Turkey sight

[Crash]

In a turkey's world, a good defense is the best offense.  If you see something run, if you hear something run, if you think you see something run, if you think your hear something run, if you're not sure run.

[Don Stokes]

An old saying is the a deer thinks every man he sees is stump, but a turkey thinks every stump he sees is a man.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Here in Washington the logging lands have orange and pink tape all over the trees.  I put up orange or pink tape on my set ups in the woods.  Keeps me from catching a load of T shot.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

So you guys concur? Turkeys see color?  

Turkeys can see when you do not have a turkey tag in your wallet, I have never seen such suicidal behavior.  I had no camo, I did not try to conceal myself, they did not care. If this would have happened once, I would have thought it was a just an odd deal. but it happened three deer seasons in a row when I did not buy a fall tag.  They were picking up on something that said I was no threat to them.  Last fall they were terrified of me, I had a tag, and they gave me no chances for a shot the whole season.

[Shaun]

I hate it when something with a brain the size of a peanut outwits me. Dang them turkeys!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

It seems the general consensus is that turkey's see color.
I don't know if I agree with that 100%.

You used to be able to buy flambeau decoys with a hunter orange head on them. I had a set and had birds come in to them on many occasion and it didn't bother them a bit. I killed several over those decoys.
I'm not saying I know for fact they can or can not see color cause I ain't never looked through a pair of turkey eyes. I think what they pick up on so quick is any movement at all. Those boogers can see 320 degrees around their head because of the way their eyes are located.

I do not out of sake of argument use any unatural colors when I hunt birds now but I think it's better safe than sorry. Plus it makes me feel like a turkey ninja LOL.

Just my experience. I don't think you can get those decoys anymore so maybe they can see the color but I'm sure I'm not the only guy who ever killed a bird over them for sure.

As far as the flagging, I would take the advice given by these fella's who posted before me.

Good Luck
 Kris

[Don Stokes]

Most, if not all, birds see color. It's critical for them to be able to judge ripeness of berries and such, since their sense of smell isn't highly developed. Browsers like deer and grazers like cattle don't need to see color, so they don't. Primates (including humans) are also fruit and berry eaters without a highly developed sense of smell, so we do see color. It's all a case of necessity.

[frankwright]

Turkeys can hear you think and see you change your mind   :D

Movement is what they really pick up. I have had them walk all over me during deer season when I have to wear an orange vest.

[Don Stokes]

Turkeys are simultaneously the smartest and the stupidest birds in the world. They can be so hard to kill that you want to pull your hair out. They can be so suspicious that the slightest flaw in your camo or the slightest twitch of movement sends them packing. They can be so dumb that they can't figure out how to get past a wire fence, like they forget they can fly, and will ignore blaze orange at times. Who knows what goes on in that post-dinosaur brain?

[Yellow Dog]

I don't know if they can see colors but I'm convinced they can see you blink from 100 yards away    That's only if you have a bow in your hand, otherwise you have to blow the horn at them, only after coming to a complete stop, to get their butt's off the road.

[kevin braun]

I would have to say that "yes" they do see color.  Why else would the color of the Jakes and Toms head change to red, blue, and red.  I believe it signals some dominance warnings to the others.

[Don Stokes]

Good point, Kevin.

[Pinelander]

I've never experienced anything that would positively convince me that they see color, but it's very likely they do as Don Stokes explained.

It is very odd how their eyesight/brain works. One morning I had a blind setup in the middle of an open field. Three toms came running down the field, on their way to some hens that were located at the other end of the field. They easily identified my blind as something to stay away from, as they veered out around it to get to the other end of the field. Two hours later they returned to my end of the field (with a group of hens) and none of them noticed the blind at all.

[sou-pawbowhunter]

That tiny little brain is geared toward survival, to the exclusion of any curiosity.  How many  times have you seen a deer hang around to try and figure out what they saw? Not a turkey, they won't stop running till they have a lot of ground between them and what they might have seen. I love/hate them for being able to unravel my plans with a brain th size of a pea.