MOTurkeyTamer

Had a guy I work with tell me that a farmer told him yesterday that he ran over a turkeys nest filled with eggs while mowing around a pasture this week. Isn' t it getting kinda late in the summer for turkeys to be still sitting on eggs? Would this be because of a hen losing her first clutch of eggs and mating again or just a hen that was bred late?

norsemen

absolultly right, it' s probably her 3rd clutch, and had they hatched would not have
made it through the winter, well cant say for sure were you are, but up here in the
great white north, they would have been doomed[]

LouisianaHunter56

norsemen I' m new to this Turkey hunting fever and I was wondering why you say they would have been doomed? I have read that they can fly in about 6 to 8 weeks, and this is just the middle of july. I understand winter may come early way up north but from his name and where it say' s he' s from northern missour I would think they would have time to grow into nice size poults before bad winter would set in.

Don' t get mad at me for asking because as I said I' m new to this Turkey hunting fever, and I' m still learning all I can, but was wondering what your answer was founded on.

norsemen

LH56, not a problem, thats why we have forums like this so we can all learn about
wildlife and habitat, in other parts of the country, I really cant make an inteagent
statement on missouri other then it' s a great contrabution to wildturkey restoration
probably your state, but as far as very late hatch poults, most are doomed, come
winter, just a mater of time when, my are of western n.y. receives between 200
and 400" snow anually, and it starts early, usually got the snow camo broke out
late october, any areas with extreem cold climate, on top of deep snow, are tough
healthy well developed birds, areas in the upper mid west with prolonged day' s of
sub 0 temps are exteemly tough on birds, and when I say sub 0, theres no such
thing as wind chill, thats a southern term, to make somthing sound worse then it is just kidding

LouisianaHunter56

norsemen I appreciate you answering my question, as for the wind chill I agree brother when it' s down in the teens and the wind is blowing 15 to 20 miles an hour, the wind will chill your buns off. notice I cleaned that one up real well huh..lol.

Here' s wishing you a great fall season.

Bobgobble2

Ya MTT its getting way late!Possibly maybe a nest that was layed back yonder and its survived the predators but just been left abandoned for quite sometime!Norsemen your right how circumstances change throughout the U.S on how weather can have an effect on succesful nesting patterns.You fellas deal with cold temparatures and snow being difficult on your birds we deal here with heat and and dehydration.For a hen to have a clutch this late with daily temps around triple digits everyday and water supplys dwindling deyhration kills many poults around these parts!Even in late May we hit the 100 degree mark and old mother hen must have her youngins not far from a water source that hopefully is ample enough to get them chicks through to where there getting well enough around in case that particular source dry' s up!

Wooddust

Im not sure hat is going on with our birds this year. I know we had a very early start to the birds breeding. And the gobblers were still going after hens two weeks post season. I am not seeing hens and poults much at all.

As to winter survival in MO, its highly likely a hatch now would have fine surviveability. Our winters are mild enough and those birds will be pretty well along before they would encounter tough conditions.

Ive been looking like mad for young birds...just not seeing them like normal!

norsemen

wood dust, thats a bad sign to, me neather, ive not even seen any first clutch
hatched poults, I dont think it was colder then nomal spring, and we did get a
a bunch of rain, but no more then usual, who know' s maybe i just have to look a little harder,

Pat_Ely

It is late but not always uncommon. A poult can actually fly in 10 days. The success rate would depend on food and water sources. And as for what everyone else is saying about not seeing poults all I have seen is four so far. Hopefully with the rains and exceptionly good growing season we have had so far, the cover has just been better than in the past and allowing them to hide from our prying eyes.
9 months 16 days and 2 hours til the SPring SEASON opens up in PA....

LouisianaHunter56

I have a friend that just bought a lot next to a refuge and he said, he saw a hen yesterday with 15 poults and a couple of other hens with 7 or 8 poults a piece. Guess who' s my new best friend.....