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Description
Spring is Wild Turkey mating season. The males (they have a "beard") strut around trying to impress the females. They are so focused on mating that they don't react to normal dangers and are easily photographed. Unfortunately it is also spring turkey hunting season and the males are also easier to kill. One trick the hunters use is to put out rubber decoys of male turkeys and make sounds like male turkeys. The real males will run in and attack the decoys. Sometimes it is not only the male turkeys who are fooled. A friend had a coyote rush in, grab, and run off with one of his decoys. I took this photo this morning with our trusty, and always ready, backyard wildlife camera.

Description
Spring is Wild Turkey mating season. The males (they have a "beard") strut around trying to impress the females. They are so focused on mating that they don't react to normal dangers and are easily photographed. Unfortunately it is also spring turkey hunting season and the males are also easier to kill. One trick the hunters use is to put out rubber decoys of male turkeys and make sounds like male turkeys. The real males will run in and attack the decoys. Sometimes it is not only the male turkeys who are fooled. A friend had a coyote rush in, grab, and run off with one of his decoys. I took this photo this morning with our trusty, and always ready, backyard wildlife camera.