Mid - Late Season Behavior?

[Reemus Buckshot]

Now that we are a little into the season (my 1st turkey season) what changes will take place in the birds behavior? I have noticed a lot of gobbles between sun up and 7:30, but it goes silent after that. Will these gobblers start getting lonely? How will their behavior change once these hens start nesting?

 

[muddyboots]

Hens have been nesting for a couple weeks here. IMO the hunting gets tougher as season goes on. They still can be killed just adjust tactics. Tone the calling way back and do some crawling.

 

[buckmaster 320]

Hens have been nesting for a couple weeks here. IMO the hunting gets tougher as season goes on. They still can be killed just adjust tactics. Tone the calling way back and do some crawling.

X 2

 

[Setterman]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Sorry I disagree. Hens roost just like gobblers, gobblers attract the hens, and even if they are laying, they continue to lay as the season goes on. Even if the they have eggs in them they will continue to produce unfertilized eggs and add to the clutch.

That's why they hang around for a while 'till they get the urge, then go add some to the nest.
All eggs a hen is going to lay don't get fertilized at once.

 

[RAFI]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Where I hunt they gobble less each week as season goes along.after the forth weekend they stop gobbling.i hear people say they gobble better late in the season but thats not what I see where I hunt.

 

[muddyboots]

X2

Setterman the gobbling on the roost and gobbling well up in the morning was two weeks ago here. I have seen a gobblers the last few days fly down by theirselves and they are not looking for hens. They start pecking around and going about their business just being turkeys. Some places in the state may get better as the year goes on but doesnt happen here.

 

[Setterman]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Sorry I disagree. Hens roost just like gobblers, gobblers attract the hens, and even if they are laying, they continue to lay as the season goes on. Even if the they have eggs in them they will continue to produce unfertilized eggs and add to the clutch.

That's why they hang around for a while 'till they get the urge, then go add some to the nest.
All eggs a hen is going to lay don't get fertilized at once.

No kidding hens roost just like gobblers. When we were doing nest surveys in Miss, we found that at times many hens would sit all night on their nests, never flying up to roost. There are several opinions on roosting when hens begin sitting full time, and both have evidence to back up their side.

Hens usually lay around 12 eggs, one a day after they have been bred, all twelve are usually fertile, some make it, some don't. They do it in that order so that the poults all hatch on the same day.

While we are at our turkey biology lesson, hens only have to be fertilized once in order to lay a clutch of eggs, they don't have to be fertilized every day just to lay an egg. Sure they do get bred multiple times, but there is a variety of reasons this may occur.

They hang around until all 12 or so eggs are laid, then they leave the toms permanently to sit on their nest. It usually starts around now, and will finish up 26-28 days from the time they finish nesting.

You forget or do not know that I wrote my master's thesis on wild turkeys. I have no problem with you disagreeing with me, but factually you are a little off, other then the obvious that hens do roost.

 

[Setterman]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Where I hunt they gobble less each week as season goes along.after the forth weekend they stop gobbling.i hear people say they gobble better late in the season but thats not what I see where I hunt.

Hunting pressure is the main culprit behind what you might be seeing.

 

[Setterman]

X2

Setterman the gobbling on the roost and gobbling well up in the morning was two weeks ago here. I have seen a gobblers the last few days fly down by theirselves and they are not looking for hens. They start pecking around and going about their business just being turkeys. Some places in the state may get better as the year goes on but doesnt happen here.

It gets better all over the SE from FL, GA, Bama, Miss, LA, up through TN and all over the country.

West TN isn't an isolated island, go read the FL hunting forums, and you will see they experienced the same things you all are right now, only a few weeks ago. Now their birds are gobbling again, and dying as they should.

I know at times it seems like it is over, but please take my word for it, it is far from over. I grew up hunting S. Miss and S. AL, we killed turkeys all the way through the end of the season and could have killed them through the end of may. Last year I went to GA along the FL border and killed a bird, worked birds the whole trip many of which still had hens. It isn't over, just a massive lull which always occurs, and most folks hang it up and never see the end.

 

[Food Plot 101]

Interesting thoughts, but there are poults running around in Sumner and Trousdale County, fact. Guess they skipped the whole nesting thing,lol.

 

[RAFI]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Where I hunt they gobble less each week as season goes along.after the forth weekend they stop gobbling.i hear people say they gobble better late in the season but thats not what I see where I hunt.

Hunting pressure is the main culprit behind what you might be seeing.

nope.They do the same thing on propery we don't hunt.

 

[Setterman]

Interesting thoughts, but there are poults running around in Sumner and Trousdale County, fact. Guess they skipped the whole nesting thing,lol.

Not uncommon at all to have a few hatch off super early, that happens, but survival is very limited on those. I would love to see pics of those poults right now, to see how old they are. A buddy of mine who really has devoted his life to turkeys would like a record of it as well.

 

[Setterman]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Where I hunt they gobble less each week as season goes along.after the forth weekend they stop gobbling.i hear people say they gobble better late in the season but thats not what I see where I hunt.

Hunting pressure is the main culprit behind what you might be seeing.

nope.They do the same thing on propery we don't hunt.

Don't know what to say, other then sorry. For most they fire back up again. I know one of the places I hunted for eons in Bama, the birds would vanish for weeks and then every year about 3 days before the season ended they were right where they were supposed to be.

Only thing to do is quit if they stop talking

 

[RAFI]

They just plowed our fields and the turkey are wearing them out.I might give it another try next weekend to try to get my forth bird.They have been gobbling great in the middle of the day this year but they are in fields off our property strutting.With the fields plowed they have moved into them.

I think plowed fields moght work better than bait lol.Atleast its legal to hunt over.

 

[Anonymous]

Some of the best huntin is yet to come. Gobbling fixin to pick up on the mountain. Second half of the season is my favorite time to hunt.

 

[ghosthunter]

Let's get it on!

 

[Setterman]

They just plowed our fields and the turkey are wearing them out.I might give it another try next weekend to try to get my forth bird.They have been gobbling great in the middle of the day this year but they are in fields off our property strutting.With the fields plowed they have moved into them.

I think plowed fields moght work better than bait lol.Atleast its legal to hunt over.

I agree something about the fresh dirt is more lethal then corn.

 

[tickweed]

I agree also!

 

[Gray Ghost]

Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state. I am sure a handful are, but the majority of hens are still staying with the gobblers all day long. It will change quickly, here in a week or so. When you start hearing bird gobble hard on the roost, then continue to gobble on the ground for a period of time, then you know they are losing a few hens each day which are going to sit. When gobblers gobble all morning, and respond with enthusiasm where woods have been silent, then you know the hens are done with them and sitting full time.

When birds gobble hard on the limb then shut up, the hens are roosting with them, and they all fly down together. Which means they are not nesting, not yet.

Sorry I disagree. Hens roost just like gobblers, gobblers attract the hens, and even if they are laying, they continue to lay as the season goes on. Even if the they have eggs in them they will continue to produce unfertilized eggs and add to the clutch.

That's why they hang around for a while 'till they get the urge, then go add some to the nest.
All eggs a hen is going to lay don't get fertilized at once.

No kidding hens roost just like gobblers. When we were doing nest surveys in Miss, we found that at times many hens would sit all night on their nests, never flying up to roost. There are several opinions on roosting when hens begin sitting full time, and both have evidence to back up their side.

Hens usually lay around 12 eggs, one a day after they have been bred, all twelve are usually fertile, some make it, some don't. They do it in that order so that the poults all hatch on the same day.

While we are at our turkey biology lesson, hens only have to be fertilized once in order to lay a clutch of eggs, they don't have to be fertilized every day just to lay an egg. Sure they do get bred multiple times, but there is a variety of reasons this may occur.

They hang around until all 12 or so eggs are laid, then they leave the toms permanently to sit on their nest. It usually starts around now, and will finish up 26-28 days from the time they finish nesting.

You forget or do not know that I wrote my master's thesis on wild turkeys. I have no problem with you disagreeing with me, but factually you are a little off, other then the obvious that hens do roost.

I neither forgot, nor do I give a cat's behind about what you wrote your master's in, nor am I impressed. In my experience, those who are educated do not need to tell others about it. I really could not care less.

You obviously do have a problem with anyone disagreeing with you due to your "big me little you" responses in almost every post I've bothered to read from you. I've enough knowledge about these birds to know that there is no constant in their behavior. As for your statement "Hens are far from nesting anywhere in this state", pure caca. I've seen em on the nest myself this year, and had a bearded hen stop just short of gun range to plop her big hiney on her nest. Say what you want but it was with my own two eyes.

I respect anyone's opinion when that respect is reciprocated when a/my dissenting opinion is presented. I am sure you will reply with a stingingly typical smart alec reply, but that's ok, some people need to stroke their own ego I guess.

Oh, by the way, in case you get the "big me little you" thing going again, I'm an ejicated feller myself so don't assume you are talking down to someone who is beneath you, as you normally do.

I bet you really hated those pesky professors that picked your thesis apart.