Turkey On Nest

[landtracdeerhunter]

Walking up my lane this morning, I snapped the coolest picture. Must have walked by a dozen times, before I noticed her. Man, i am pumped, now avoiding the area like the plaque. Isn't this a little early to be nesting?

Edited April 15, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Red]

very cool pic

[G-Man]

nope. most nesting / laying is done by the time our may opener happens. Its the few that lose nests that you have to call aganst. Been hot n dry so lot have started, but cold n wet will draw predators that destroy the nest and re-breeding/ nesting takes place. that why late wet springs seem to work better at calling toms in. And that is the reson why you hear everone asking to move the season up into april birds are breeding laying then and much easier to call.

[Pygmy]

I don't believe that cold/wet weather draws predators...

What it does is to cause the poults to die of exposure if they get get wet and chilled while they are still in the down stage...

They are very susceptible to dying of exposure until thier down is replaced by feathers...That is about 2-3 weeks..

Also, although it is not rare for hens to be incubating this early, it IS earlier than normal.. Studies have shown that the average hatching date in NY is June 11. Considering the appx 28 day incubation period, most hens would start to incubate in the first couple weeks of May.

My informal records over the last 40 years indicate that in an average year, gobblers seem to work best to the call in a period from about May 8 to May 15th.. I believe that this is the time when the MOST hens are on the nest... After that time period, renests begin to be a factor... My experience indicates that a specific gobbler is as likely to have hens on May 31 as on May 1st... You just have to be in the woods that one or two days when he doesn't have female company..

[Lawdwaz]

It is a wonder ANY poults survive with all the odds stacked against them. Weather, predators, (including dogs & cat) and spending so much time on the ground before the can hit a limb as a young bird. Quite a survival story IMO.

I wonder what the percentage of survival is from laid egg to adult bird? Pygmy, help me out here!

[Pygmy]

I have probably read some figures regarding survival rates, but I don't remember the figures.. I do know that a hen turkey who hatches 12 or 14 poults ( very common) has done a good job if she makes it to the fall season with half a dozen of them surviving... From that I would GUESS that poult survival is less than 50%...

If you figure from EGG to adulthood, considering nest predation, it would be significantly lower..

Edited April 15, 2012 by Pygmy

[tughillhunter]

very rare thing to stumble upon i must say. awesome pic!

[Cabin Fever]

I don't believe that cold/wet weather draws predators...

I've read a few articles recently and they all said that wet weather does attract predators to nests. The hen emits an odor when she's wet, which tips off predators to the nests location. I certainly believe this, as turkeys have an odor to them anyway. Top 3 nest raiders are (in order), raccoons, opossums, and skunks.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Cabin Fever

[landtracdeerhunter]

I'm glad to see them on the farm. Not many turkeys in the our area, hope their numbers increase. Not much in the way of nesting material. I'd say her eggs are right on the ground. Have found old pheasant nest in the past, but they were in leaves. Turkeys were very vocal yesterday morning. Had what I believed to be a jake, hen in size, sporting a far size beard though, cross in front of me at about 30 yards. Guess he knows, he's still in the safe zone. Maybe will bring good luck for the upcoming season.

Edited April 16, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[Dave]

Was up state this weekend, took a long walk in the woods. While climbing up an incline loaded with hemlocks a turkey bolted from cover. Scared the daylights out of me, checked where I thought she flusher from and spotted a nest full of eggs. Hope she comes back and hatches the eggs, never disturbed anything.