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Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: bearpaw on June 04, 2012, 02:01:18 PM


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Title: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 04, 2012, 02:01:18 PM
The hatch is underway, 4 days ago my friend Ray saw a hen with 11 chicks near Colville.

I am hoping it warms back up soon and the rain isn't to continual. :bash:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Dhoey07 on June 04, 2012, 02:16:52 PM
I saw a hen on saturday with about a dozen chicks behind her up on greenbluff.  Supposed to rain 4 out of the next 5 days here in spokane  :yike:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Machias on June 04, 2012, 03:28:45 PM
But it's pretty warm, so they should be ok, they can handle cold or wet, just not both together.  I'm thinking they are going to be ok!!
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 04, 2012, 03:36:33 PM
But it's pretty warm, so they should be ok, they can handle cold or wet, just not both together.  I'm thinking they are going to be ok!!

Also this is the first of the hatch, if it clears up a little after this week there are more chicks that will be hatching over the next several weeks.

fingers crossed....  :tup:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Gringo31 on June 04, 2012, 03:49:52 PM
I've heard of a few people reporting seeing upland chicks.  I haven't seen a one......starting to get nervous.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 04, 2012, 04:11:30 PM
I haven't seen anything yet down here near Pomeroy.  I holding my breath right now.  It's raining like the proverbial cow and flat rock. 
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: turkeydancer on June 05, 2012, 05:54:49 PM
Thanks for the updates guys ... keep us posted.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: buckfvr on June 05, 2012, 06:07:13 PM
.87 inches of rain in last 24.......I hope they hang on to their eggs for a few more days. Soakin arse wet here.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 05, 2012, 06:29:47 PM
Rained extremely hard last night, raining off and on today, forecast says nasty weather till about the 20th.  :bash:

I was really hoping for a good hatch, but I think my hopes are being washed away.  :(
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 05, 2012, 07:22:03 PM
Its been sheety over here on the wetside too !! Hopefully summer will show up soon ....thanks for the update !!!! Plus it would be nice to know the harvest for this year ..has to be lower since many have not been working  :bash: :bash:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 06, 2012, 07:46:52 AM
another night of rain and coming down hard today too...  :bdid:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Machias on June 06, 2012, 08:38:46 AM
NOW I'm worried about this year's hatch!  :(
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: baldopepper on June 06, 2012, 01:06:20 PM
Just looked at the WashDot camera on Sherman Pass-foot of snow!!! Geeze-my calandar must be screwed up!!
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Special T on June 06, 2012, 02:15:23 PM
.87 inches of rain in last 24.......I hope they hang on to their eggs for a few more days. Soakin arse wet here.

That right there is damn funny!  :chuckle: I've gotten more than that in 1hr of rain than that...  Reminds me of my bro in law talking about the big rain they had... A wwhoping .25 inch... I wring more than that out of my shirt on a little sprinkle like that!
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: turkeydancer on June 06, 2012, 02:42:09 PM
Yepper, on the wetside of the state the poults are born with webbed feet and oars ...... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: buckfvr on June 06, 2012, 03:07:18 PM
Up to 1.66 last 22 hours.......very wet for here......not good for the hatch anywhere.  Its more than enough to kill hatchlings, and thats not funny over here.

Im not complaining about the rain, just worried that we will have another bad spring for the turkey.....be the 3rd one in a row, and yes,  I know you arent making fun of that ST........no question.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Special T on June 06, 2012, 06:48:00 PM
Are there things you can do to help stave off cold/rain? I remember reading some where for... quail, rabbits, something that you could build "brush piles" to help them throught winter/wet springs... something like criss crossed logs with a piece of old metal roofing over it...
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 07, 2012, 10:07:52 PM
The bios say that the real problem with cold and rain is that bugs are not out and the poults do not get enough protein, makes sense.

Rained all day here again, was 34 degrees at my house this morning.  :bash:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Moose22 on June 07, 2012, 10:17:00 PM
Another problem I heard about the wet weather is the smell hens produce when they are wet can make it easier for prey to find them. Don't know if it is true but maybe!
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 07, 2012, 10:20:52 PM
I forgot to mention, there was snow on all the mountains...  :yike: :bdid:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: huntnphool on June 07, 2012, 10:21:57 PM
 For the "glass half full" kinda guys, the deer and elk antler growth should be fantastic. :tup:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Moose22 on June 07, 2012, 10:23:45 PM
I forgot to mention, there was snow on all the mountains...  :yike: :bdid:

Sherman pass was clear at 11:30 but snow in the trees and on the sides.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: BIGINNER on June 07, 2012, 10:25:23 PM
Saw about 30 baby quail 2 weeks ago.  Havent seen them since the rain started.  We have tons of huge brush piles from orchards here though.  Hopefully they survive.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Machias on June 15, 2012, 03:43:21 PM
I've seen lots and lots of quail pairs but no babies yet.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Gringo31 on June 15, 2012, 07:49:20 PM
Saw my first group of quail babies yesterday, had to be 10 or so of em.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on June 16, 2012, 04:23:59 PM
Well 2 1/2 weeks now with rain at least every other day and often every day. We saw baby turkey chicks back in May but have not seen any since.

Haven't been many birds around, figured they were all setting, but some of the hens are showing back up aound the place with no chicks.   :bdid::
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 16, 2012, 04:43:31 PM
Yeah , this rain needs to go away  :yeah: its raining cats and dogs over here right now ...going to mess up my fishing  :bash: :bash:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Gringo31 on June 16, 2012, 09:34:42 PM
I have seen a fair amount of both quail and pheasants still paired up (male/female)...

I'm guessing they are going for round 2.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on June 17, 2012, 07:42:28 AM
Had 2 hens at the house yesterday with 2 chicks...........not good
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: turkeydancer on June 18, 2012, 02:53:41 PM
That's not good news ....  :bash:

Be sure you keep them away from any power lines .... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bagmNtagm on June 19, 2012, 04:35:41 PM
Uh oh ...well I guess we can just hope for the best but it doesn't look to good for the chicks hopefully some good news soon..
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bagmNtagm on June 24, 2012, 01:56:33 PM
Went scouting today and just so happen to come across a hen and 7 chicks...after hearing all the posts on here we weren't expecting to see any birds but got lucky and snapped a photo, shes in some tall grass and its hard to see them all but look closely and you'll see a couple  :tup:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Moose22 on June 26, 2012, 09:05:54 PM
Half dozen hens hanging around the house, no little ones and it is still raining!
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Kowsrule30 on June 26, 2012, 11:47:08 PM
First time ever spotted in my yard.... Two mountain quail with maybe five chicks....   Weird....
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Moose22 on June 27, 2012, 09:31:16 PM
Just checked the trail cam....on Tuesday I got video of two hens and ONE chick. :yike:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 28, 2012, 09:37:58 AM
I've seen several hens but no chicks or poults.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: benhuntin on June 28, 2012, 03:44:37 PM
I have only seen two chicks and they were very cold and wet with two hens.  Not goona be a good year for the little ones.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: buckfvr on June 28, 2012, 03:47:41 PM
Same here...seeing tons of hens from valley floor/lake to 3k plus.......zero chicks. :yike:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 29, 2012, 09:11:23 AM
My youngest son say a hen with 4 poults yesterday in the Tucannon.  First chicks or polts either of has seen.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: BIGINNER on June 29, 2012, 10:14:28 AM
My youngest son say a hen with 4 poults yesterday in the Tucannon.  First chicks or polts either of has seen.

i might have seen that same hen with the poults,  i think the chicks servived because that hen keeps them close to the houses,  all the other hens i saw (tons of them) didn't have poults
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 30, 2012, 05:42:44 PM
 :yike: Man I do not like hearing this ... has it rained alot over there... Over hear we are growing mold on our skin ...it will not go away .... keep us posted ! :tup:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: buckfvr on June 30, 2012, 05:47:50 PM
Tons of rain.....last night I watched at least a dozen does until I could no longer see through my binoculars, and I didnt see a single fawn......2 weeks ago I was seeing them.   :yike:
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: Fishnfowler on July 28, 2012, 09:02:14 PM
I've got two hens with 15 poults in my yard.  They look pretty good.  I haven't seen other broods, but the ones around my place look pretty good. 
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on July 28, 2012, 09:07:33 PM
My wife saw 2 hens with 12 to 15 poults this week at our place, first we've seen, several hens have no poults at all.

Still too early to tell how bad it was for sure, more late hatches might turn up. When they start flocking up this fall we will be able to tell more for sure.
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: wannabhntr on September 01, 2012, 12:38:42 AM
I just a hen last week in Liberty Lake that had four or five chicks that couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. Late hatch or second?
Title: Re: 2012 Turkey Hatch
Post by: bearpaw on September 14, 2012, 08:06:20 AM
We've been out a lot the last 2 weeks hunting bear in the northeast and I have seen a mixed hatch. Now that the chicks are getting bigger the hens are starting to bring their broods into open fields after insects. There are plenty of hens with no young at all, but we have seen groups of 2 to 4 hens with four to eight young, and groups of 2 to 4 hens with 10 to 15 or so chicks. It's pretty obvious that most of the early broods didn't do as well, there are more smaller chicks than larger chicks. In October and November the big flocks will form for winter and I can get a really good count to compare to previous years counts.
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