PaBowhunter29

are hens like does? should you shot them? were i hunt theres like 40 hens in one flock, is this good? would it make it hards to call in the gobblers in the spring?

TEmbry

some say so, but i dont buy into it. more hens will attract more gobblers in spring. down side is the gobbler will be more occupied with the more hens so he might be less responsive to calls. the two ways i avoid this is

1. call to the hen by challenging and mocking it so it gets fired up and comes into range draggin the longbeard behind her.

2. stick it out beause that gobbler will be alone and lonesome at some point throughout the day. usually late morning when the hens head to nest, 9-11 am is a good bet. they often respond better at this time than any other time of day.

it all just varies from one situation to another.

Wingbone

The difference is the hens will probably all get bred, unlike deer where only a percent of the does get bred. (3-4 per buck). If you cut downthe number of hens, you will reduce your poult production.

OntElk

It's a matter of population demographics. If wingbone is correct and all hens get bred ( I don't believe this to be the case but...) then even after all the mortality factors applied to eggs, poults and young birds you would see continued explosion of the population. Harvesting a few longberads or jakes in the spring won't make any impact. There is always another horny fellow around to take care of the ladies after you tag out.

If the population grows exponentionally then you could eventaully run into issues.

Now I am racking my brain for why it would make calling gobblers in the spring more difficult if you shoot a hen in the fall? That just doesn't make sense. I think TE's point about them being less responsive because they are "henned up" makes sesne. That would mean reducing the hen population would help not hurt.

I do not agree that more hens means more gobblers for you in the spring either. You are only going to have a certain number of hens that will frequent your hunting grounds in the spring. They are there because it is thier nesting grounds. If they can't make nests to lay eggs successfully then they will move on to find better locations. I think even in prime nesting habitat you will only have so many hens in a given area. Birds flock up in fall and winter and I will sometimes see 50-100 hens at some of my hunting porperties. There is no way they are ALL there come spring. Around herethere is growing concern by landowners about the number of turkeys. The habitat is saturated in a lot places. We no longer are trap and transferring and so a fall harvest of hens could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

I can't wait till next fall. I have no concerns that it will effect my spring hunts. It just means I get to enjoy the passion 2 times a year.

Hunter Dan7

sounds like he knows what he is talking about.

Gamblinman

During the winter, the hens flock up with the young poults in tow, and gobblers flock up with gobblers. As Spring comes in, the flocks start to break up into breeding groups. Early in the spring seaon, there can still be good flocks of hens together, with a few gobblers mixed in. It can make it very difficult to hunt the birds until the flocks break up and or hens start to lay/nest. In western Oklahoma, I've seen flocks of hens with as many as 300 to 400 birds and gobbler flocks with 25 to 30 mature gobblers each. It's amazing thet within a few days time, they can break-up into the breeding groups and spread out over several miles.

TEmbry

lol dont go too far, im WAAAYYYY down the list of knowledge on here. those are just two tactics that i try to use. im still relatively green when it comes to this, though i am getting a little better every year.
so i may know what im talking about in ohhh i dont know...20-25 years?[8D]

kingvjack

Every hen does not breed.
I shoot hens in the fall cause there are so damn many of them that calling gobblers in the spring gets tricky.... Thats and I like to hunt my gobblers in the spring, every jackass with a gun goes out and kills off the jakes here, so I leave my big gobblers to hunt in the spring, kill hens in the fall.

botechboy

Its not going to hurt you or help you if you shoot a couple hens in the fall most hens lay quite a few eggs each spring they lose a few to other critters like coons rats coyotes etc the ones that hatch have the same trouble critters and weather so go ahead shoot one or two if you like the meat if not let them be

Bobgobble2

I do believe hens can make hunting conditions tough!The 2 biggest reasons toms wont respond imho in the spring even when you know there in your hunting area is hunting pressure and the fact theycan behenned up.Weather has a role to play here too,but many a hunter have been left frusterated during the spring season by gobblers that rattle the woodson the roost and respond to your calls there-in,but as the birds hit the ground suddenlydevelope a case of lock-jaw!Reason why is cause they have what they want in the opposite sex!TEMBRY list some good techniques in dealing with this but give me a lonely ole two year old gobbler all by his lonesome!Now all the sudden that same gobbler that walked the other way earlier in the seasonhas a real interest in what you say to him!!!I know I've hunted in areas where I hit it just right when the majority of the hens have begun to nest and the gobblers reaction to our calling was much more responsive than just a week pryor!
DONT be afraid to harvest those hens your DNR would not have a season if the population would'nt support it!