Nests ruined…

[Bone Collector]

Small sample but Ive watched a particular flock of birds over the years on my way to work. They're not being hunted and I can watch the dominant Tom strut for hens starting in late Feb to early March. This year was no different and he was in his normal spot all the way until mid April. Then he shifted further from the road and closer to the woods back by the creek and slowly but surely it was just him back there.

I knew the hens had nested and he was just trying to offer his services if they needed them . On the way in Yesterday (I go in T-W), I thought "I wonder if the flooding washed the nests out". Sure enough he was back up front strutting with 3 hens. The subordinate Tom was in the next field headed their way.

Point is for those with tags this storm/flood may have reset some things and you may find yourself with some good hunting the last two weeks of season.

 

[megalomaniac]

I had some of the best turkey hunting I've ever had the past 4 days in TN. All the gobblers were still roosted with 1 or 2 hens every place I hunted. They stuck together tight in the early morn after flydown, but the gobblers were talking great to try to pull another hen in. But once you hit 8 to 9am, the hen would leave and the toms got desperate. Had 1 bird gobble at least 100x glued in a spot 100y away holding his ground. Jake yelps then the silent treatment broke him down. Had another that came in gobbling the whole way from 300 yards away.

I will say the late afternoon gobbling (after 3p) was almost nonexistent this trip.

The hens were all adults that were with the toms, so I'm assuming they have just started laying or perhaps are breeding again to renest after losing their initial nest.

 

[Wrangler95]

It has rained here for most of 3 weeks!Two men at Church told me 2 weeks ago that they had seen poults with at least 3 hens but I fear the worst with this rain so long!