feathers on display, the amorous gobblers present a magnificent sight.

However, the hens appear unimpressed by the strutting gobblers and continue to busily peck for seeds and insects.

Sustenance is scarce this March in drought-stricken southernmost Texas, and despite best efforts, the toms are unable to attract any hen’s attention.

As this pair of gobblers emerges from the thorny chaparral, perhaps they will fare better and find willing hens to court in the arid brush country.

Rio Grande gobblers wear their emotions on their head, and when they are aroused and ready to breed or fight the snood or fleshy appendage draping over their beak turns bright red.

As an added attraction, the wattle hanging from their neck becomes engorged with blood and turns bright red during courtship and to intimidate other males.

But that’s not all, as their caruncles or warty protuberances around the head and neck glow bright red while those on the face color a brilliant aquamarine blue.

And then there is that amazing beard that dangles from their breast, which is a clump of slender fibrous feathers.

Now, when you put all that together, from feathers to snood, wattle, and beard it does make for a mighty impressive display.

This young tom is just developing his snood…but what he lacks in snood he makes up for in gobble.

Now, if we can just get some rain maybe those hens will take a break from foraging and pay a little attention to those love struck gobblers.