Hey turkey brains....question for ya.

[Tom Tamer]

Question....be pondering why it seems there are more hens than normal hanging around Toms in late May. My question is do 1st yr adult hens...last years hatch...do they breed? I thought I read somewhere Hens don't nest til they're 2yrs? Trying to figure if we have excessive younger hens whomay not be breeding yet so they have nothing better to do than turn to the gobble or if Tue nest predation is getting so vast and with wet springs there's a lot of renesters already? Did see some poult tracks so that's a good sign.

[yelp]

In some cases mid to late may yearling hens may breed with toms, but usually the early period is when adult hens will breed and the younger hens may not be sexually mature yet.  Adult hens often will breed again in late may if first nest failed too. 

[Tom Tamer]

So later hatches due to wet springs could delay them a bit. Not hearing as old of hens as I use to in my area. Thought may be higher than normal mortality caused the flocks to be younger thus not breeding as early or not. Past three years just seems the hens are ALWAYS around. Even this past weekend.

 Thanks for the info.

[turkeydancer]

Those little biotches can't be trusted ... 

[Tom Tamer]

Those little biotches can't be trusted ... 

I was inufuriated. This past weekend for the last four years the situation I found myself in has warranted in a notched tag. Locate....gobble 1/4mile away....haul beans as fast as I could....get what seems close. Set up call...HAMMERED by two toms roughly 100-150yds out. Later gound signto lead me closer to 100. So gun up wait wait wait...cluck purr cluck...they gobble on my flank now instead of directly in front....then it happens....yelp yelp yelp yelp.... WTF! Get you arse back to the nest WOMENZ!. Nothing aftet that. Circled once more call...hammered as the hen leads them right down to a large black bear that scatters the bird to another canyon. Ugh. While I didn't tag, Callie did and that's what I really wanted for the year. Did find a new deer hunt spot and a spot that warrants a trip in there to find thay bear come Aug. By the track I bet a 6ft'er for sure. At least.

[turkeydancer]

         Sounds like a plan TT ... I think I busted several buttons with Callie's (aka Turkey Whacker) story and picture ... and "Aunt" TD did too !
         Opening day didn't start all that well for me, but that evening I knew where the hens and the toms would probably be coming back through heading to roost. I set up and called soft and sparingly.  Heard the hens coming and let them pass.  They got up on the ridge behind me and really started cackling for the tom minutes later.  He answered where I thought he would be ... he covered about 500 yards in about 4 minutes and came into view ... full strut and occassionally gobbling back at his hens.  I dropped the 20.5 lb Rio at 15 yards.   Next day the wind was awful plus I managed to get busted by hens a few times like you did.  Worse yet, the next day I was really sick.  The next morning I got fooled, got busted, had them hang up, and finally turned an ankle coming off the ridge heading for the 4th gobbler.  Seeing that there was going to be heavy rains and strong winds the next day, I bagged 1-1/2 days earlier than originally planned. 
        I did get to go visit at Yelp's Camp and also at Kirk & JoAnn's which is always a pleasure ... just none of the guys went this year so that wasn't as fun as usual.
        As far as my planned 3 weekends with Eastern's, I just had too many major things come up (as you know) so I'll have to dig out the tag soup recipe.  Good news is I sold the Dodge Dakota for what I was asking and my new F350 King's Ranch will be paid off in June.  And I just  talked to my adopted boy, and he is bringing his new girl friend over from Yakima area and they'll be here dinner tomorrow night .... so I'm very excited.
        Let me know if you are making any plans for fall hunts.  I can get us into some birds in North Lincoln County, Colville/KF area, Northport, or other  ...     

 

[PA BEN]

I think you are seeing the TOMS w/the HENS, not hens w/toms.