Thank You and I knew I would get the best knowledge here on this site for my question. I just want to do what is best for the flock and if having hunters taking the mature toms with so few, I don't want that for the flock.

Right now your 2 yr old or better Toms are also flocked. They will inter mingle at times. Here in Wisconsin I've been seeing toms. Jakes, and hens all striving for dominance in their groups. Lots of mature Tom yelping. It has a deeper rapier tone.

Jakes do breed. You will see jakes always trying to breed a hen. Its like anything else. The hen calls rhe shot.

Almost the kast day of Wisconsin s fall hunt. I watched well over 100 birds. 2 big flocks of jakes, over 70 hens of which 5 of those were bearded. I almost dhot one. And 13 long beards. One of which, fed by himself. Didnt care what any of the other long beards were doing
He was bullied by 2 other toms who did semi strut but he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Nice dpurs on that tom
Closest he got to me was 51 yds. I passed.

spend time out. Watch the flock hierarchy. I kearned a ton. The decoys i did use. I placed as in a spring set up. And it was all wrong.

One big tip. You have snow. You know rhey feed in a certsin area. Clear some ground.

JW

Thanks JW for your help.

Here it’s somewhat different than a lot of places hunting for those big tom’s. It’s a challenge along with most every place. Our state biologists put transmitters on selected areas on toms and hens. But sticking with the toms a lot of them traveled 20 to 25 miles from where they were. The farthest one traveled a distance of 50 miles. Then back in late fall. The selected them at feeding stations and what wasn’t shot or survived the predators returned to the feeding stations for there winter feeding. With that being said it puzzles me on how the toms will hang around. Yes I understand that they will hang around long enough to breed the local hens and sometimes will take a group of hens with them. Either that perhaps push the hens to wherever they are going to. As stated I am not sure how they react in other areas except I don’t believe that to many toms react them same way when it comes down to holding them in any given area.. That’s about all I can add to it..

Like with anything in nature. The strong survive.
There have been times both my partner and I decided we'd take a Jake only to tough it out and end up with a 2 yr old or better.

On that flock I hunted Jan 6
13 were long beards. They entered the field long after the hens entered.
I saw 3 flocks of jakes from 3 to 4 to one group of 9 and a group of 6.
I quit counting after 70 with hens. I just couldn't keep up.
The hens fed in groups. I'm willing to bet it was a family type gathering. They were from the same clutch.

i really try to pay attention to what i see then try to mimic that setting with a decoy or decoys!

But how to manage your flock.
I'd plant turkey specific food plots.
I don't believe that under fair chase one can decimate all the mature Toms through hunting.

It takes a year and a half before a hen can lay eggs.

JW

Thank you all very much some great advise and knowledge.

I guess the other thing I learned today was a one-year-old hen will not be able to produce a clutch. I was thinking that hen born in the spring would be able to produce the following breeding spring. Thanks JW

some do, some don't. some years there are a lot of what I call jenny hens, they just distract the gobblers from coming to the call. they do not nest so they are just running around all day keeping the gobblers busy. some years there are almost none. I think it depends on whether or not its a late hatch. this past season mid june I could see chicks from quail sized to half grown on the same day.

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