Mojotex

I ahve been chasing turkeys for decades, but never too old to learn. Observation - turkeys are avoiding our lushest food plots. Buddies are scratcning their heads ... I think I know.

My opinion is that the wheat/oats/rye planted last fall being thick and knee high +/- is keeping them out because they are wary of not being able to see predators.

Plenty of great clover in these fields, but no turkey sign at all. These are fields that have been bastions of turkey use in the past few years, but never even close to this lush.

The fields that have decent sized areas eaten "down" to around 4" - 6" are being heavily used the turkey. Am I even close to being correct?

jmedenf

I think you are correct. They like "some" cover, but not so much that can harbor predators. It doesn't matter if the food is plentiful, if the other environmental factors aren't right, they will avoid that area. If you want the turkeys to continue to use that area, you would probably have to mow some travel routes through it.

doetrain

Makes sense to me,they seem to like having a clear field of vission when woking the hens.

EFH

Knee high sounds just high enough to hold a lot of bugs for turkeys and be good food itself. I've taken turkeys in fields when you could barely see their backs when eating. If it's real thick though it might turn them against it I agree. I think this warm weather and new buds in the woods has them were they're maybe not as dependent on our plots for a food source like a normal cool spring.