hens on nest

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
Here is what the PA biologist says:



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!

Virginia did not have a 34% mortality on hens by illegal killing during the spring season. It was 34% of the mortality. Big difference. Where is a link to the Virginia study and how many dead hens were in the sample pool?
 

25contender

Twelve Pointer
When I hunted NY I asked the game wardens why the noon law. The reason they gave was that they found that many hens were getting bumped off the nests after 12 from people walking around. They didn't say anything about hunters shooting hens.
Nothing conflicting about it.

One of the reasons NY sets its turkey season they way they do is to cut down on potential hen mortality.

Same with PA.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
The majority of hen mortality doesn't come from illegally shot hens as far as season set goes the main reason is so that so many hens aren't with gobblers most hns are shot by stray pellets by honest mistake or by poor hunters who are so desperate to kill a bird all they know is left pellets fly no matter how many hens are near. unfortunately we hunt lot henned up birds with our early start and the further the shot the more likely the hens is to be hit by strays. With this increasing number of turkey hunters and people just having to get that pic on facebook to brag about the kill there are more hunters than we care to admit that are just not willing to let that gobbler walk and taking bad shots
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
Wow. The hen I talked to this morning was still roosting. Although roosting about 100 yards away from where any nest would have been washed away.
 

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
I'm sure alot of nest were lost to the flooding,I lost 2 chicken hens on the nest from coon during the rain, and this was next to my yard, How many hens get killed and eggs eat out in the wild? I would hate to know,I sure do not want to see much rain for at least 2 months now, we need a good hatch in my surrounding area or the turkeys are going to be back to numbers like they were before restocking efforts started in 89. It is pitiful in upper Moore county and Most of Montgomery co. Sure some birds were killed this year from the tremendous amount of hunters in the woods,if one gobbled someone was probably on him.
 
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