23 more days....update 5/12

[Gravey]

That's really cool. Will be interesting to follow and see how she does.

 

[Bone Collector]

The main flock near me is about 30 birds. Last year we had 2 of those hens running together in may with about 25 poults combined. Made me feel good that at least that many turkeys were able to hatch.

By July that number was down to 10-12 poults, but then we kinda lost track of them after that. I've trapped coyotes and other critters for the last 6 months. I'm hoping it helps in some way.

My neighbor says 15 years ago there were flocks of 100s of turkeys in this bottom, and one time saw over 15 longbeards in a single field. Seems like a pipe dream now, but maybe we can recover some of that.

when I started hunting them in 2010 there were flocks of hundreds on the WMAs and sometimes during deer season I'd see 20+ Long beards together. Now they are gone.

 

[AT Hiker]

....
I'm REALLY worried this year is going to be a disaster year in the hayfields in my areas... Early spring greenup with early growth of the fescue makes the fields unusually tall and attractive during nesting site selection. THEN the hammer... unusually cooler weather in April to slow the growth of the fescue which delays cutting of hay by a week. That week delay in cutting hay pushes us back from the 3rd week of May to the 4th week of May. Run a mower around a nesting hen the first 21 days of incubation and she is bailing off unharmed. You lose the nest, but at least the hen survives. Run a mower over a nest the last 7 days of incubation and the hen is not leaving for anything... you lose the nest AND you kill the setting hen as well. I'm afraid we are in for a bloodbath this year due to the early greenup, but cool weather in April.....

IDK, this hay season could be unique. Early Spring, now its turning dry, nighttime temps have turned back cool and the future forecast for early May looks dry. Early May temps look to be low 70's and high 40's but no rain...we shall see what it does to the hay crop.
Then again, it might top out and need to be cut asap in order to maintain any quality.

 

[megalomaniac]

Well, she lost her first nest a couple days ago. Hen is now off the nest and roaming around like normal, no longer setting. Researchers hasn't been to the nest site yet to determine what predated it (birds vs mammals vs snake).

She was pretty early in the incubation process and there are 3 toms I left on that farm so she should be able to at least mate again and initiate another nest.

 

[megalomaniac]

She has moved back to the center of the farm near the cow pasture fields this past week. Not sure if she has started another nest. We had to go ahead and bushhog the 4ac game plot near where she started her original nest this week to get ready for the summer plot. Didn't hit any other nests, saw 2 box turtles, a few rabbits, bit no timber rattlers (which is weird, this farm is loaded with those)

This is the first year for this plot, previously was kept open with bushhogging, but was nothing but coralberry, greenbrier, blackberry.