Help me settle an argument...
 

My friend says turkeys can smell.I told him he's crazy..but I heard him out.He says they can smell mosquito spray,and that's why they spook sometimes when they don't hear or see you.Just like a buzzard depends on his sense of smell to find food.

Wait...I said...they don't smell the deceased animals they see them..He said no...They smell them..I said no they see them..on and on we argued.

O.k.,So one day a month or so later I was scouting,and saw some buzzards.I wanted to see what they were after,and when I got to the area I couldn't find it.After I finally spotted buzzard tracks I saw what they were after.An off colored white bulldog,wrapped up in a nearly matching off colored carpet,laying on some nearly same colored sand.There is no possible way they could have seen him.

So,now I'm really thinking how did they find him without seeing him?Then it must be smell!So with that thought I'm now starting to wonder if a turkey can smell.I have hunted turkeys for 8 years,and have had fairly good success with them,but have never given this a thought.So,what do you guys make of all this?I still say if a buzzard can smell it is probably not a common thing for other birds.Just one's that depend on it to find food.

I know a turkeys #1 defense is his eyesight,but is it possible...since they have a beak with holes that they can smell?Maybe not smell very good,but is it possible they can smell good enough to smell something as strong as mosquito spray?

Can anyone help me gather up proof?I feel silly posting this,but it is at the very least a series of odd coincidences.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

buzzards can smell and that is their defence as it is their scence of servival.

Turkeys on the other hand Can not smell and have not got that scence. It is that common fluke that at that such time that when bugs are out that the birds don't want to come to you.

Now this is my opinion on this time of year.
Because Turkeys have the scence of Eye sight , they also have 2 other very good scences and one fits right into this issue.
1/ Eye sight 10 x better then us.
2/ Hearing 5x better then us.
3/ memery turkeys don't forget.

now with that being said turkeys can hear 5 x better then hunters. When at the time you are hunting at the time of year that the mosquitos are out and heavy, we have to use spray to stop biting. At this time have you ever noticed that at times it is hard to hear when mosquitos are buzzing around your head. Well if a turkey can hear 5x better then us , they can hear these such mosquitos aswell and can pickup on the extra noise that is coming from the area you are calling from. This could very well play a role in why it is harder to work birds in these such areas.

I have seen this with Black bear hunting in the spring time. At times you can not hear yourself think. So if the noise of mosquitos are that bad , then a bird that has the scence of hearing like turkeys could hear it far more superiour then us...BT

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Turkeys have great eyesight... they can see your eyes blink at 200 yards. They can hear better than most give them credit for. Remember just because somebody calls the Turkey Buzzard a Turkey Buzzard doesn't mean they share the same exacttraits. You ever hear a Buzzard gobble?The only thing they have in common is they are both birds.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

If turkeys could smell to the extent that it would be a defensive measure, no one would ever shoot one. Your buddy lost the bet.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

I never thought of that. I'm willing to bet thats true!

Tom

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

I don't believe they can smell my self,atleast not enough to help them.I wonder if there has been a study on that.Also I have noticed on a buzzard their "nose" holes are rather large.I think I'll do some research.Hey,it is something to think about though isn't it?:DGood point with the sound of mosquitos.I guess sort of like rain henders their hearing also.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Buzzards can smell up to 2 miles away, and can spot a carcass hundreds of yards away. In Cali where I am at, a sub-agency of fish and game did a study about buzzards and their smelling abilities. It was amazing to read on their 2 mile scent pick up. On the other hand, Turkeys do not have a great smell capability, but they can smell. All mammalian prey which includes deer, coyote, elk etc. etc. have developed a great sense of smell, while most birds have developed a poor sense of smell. Turkeys have that poor sense of smell, and rely on their trichromatic sense of sight, which is built just like our sight, even a little more so. They can see colors, silouttes, etc. out in the field. That is just one of their defense mechanisms that they rely on. Also, turkeys can recognize landscapes, tracks, bird remains, and their roosting tress. But again, sense of smell is not powerful, not even close to a buzzard. It is not a defense mechanism.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Turkeys also have the ability to see extrememly well in low light situations.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

ilike that. did u come up w/ that yourself BT? in any case sounds good to me. good answer

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Thanks coyotestalker.That's just what I wanted to hear.That's the same way I feel,but I didn't know of any studies that had been done.Turkeystalker I agree with you.Also,I feel like you can move slowly when a bird is on the move,and not be as easily picked off.Sometimes,they can pick you off easy,but it seems if you are in the shadows,and they are distracted(decoy..etc.)you are least likely to get busted.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

No turkeys cant smell but buzzards sure can.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

I will beg to differ. I will repeat myself again, turkeys have a weak sense of smell, as many birds do. Buzzards inherited a evolved mega-smell, as use that sense of smell for location. Turkeys, unlike buzzards, do not have the ability to use smell to their advantage, even for a defense mechanism, yet they can smell to a very weak point. If you read my original post better, then you can see the arguement. If you don't beleive me or the others, look up factual evidence on the Wild turkey Federation, wild turkey anatomy studies, and even the simple google search on smell and turkeys. Thank you and have a nice day.

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Hey coyotestalker..you got me searching the other day,and I found out African vultures can not smell,but american vultures can smell...I didn't knowturkey vultures have abetter sense of smell than the black vultures.I did know they nest on the ground.Hey here'sanother interesting fact....[align=left]
[/align][align=left]+ Turkey vultures are attracted to the smell of mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay. [/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Now we know what type of gas alot of our hunting friends have after eating camp food.:D[/align][align=left][/align][align=left][/align][align=left][/align]

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

I'll bet all those bugs flying around in the springreally give gobblers a head acke:D

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i heard that vultures have one of the largest olefactory units on the planet..lol..meaning they have an unbelievably good sense of smell

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Lol, great find!

RE: Help me settle an argument...
 

Exactly!