turkey hunting

[mobirdhunter]

After a visit to the farm for our traditional pre-dawn and sunrise service, Elaine and I went home and did some chores in the yard. About 1:30 pm a Tom sounded off just across the road, about 50 yards from where we were working. He gobbled for about 20 minutes, and finally called up another gobbler that joined him in gobbling their little heads off. I went into the barn and got a mouth call and gave them my best "come hither." They went berserk, and I thought they were going to fly into the yard when a farm truck went by and spoiled our fun.

Our season starts a week from tomorrow. I may sit on the deck with decoys in the yard.

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

After a visit to the farm for our traditional pre-dawn and sunrise service, Elaine and I went home and did some chores in the yard. About 1:30 pm a Tom sounded off just across the road, about 50 yards from where we were working. He gobbled for about 20 minutes, and finally called up another gobbler that joined him in gobbling their little heads off. I went into the barn and got a mouth call and gave them my best "come hither." They went berserk, and I thought they were going to fly into the yard when a farm truck went by and spoiled our fun.

Our season starts a week from tomorrow. I may sit on the deck with decoys in the yard.

I should stay home and hunt as well Garry. Had 2 Toms right behind the house this evening just gobbling away.

[charlie cleveland]

i ve been out hunting the last 2 evening but no luck as of yet...been carrying my 8 ga davenport single barrel and a borrowed stoger 12 ga....aint used my long barrelled over and under yet....hope every body else is having good hunts....charlie

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

i ve been out hunting the last 2 evening but no luck as of yet...been carrying my 8 ga davenport single barrel and a borrowed stoger 12 ga....aint used my long barrelled over and under yet....hope every body else is having good hunts....charlie

Charlie, I sure wish we could hunt in the afternoon, but in Missouri we must quit at 1:00pm, the idea being that hunters will not be as likely to disrupt nesting hens. I've never seen any data that shows that nests are disrupted in those states that allow all-day hunting, though.

[Dean Romig]

I've walked right by hens on nests within 10 feet and in my experience they just flatten and sit tight.





.

[Mills]

Harry went with my brother Comer and they had 5 out in the field with a big gobbler putting on a big show. Here is him next to the tree where he set up and the field in front of him. They were 70 yards away so he didn't shoot.

Dad and I went to a different location and heard several but never saw them

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

Harry went with my brother Comer and they had 5 out in the field with a big gobbler putting on a big show. Here is him next to the tree where he set up and the field in front of him. They were 70 yards away so he didn't shoot.

Dad and I went to a different location and heard several but never saw them

Looks like a couple of jakes at the edge of the woods...





.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I've walked right by hens on nests within 10 feet and in my experience they just flatten and sit tight.
.

While surveying a thinning project on our tree farm with my local Conservation Dept. private lands specialist, we flushed a hen from a nest. I took photos of the nest and we marked its location (she was obviously laying and not setting as there were only 4 eggs). The PLS called the State turkey biologist (our farm is in one of the State's turkey focus areas, so the turkey biologist was familiar with our farm which they'd scouted to trap turkeys for putting location collars on them for their study). He said that turkey hens will not revisit their nest if pushed off it. The PLS and I were skeptical, so, after waiting the appropriate time (and getting the OK from the turkey biologist), I went back to check the nest. The eggs -- the same number we found upon flushing the hen -- had obviously been predated by something -- probably a coon or 'possum. Another time Elaine and I flushed a hen from a nest while surveying our access trails. We noted the number of eggs and went back much later to check. Eggs were there (same number), but no sign of the turkey. Our last check of the nest indicated that the nest had been abandoned. That's a tiny sample size, I know, but based on those experiences and what the turkey biologist said, I'm inclined to believe that scaring a hen from her nest is the end of that nest.

But, Dean, I agree with your observations, at least in the two or three instances where I saw the hen on the nest but she did not flush. We observed one hen on multiple occasions and she sat tight. As far as we could tell, she raised a brood from that nest.

BUT, I would still like to hunt turkeys in the afternoon. We are in the woods roosting them, and there is no prohibition against that. I have had many a chance at an otherwise unhuntable Tom while waiting near his roost in the late afternoon/evening. Plus, you don't have to get up early!

[J. A. EARLY]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

He said that turkey hens will not revisit their nest if pushed off it. The PLS and I were skeptical, so, after waiting the appropriate time (and getting the OK from the turkey biologist), I went back to check the nest. The eggs -- the same number we found upon flushing the hen -- had obviously been predated by something -- probably a coon or 'possum. Another time Elaine and I flushed a hen from a nest while surveying our access trails. We noted the number of eggs and went back much later to check. Eggs were there (same number), but no sign of the turkey. Our last check of the nest indicated that the nest had been abandoned. That's a tiny sample size, I know, but based on those experiences and what the turkey biologist said, I'm inclined to believe that scaring a hen from her nest is the end of that nest.
:

Gary,

Last year I let my clover and grass field grow until the end of June. I was sure all birds had hatched. As I made the last round with the bush hog a hen that I had observed the whole spring flew and I stopped the tractor. I left the tall hay intact. Checking often the next week, she never came back. I felt so bad that I had caused six or more birds to not hatch and she was so close. It is the second week of July usually for us in your old home state. I won't do that again.

[John J Sundelin]

Originally Posted by Jerry Harlow

Gary,

Last year I let my clover and grass field grow until the end of June. I was sure all birds had hatched. As I made the last round with the bush hog a hen that I had observed the whole spring flew and I stopped the tractor. I left the tall hay intact. Checking often the next week, she never came back. I felt so bad that I had caused six or more birds to not hatch and she was so close. It is the second week of July usually for us in your old home state. I won't do that again.

We have kicked many turkeys and even ducks off their nests while cutting hay. A couple hens went through the mower conditioner, that was messy. I was raising poultry at the time and have several large incubators so I would grab the eggs and put them in the incubator. Most usually hatched so I would raise them for a few months having minimal contact with them and feeding non medicated feed. They always managed to get out and join their family flock of 40-60 birds that lives around here. They roost across the road in the pines then feed through the cow pasture in the mornings and afternoons.