Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Machias on June 02, 2010, 02:30:52 PM

Title: Hatch
Post by: Machias on June 02, 2010, 02:30:52 PM: I'm not feeling too good about all this cold wet rain we're getting over here. I don't think it bodes well.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: bowhunterforever on June 02, 2010, 02:41:11 PM: Yea me too :bash: I saw a hen the other day and she only had 1 chick.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on June 02, 2010, 04:00:01 PM: It has been cold and wet through the peak hatch period for most of our prized upland bird species here in north-central Washington. I predict limits of anything that doesn't have a blue leg band will be few and far between.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: bobcat on June 02, 2010, 04:18:57 PM: I guess instead of going pheasant hunting to SE Washington I will be going coyote hunting instead. And instead of grouse hunting in September I will be bear hunting and scouting for early muzzleloader deer season. I will get by but I'm not sure how my dog is going to handle it.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on June 03, 2010, 07:56:09 AM: I saw a hen with 10 poults in between rain storms..I am always optimistic however. The hen would walk 5 yards and squat down all the poults would run up under her wings...she would get up and do the same thing. They looked about 2 weeks old size wise.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 03, 2010, 08:25:09 AM: Haven't seen anything since the rains. However last week saw a hen with about 6-8, 3 day old-ish chicks. She was hunkered down alongside the road. I stopped to take a pic and the camera wouldn't work, $%^#$^@@$%%^&^%*!!!.

She stood up and stepped into the tall grass. The chicks were all confused. She clucked and off they ran. She got about 4 feet into the grass and disappeared.

Have seen some pheasant and quail chicks recently but nothing in the past week.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on June 04, 2010, 04:59:05 PM: Haven't seen any young of the year birds, north of Spokane yet. This rain has to be hard on them. We should be in the peak hatching time right now. I think there is a lot of reason for concern.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on June 04, 2010, 06:39:17 PM: Quote from: Hangfire on June 04, 2010, 04:59:05 PM
Haven't seen any young of the year birds, north of Spokane yet. This rain has to be hard on them. We should be in the peak hatching time right now. I think there is a lot of reason for concern.

I would wait until July..most poults are visible then..Its still early. poult mortality happens even with optimal conditions. I also am always optimistic.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: bowhunterforever on June 07, 2010, 12:49:24 AM: Saw another hen today and she only had 3 chicks. :bash:
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: ICEMAN on June 07, 2010, 05:01:34 AM: Darn it! :bash:
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: boneaddict on June 07, 2010, 06:25:37 AM: Yep, its across the line of species......here's to a second hatch.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: bowhunterforever on June 07, 2010, 12:45:26 PM: Will hens have a second hatch if they only have a few chicks for there first or do they have to loose them all?
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: boneaddict on June 07, 2010, 01:16:38 PM: They'll squeeze in a double if time allows. Generally they won't start laying as early so they aren't as developed when season or winter rolls around.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 09, 2010, 11:55:58 AM: One the way home last nite saw two hens and about a dozen chicks. I snapped a couple of pics but I'm not sure how the turned out. If I have time tonite I'll post them.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Meats on June 09, 2010, 04:28:57 PM: Quote from: bowhunterforever on June 07, 2010, 12:45:26 PM
Will hens have a second hatch if they only have a few chicks for there first or do they have to loose them all?

Most birds speices only have a 2nd hatch or nest attemp if the firs nest is lost..........not hatched and lost.
If the nest is destroyed or does not hatch she will make a 2nd attempt.
If the eggs hatch and the young are lost..............she will NOT attempt a 2nd nest.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 11, 2010, 11:53:20 AM: We have been very concerned too. Record rainfall in May and we are still getting rain almost every day.

One good thing, there has been sunny times most days, so perhaps the chicks are getting a few insects to survive. My fingers are crossed, as someone else said, July will show us how the hatch went. :)
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on June 11, 2010, 12:19:09 PM: Seen another nice size group of poults this week. Quail hatches too.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: lokidog on June 15, 2010, 05:54:49 AM: Saw 5 chicks yesterday in front of the house, looked to be the same size as week old chickens. The next door neighbor saw a hen with 8 tiny chicks in his yard last Saturday. Another local saw a hen with 6-8 chicks about three weeks ago. Looks like a good year here on the island.

The toms are still gobbling this morning. I don't recall hearing them this late in the year before.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on June 19, 2010, 10:25:24 PM: I saw 2 hens with estimated 6 chicks each. It was very difficult to tell exactly how many do to the tall grass. This was south of Deer Lake about 5 miles in Stevens county.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on June 20, 2010, 09:17:24 PM: I've seen 20-25 pairs of quail and not one single chick yet. :(
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: ICEMAN on June 21, 2010, 05:46:11 PM: :'(

Boy I hate hearing that...
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on July 03, 2010, 12:02:02 AM: Saw three turkey hens yesterday, a mile west of Deer Park. There were two hens on the right side of the road. My wife counted 14 plus chicks. The hen on the left was in tall grass, couldn't see any thing. A week ago my nephew near Sacheen Lake saw a hen with a bunch of chicks as he phrased it, couldn't get a count. I saw three hens with out any chicks along Fertile Valley road. It appears that there is a very large variation in brood size. Since it is so wet one would expect poor hatching. Once it dries enough so hay fields can be cut, so we can see, it may be possible to get some brood counts.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Gringo31 on July 03, 2010, 07:03:23 AM: I've only seen two pheasants with chicks. One had 4 chicks, the other only one. I've seen zero quail chicks so far but did see one group of 12-14 hun chicks the other day.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on July 03, 2010, 08:37:56 PM: I saw four hens today in a group...no chicks. :'(
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: sako223 on July 03, 2010, 09:39:54 PM: We have had the rain too and some chicks died, yesterday found a pile of eggs abandoned. Still there are hundreds of chicks around often 16-50 at a time. People stopping by are in awe at the large broods. Some look half grown today, others the size of mice.
These can't possibly be the only ones in the state.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on July 03, 2010, 10:37:56 PM: Every summer I see tons and tons of quail and turkey chicks, haven't seen a single one this year, lost of quail pairs and several hens, not a single chick. Glad to hear your seeing some.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on July 03, 2010, 11:23:16 PM: Quote from: Meats on June 09, 2010, 04:28:57 PM
Quote from: bowhunterforever on June 07, 2010, 12:45:26 PM
Will hens have a second hatch if they only have a few chicks for there first or do they have to loose them all?

Most birds speices only have a 2nd hatch or nest attemp if the firs nest is lost..........not hatched and lost.
If the nest is destroyed or does not hatch she will make a 2nd attempt.
If the eggs hatch and the young are lost..............she will NOT attempt a 2nd nest.

What you posted is certainly consistent with the turkey literature - that said, I have had radioed hens hatch a brood, lose it, and renest. Oddly, they typically relocated 20-50 air miles before renesting.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on July 04, 2010, 10:25:07 AM: Quote from: DOUBLELUNG on July 03, 2010, 11:23:16 PM
Quote from: Meats on June 09, 2010, 04:28:57 PM
Quote from: bowhunterforever on June 07, 2010, 12:45:26 PM
Will hens have a second hatch if they only have a few chicks for there first or do they have to loose them all?

Most birds speices only have a 2nd hatch or nest attemp if the firs nest is lost..........not hatched and lost.
If the nest is destroyed or does not hatch she will make a 2nd attempt.
If the eggs hatch and the young are lost..............she will NOT attempt a 2nd nest.

What you posted is certainly consistent with the turkey literature - that said, I have had radioed hens hatch a brood, lose it, and renest. Oddly, they typically relocated 20-50 air miles before renesting.

Wow that is a long way to move.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Curly on July 04, 2010, 11:18:42 AM: Quote from: sako223 on July 03, 2010, 09:39:54 PM
We have had the rain too and some chicks died, yesterday found a pile of eggs abandoned. Still there are hundreds of chicks around often 16-50 at a time. People stopping by are in awe at the large broods. Some look half grown today, others the size of mice.
These can't possibly be the only ones in the state.

Sako223, what part of the State are you located? :dunno:
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on July 14, 2010, 08:56:08 PM: Talked to a neighbor today, who saw a turkey hen with a couple of newly hatched chicks a couple of days ago. Apparently some late or second hatching. I saw a road killed chick a week ago that was larger than a mature pheasant.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on August 02, 2010, 07:15:12 PM: Saw two broods along Lake Roosevelt yesterday. 23 birds 2 adult hens 21 poults..good size too. Good to see for sure!
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on August 02, 2010, 09:55:21 PM: Glad to hear it. I STILL have yet to see a quail chick or a turkey poult on the west plains. :'(
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on August 04, 2010, 10:07:17 PM: Still seeing a huge variation in brood size, from none to large broods and from 1/2 grown to couple weeks old. I would think that indicates a lot of stress at normal hatching time.

Saw my first brood of pheasants yesterday. There were 8 or more chicks, about 2 weeks old. Still have not seen any quail chicks.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on August 06, 2010, 08:22:55 AM: Saw my first batch of quail babies this morning and it was huge and they were all little flying ping pong balls. Probably 14 in one brood. :)
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Thenewguy on August 06, 2010, 11:41:13 AM: There seemed to be a decent hatch in alta
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Hangfire on August 06, 2010, 09:27:33 PM: Visited friends near Loon Lake today. They had two pair of quail with chicks in there yard. One brood about 2 weeks old the other brand new. Both broods 8-10 little ones.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on August 09, 2010, 07:52:03 PM: Seeing lots of quail, chukars and turkeys in the last few weeks while I was out and about! :)
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on August 09, 2010, 08:46:48 PM: Finally! :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Clumber on August 10, 2010, 03:53:22 PM: Over by our house, of all places, we spotted a troupe of Quail - 1 male, 2 females, and a whole passel of little fuzzy bumblebees hurrying along behind. There had to be at least 8-12 babies. This is right over in Rochester. If that brood has survived the throngs of domestic cats wandering everywhere, I would ~~think~~ hope less urban ones would have an even better haul.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: yelp on August 22, 2010, 08:22:42 PM: I was up camping on lk roosevelt saw numerous broods..poults look good!
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Phantom Gobbler on August 25, 2010, 10:57:31 PM: Glad to hear these reports from the field. Sounds like the Fall Hunt will be a good one.
Title: Re: Hatch
Post by: Machias on August 26, 2010, 08:02:21 AM: Yea, I'm feeling ALOT better than I was in early summer, saw a nice batch of turkey poults finally and this morning I saw a group of quail that was huge, probably 40 birds.