hens on nest

huntngolf

Six Pointer
is anyone thinking that hens are nesting yet? had 2 gobblers yesterday in fields with several hens each
 

Cyperry

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I think it just depends on where you are. Finally had a gobbler alone the other day. First since the season started. So I think it's getting that time. Especially in my area.


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turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Hens have been nesting for weeks it's a long process for all them to get bred and laying if you have fair amount birds you'll still see toms with hens in late May even arly June
 

25contender

Twelve Pointer
Just because you see toms with hens doesn't mean they are not nesting yet. As mentioned above they have been nesting for weeks.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Heck with all this rain hope the hens were smart enough to nest on high ground or they will be breeding again. When I used to go to SC guys used to tell me young hens would nest low ground along Savannah river and get nests washed away
 

hog&deerhunter

Eight Pointer
Hens don't need to get bred again if their nests get destroyed (to lay fertile eggs). They can keep viable sperm for up to 8 weeks.

BTW, hens will stay on the nest only after the last egg is laid, so for up to 2 weeks they will lay 1 egg per day with a couple of days off. That's why they will hatch at the same time. When you see a hen out and about, that does not mean she does not have a nest someplace.
 
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wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
I think we need to clearly define "Nesting". I think of nesting as laying eggs. I think of "sitting" when she has decided to sit on the nest. A "sitting" hen is one you likely won't see with Toms unless they are simply close to her nest when she decides to take a stroll.
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
Freezing might could hurt it but cold won't hurt it at all. Incubation doesn't begin until the hen sits on the nest.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
They should be on the nest.

Thats the point of when NC's season is set, except for the early youth week.

Its set so hens are not wandering around getting shot and peak breeding has already happened.
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They should be on the nest.

Thats the point of when NC's season is set, except for the early youth week.

Its set so hens are not wandering around getting shot and peak breeding has already happened.

Another ridiculous post!:mad:

Hens wander around every day when they leave the nest to feed!! What's to keep them from getting shot then??:rolleyes:

But you're right.........the season is timed to begin after breeding has started.......everybody already knew this.:rolleyes:

As Hog&Deer said, after mating the sperm lives inside the hen for up to 48 - 56 days so she can re-nest if her original nest is lost to flooding or predators. I've even found one nest with only a couple of eggs which had snow on them but since she hadn't started incubating them the eggs just laid dormant and the dozen or so which were eventually laid hatched.

The real danger with rain is after the poults hatch.......warm spring rains will not hurt them but if they get hypothermia from cold rains they will surely die! The greatest period of danger is the first 2 or 3 weeks after hatching.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Here is what the PA biologist says:

A later opening date provides a measure of protection for turkey nests, hens and even jakes. Hens that are in the process of laying eggs are prone to abandon their nests if disturbed. Starting the season close to May 1 may reduce nest abandonment. Hens that are not yet incubating are often found with gobblers early in the season. Lone hens in the process of laying eggs are apt to be moving around the woods during hunting hours if the season occurs too early. The later the season opener, the fewer hens will be available for accidental or illegal shooting. Later opening days may, therefore, enhance the survival of hens. In studies, illegal harvest of hens accounted for 34 percent of all the hen mortality in the spring in Virginia and 13 percent in West Virginia (where the season opened later).

http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/Turkey/SettingSpringTurkeySeason/Pages/default.aspx

So Virginia had a 34% mortality on hens by illegal killing during the spring gobbler season

So some states do set seasons to minimize hens being shot. Imagine that!
 
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wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
So Virginia had a 34% mortality on hens by illegal killing during the spring gobbler season

So some states do set seasons to minimize hens being shot. Imagine that!

People notice that when you get in a bind, you resort to quoting biologists from elsewhere!! LOL

Did your Pa biologist also tell you they have over 1,000,000 turkey hunters there?

That many hunters are gonna step on nests........empty nests.........full nests!!

34% huh? I can't help but wonder who pulled that number out of the "air" since I don't think people are gonna report illegal spring kills!! :rolleyes:
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
People notice that when you get in a bind, you resort to quoting biologists from elsewhere!! LOL

Did your Pa biologist also tell you they have over 1,000,000 turkey hunters there?

That many hunters are gonna step on nests........empty nests.........full nests!!

34% huh? I can't help but wonder who pulled that number out of the "air" since I don't think people are gonna report illegal spring kills!! :rolleyes:
I'll BET way more hens are killed and nests are destroyed in NC every year by farming and forestry practices than illegal hunting.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
New York also states shooting of hens in spring can be a problem:

One way we try to protect hens in the spring is to restrict shooting hours. The current shooting hours from ½-hour before sunrise until noon are intended to protect nesting hens because incubating hens (hens sitting on eggs in a nest) tend to leave the nest to feed in the afternoon. If hunters are afield in the afternoon, the likelihood that a hen is killed, either accidentally (mistaken for a gobbler) or illegally ("poaching") may increase. The killing of hens, either illegal or accidental, can have serious impacts on turkey populations, and at high levels (for example, if 10% or more of adult hens are killed annually), it will reduce rates of population growth. Unfortunately, these issues are difficult to measure and control, so we limit shooting hours to try to minimize any potential negative impacts.
The NYSDEC also refers to other states in relation to this issue:

Research in states like Missouri, Virginia, and West Virginia has shown that poaching can have a negative effect on population growth, but we do not know if "all-day" spring hunting (sunrise to sundown) would result in many more hens being killed either accidentally or illegally............
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
All your biologists tend to use the word "may" in their articles..........notice that??

NY has almost as many hunters as Pa.

Anyhooooo, it's pointless to argue with you because you'll spend hours on Daddy's computer looking up junk!!
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Documents/ATimetoKill.pdf

NWTF again mentions studies in VA, WVA showing illegal hen kill mortality.

If those numbers are bogus, why does the NWTF cite them?
I noticed you cherry picked two states that allow rifle hunting, thus the chance of long range shooting and chance of misidentifying their sex.

Yet you turn around and quote a study that says half day hunting might be the answer yet one of the states that hen mortality is already a problem in actually has half day hunting/. You didn't catch that? :rolleyes:
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
I like how you and wturkey01 are disputing some states set their spring seasons when they do to cut down on hen mortality.

Have a great rest of the turkey season.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I like how you and wturkey01 are disputing some states set their spring seasons when they do to cut down on hen mortality.

Have a great rest of the turkey season.
I like how you continually post conflicting info.
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I like how you continually post conflicting info.

Years ago, I had a statistics professor say that you could set a monkey down at a typewriter and give him an infinite amount of time and he would eventually type every word in Webster's Dictionary!!

We may find that to be true!! LOL
 
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