Did What I Was Hoping NOT To Do!

[Cabin Fever]

I always wait until mid-late June to mow my fields, to avoid hitting any young fawns or disturbing turkey nests. Never had a problem. This year, I thought I'd get a head start, and just be extra careful. I started mowing out along the road, where I never expected to have any problem. As I was mowing by a tree, ~5 yards from my lane and ~30 yards from the road, a hen busted out, from right beside the tractor! I got off the tractor and confirmed what I had figured, a nest with 12 eggs! I snapped a couple pics and moved on. I left a good sized patched unmowed, around the nest, "hoping" she will return. I've always heard if you disturb a hen on a nest she will abandon it. I did a quick google search, and it sounds like it depends on the hen and how far along incubation is.

 

With all the woods/thickets/overgrown fields around, and she decides to make a nest right there by the road?? Really??

 

 

~5 yards away from my lane....

 

~30 yards away from the main road and my neighbors house!

[josephmrtn]

man that sucks... hope she comes back 

[the blur]

That is cool.  Never seen that before.

[Cabin Fever]

Sure am curious if she returned to the nest or not. I would like to take a peek, but I'm afraid of bumping her off the nest again, if she did return.

[Stretcher Guy]

If possible set up a trail cam nearby.

[mike rossi]

With all the woods/thickets/overgrown fields around, and she decides to make a nest right there by the road?? Really??

 

Undisturbed grass fields are vital to turkeys and other ground nesters. That would be the default nest site if it was available. But little grass is available early on. However 85% of the first nests are failed and the success of second nests is related to how much grass cover is available during re-nesting. Turkeys will breed into June (particularly re-nest) and the eggs take another 28 days to hatch. After hatching the grass is still important to the hen and brood for some time because the chicks need insects at that life stage and are somewhat less impacted by weather and predators ( including coyotes, lol ). 

 

Mowing or haying as late as possible and establishing cool season grasses which withstand snow and/or grow early in the spring will boost turkey numbers as well as other ground nesting birds and cottontails. Refrain from using pesticides and herbicides as well, the bugs are needed by chicks. Some people struggle with believing that those chemicals directly hurt the chicks & adults, but in addition to killing their food they do, of course, kill or compromise some of the birds as well.

 

The majority of hunters who happen not to be  land owners; can do their part by lobbying the DEC to "invest" part of the obese conservation fund in  projects which increase and sustain turkey habitat. Volunteering and donating to private conservation organizations  is also how it gets done; however, I caution against any nonprofit which will divert its donors' money away from habitat and spend it on predator control.

[the blur]

Do these birds migrate for the winter ?     I can't imagine them finding enough insects during a really cold winter.

[Elmo]

Keep us posted.  Hope she returns.

[mike rossi]

Do these birds migrate for the winter ?     I can't imagine them finding enough insects during a really cold winter.

I believe they spend the winter indoors at county federation meetings.