Spitting and drumming
Contributors to this thread:Turkey
From: buckeye
16-Mar-23
I have two toms that constantly show off. They are a hoot and and a half. My question is, the spitting seems to be like a sneeze, a sharp exhale from the nostrils. But the drumming? How do they make that happen? I've sat and watched them very close and still can't figure it out.
From: Medicinemann
16-Mar-23
I have had hearing loss for the majority of my adult life (since my military days). Uncle Sam just fitted me with Oticon hearing aids, and I can't wait to see if I can hear drumming this season. If I can, it'll practically be the first time in my life.....
From: Bowfreak
16-Mar-23
I always love to hear them drum. I know they are nearly close enough to shoot when I hear it!
From: KY EyeBow
16-Mar-23
Drumming has always been a challenge for me to hear!
From: buckeye
16-Mar-23
It doesn't carry very far. I have to be within 10 or 15 yards to really hear it.
From: Pat Lefemine
16-Mar-23
I’ve never understood the term ‘ Tom’s are spitting’. I experience drumming every season.
From: GhostBird
16-Mar-23
Not sure how they produce the drumming, my hunting buddy can hear it from a much further distance than me. We have always had a disagreement on whether a tom can drum when not strutting. I have only heard drumming from toms that are in strut.
From: tobywon
16-Mar-23
Spitting is the noise just before drumming. You can hear the drumming further out but can hear the spitting when they are close just before drumming. Like spit...spit.....vrummmmm. At least that is my take
From: Orion
16-Mar-23
I've only heard drumming while the toms are strutting
From: HDE
16-Mar-23
Spitting AND drumming is made by the primary feather tips on the wing when they go into a strut. The "spit" is a sudden and fast movement of wing tip as it drags along the ground. The "drumming" is from the wing tips moving rapidly making a vibrating noise much like a hummingbirds's wings.
From: sticksender
16-Mar-23
Best I can tell they make the spitting sound with their lungs via their beak. If you closely watch videos of them doing it, the beak/head pops up slightly each time they spit. I think the drumming is a sudden rapid shaking of the wings, and always occurs with the wing tips straight down nearly touching the ground.
From: Duke
16-Mar-23
I always thought it had to do with an air compression made within the Tom’s body similar to that of a posturing bristled up buck as they will often look 1.5 x the real size.
From: smarba
16-Mar-23
HDE: that's also what I always thought the sound described as "spitting" was - the fast movement of wing feathers popping against each other.
From: midwest
16-Mar-23
midwest's Link
This is pretty good.
From: sitO
16-Mar-23
sitO's Link
And this
From: scentman
16-Mar-23
From: scentman
16-Mar-23
Courting the ladies in my driveway lol!
From: HDE
16-Mar-23
smarba - I've seen them doing it outside of a hunting situation with birds that are more docile (less "wild) because they're in residential areas. Every time they spit, the wing tips move forward which certainly is part of the sound. When they spit, they will also make sudden or rushed movements almost like lunging forward. It happens quite fast.
From: Jims
19-Mar-23
All in the feathers!
From: Rocky D
19-Mar-23
This is what Google says and is more aligned with what I have observed.
“ According to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), male turkeys make this soft, guttural sound by forcing air up from their bodies. They almost always spit and drum when they strut, but also do so when not strutting.”
From: scentman
19-Mar-23
When ever I heard or witnessed spitting and drumming I likened it to playing bagpipes... rush of air starting the process.
From: Dikndirt
19-Mar-23
I am not sure how they do it, but I sure like to hear it!!
From: Zbone
19-Mar-23
When they go quiet gobbling, if close enough, I can hear them spit which is louder to my ears than hearing the drumming...
From: t-roy
19-Mar-23
Agreed, dikndirt! I think that I can also somewhat feel the drumming sensation, as well. Same as with a Ruffed Grouse drumming.
From: 'Ike'
19-Mar-23
Especially when it comes from behind you and you had no idea he was back there....
From: Huntiam
20-Mar-23
I tell ya I’ve killed a pile of these dumb birds, but the drumming I just don’t have a ear for I guess , had a bunch come in spitting, but I’ve never heard one drumming before I saw it ..
From: bigswivle
20-Mar-23
Had one about two feet from the blind while hunting with my daughter(behind us, so we couldn’t see him) it’s amazing how powerful that sound is. Echoed inside the blind.
From: Scoot
21-Mar-23
It's a weird sound! I know it when I hear it, but I can't really describe it very well. I've had a few times when I heard it before I saw a bird (coming from behind us). I told a buddy's daughter to "get ready" because I could hear drumming from very close behind the blind. All he could say was "Why?" Not sure if he couldn't hear it or if he just had no idea what it was (rookie turkey hunter).
From: Zbone
21-Mar-23
Yeah Huntiam, that drumming is hard for me to hear too, but I can hear it if they're close enough, like within 10 or 15 yards...8^)
Living on my grandfather's farm as a teenager caught the school bus at the neighbors and they had a minazory with about every barnyard animal there is... Anyhow the couple domesticated gobblers they had were pretty aggressive always circling, displaying, spitting and drumming around my feet just about every morning while waiting on the bus... You can hear them drum while at your feet....8^) And they weren't bashful neither, they're jump on the back of a passing hen a breed her there right in front of ya, then drag their 2 foot corkscrew ding-a-ling behind them...8^)))
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
23-Mar-23
'Ike' (Phone)'s Link
Soon, very soon…Turn the volume up!
From: SaddleReaper
23-Mar-23
Would appear spitting comes from the vocal cords/ mouth, while drumming emanates from low frequency vibration of feathers.
From: scentman
24-Mar-23
Still at it!
