Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New Trophy's
New trophy room comments
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Classifieds
Trophy Room
New items
New comments
Latest content
Latest updates
Latest reviews
Author list
Series list
Search showcase
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Tennessee Hunting Forums
Long Beards & Spurs
23 more days....update 5/12
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="megalomaniac" data-source="post: 5616693" data-attributes="member: 2805"><p>I'm in middle TN.... </p><p></p><p>I have NO idea when hens breed in other parts of the state, haven't spent any time watching/ hunting them in TN anywhere besides my farms.</p><p></p><p>But after spending 1000s of days with them on my farms and examining developing poults from nests we've broken during 1st cutting of hay peak breeding is the same year after year after year... April 10-14th. Nest initiation peaks April 17-21. Setting peaks May 1-4. Hatching peaks May 29-June 1. This hen happens to be the early breeder/ nester on the bell shaped curve, while the other 11 will start setting over the next 2 weeks hopefully.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>And of course knowing when actual peak breeding has occurred over the past 30 years is the greatest reason I have pushed so hard for a 2 week delay in opening spring turkey season. Sure, it makes killing gobbling males so much easier delaying the season, and for more fun hunts with more gobbles per hunt than April 1st opening... but the real reason for the delay is to allow 2/3s of all the hens to actually mate before the gobblers are killed.</p><p></p><p>And there are STILL several hens who haven't yet bred on my farms. Could have shot a double with a friend 4d ago. I called in 4 hens that had two gobblers in tow. He killed one, the other pounced on his bird and he passed me his gun (I wasn't carrying) and was going nuts for me to shoot the other one 20y away. I pushed the gun back and said "I'm good". He just didn't understand.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="megalomaniac, post: 5616693, member: 2805"] I'm in middle TN.... I have NO idea when hens breed in other parts of the state, haven't spent any time watching/ hunting them in TN anywhere besides my farms. But after spending 1000s of days with them on my farms and examining developing poults from nests we've broken during 1st cutting of hay peak breeding is the same year after year after year... April 10-14th. Nest initiation peaks April 17-21. Setting peaks May 1-4. Hatching peaks May 29-June 1. This hen happens to be the early breeder/ nester on the bell shaped curve, while the other 11 will start setting over the next 2 weeks hopefully. 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. And of course knowing when actual peak breeding has occurred over the past 30 years is the greatest reason I have pushed so hard for a 2 week delay in opening spring turkey season. Sure, it makes killing gobbling males so much easier delaying the season, and for more fun hunts with more gobbles per hunt than April 1st opening... but the real reason for the delay is to allow 2/3s of all the hens to actually mate before the gobblers are killed. And there are STILL several hens who haven't yet bred on my farms. Could have shot a double with a friend 4d ago. I called in 4 hens that had two gobblers in tow. He killed one, the other pounced on his bird and he passed me his gun (I wasn't carrying) and was going nuts for me to shoot the other one 20y away. I pushed the gun back and said "I'm good". He just didn't understand. [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Tennessee Hunting Forums
Long Beards & Spurs
23 more days....update 5/12
Top