Tom with two hens...does this mean anything this late in the season?

[Henry]

We've had a Tom with two hens hanging around for several days. They're roosting the same place tonight as last night.

Does it mean anything? Should the hens be nesting by now?

Is it possible this Tom isn't fertile and needs culled?

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I saw a gobbler strutting with hens yesterday. It's still spring. The hens may be jennies, which sometimes nest a little later. And they probably are nesting, laying an egg per day. They just haven't started incubating yet.

And, if you have a tag, then yes, the gobbler probably needs cullin'

 

[Huntaholic]

So now we have QTMA? Unless hes crippled, thats the most rediculous thing Ive heard of for at least this week! Culling turkeys!!!!!! GEEEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Setterman]

Culling turkeys? Seriously, and also thinking he's infertile? I'm taking crazy pills reading this.

It's still spring, and a male turkey has a couple of hens still. It's nothing more than that.

Are you the type that thinks they're done by Mid April?

 

[knightrider]

It all depends, does he have 3/4 spurs or 1 in spurs? 10 or 10.5 in beard? Is he three or four? We need details

 

[younggun308]

#LetThemGrow, or Michael Chamberlain will be at the foot of your bed tonight when you open your eyes at 2:30am.

 

[Bone Collector]

While others got a kick out of the comment, I can see the infertile thought being a valid question, if you have seen him with the exact same hens all season, and they aren't bred. OF COURSE... that's the issue, it's hard to tell if those are the exact same hens or if they have been bred. If they have only been there a couple of days, they may have just moved to "safer pastures" or so they think.

Also, it is possible he bred them (assuming they have been together all season), and they laid, but something destroyed the nest so they may be starting over. I saw one that I have seen strutting with 4 hens off an on all season, strutting with 4 hens yesterday in the exact same place. I see them almost every day. Either they have nests (no way for me to know) and he is just doing what male birds do in the spring, or they got their nests busted up and he is going to get a second round of breeding.

In mid TN the birds start strutting in Mid March (sometimes earlier) and I see them strutting with hens into June.

 

[Gravey]

All that means is if he gets in range kill him if you want to. If not watch him walk off. Just turkeys being turkeys.

 

[themanpcl]

While others got a kick out of the comment, I can see the infertile thought being a valid question, if you have seen him with the exact same hens all season, and they aren't bred. OF COURSE... that's the issue, it's hard to tell if those are the exact same hens or if they have been bred. If they have only been there a couple of days, they may have just moved to "safer pastures" or so they think.

Also, it is possible he bred them (assuming they have been together all season), and they laid, but something destroyed the nest so they may be starting over. I saw one that I have seen strutting with 4 hens off an on all season, strutting with 4 hens yesterday in the exact same place. I see them almost every day. Either they have nests (no way for me to know) and he is just doing what male birds do in the spring, or they got their nests busted up and he is going to get a second round of breeding.

In mid TN the birds start strutting in Mid March (sometimes earlier) and I see them strutting with hens into June.

Instead of minerals, can we get some turkey viagra for them? haaaaaa

 

[nwsg76]

The gobbler likely identifies as a hen.

 

[Huntaholic]

Ive LMAO all day about this thread! Now its time to get serious, as some already have in their replies. If you are or were a young man, say under 40, and you only got to enjoy female company once a year, WOULDNT YOU STILL BE WITH THEM HOPING FOR ANOTHER ROUND? One breeding is enough to fertilize a whole clutch of eggs, BUT if the nest gets broken up, she will have to be bred again. Go ahead and kill the only male bird around and see how that works out for your future turkey population.

 

[Henry]

Wow, thanks for the education... in the nicest of ways from some of the know it alls. I thought this was a "learn'n" place, but I guess you get a side of sh*t with the learn'n. Appreciate it.

 

[Huntaholic]

Wow, thanks for the education... in the nicest of ways from some of the know it alls. I thought this was a "learn'n" place, but I guess you get a side of sh*t with the learn'n. Appreciate it.

Let me apologize if I have offended you. That wasnt really my intention. It was when somebody else came along and said "yeah, if youve got a tag left, cull him" or something to that effect. THAT was the rediculous part to me and I dont care who that offends. Unless hes crippled, theres NO SUCH THING AS A CULL TURKEY. I sincerely appreciate you asking instead of just assuming he was a dud and killing him.

 

[Henry]

Let me apologize if I have offended you. That wasnt really my intention. It was when somebody else came along and said "yeah, if youve got a tag left, cull him" or something to that effect. THAT was the rediculous part to me and I dont care who that offends. Unless hes crippled, theres NO SUCH THING AS A CULL TURKEY. I sincerely appreciate you asking instead of just assuming he was a dud and killing him.

No worries, obviously, I'm a rookie. Only know a little bit about deer (thus the culling term) and nothing about turkey. We do cull our chickens, specifically the roosters so that's where that concept came from.
There was one group of about 10 turkey on the furthest corner of the property last spring that didn't come anywhere close to the house (20 minute walk from the house on 200 acres).
On opening day this year, that group was in the same area, but we had a new group not far from the pond so a 15 minute walk from the first group. The Tom with the two hens just seemed strange to see. If the hens are adding eggs to their nest each day then hopefully we'll see some babies. We saw some at the front of the property last year.
Hopefully, there will be 3 or 4 groups next year on opening day, but I don't know how this all works.
I did figure out they don't seem to like all the open space mowed regularly so I mowed the unused areas once in April and used the turkey as an excuse to only mow half of what I was mowing last year from then on. We've seen more turkey and deer in those areas because of it...can see them from the house.
Mowed for 3 hours today on the lane, house, pond walking path and around the garden/chicken area and saw three deer. My wife said she saw 1 watching me that I didn't see. That's good news because we took 3 bucks, a button buck and two doe to thin things out because the place had not been hunted for 6 years. I was concerned we took too many. We have identified a deer birthing area on the property though so that's pretty cool. There's a mom and triplets and a mom and twins who were born last spring and they all made it through hunting season.

Anyway, thanks for the education.

 

[Setterman]

Wow, thanks for the education... in the nicest of ways from some of the know it alls. I thought this was a "learn'n" place, but I guess you get a side of sh*t with the learn'n. Appreciate it.

Hey man, it's all good I was being a sarcastic ass and not trying to be mean.

He's just found some willing late season hens ready to breed is my guess. Hunt him and kill him if he gives you the chance

 

[Southern Sportsman]

It was when somebody else came along and said "yeah, if youve got a tag left, cull him" or something to that effect. THAT was the rediculous part to me and I dont care who that offends. Unless hes crippled, theres NO SUCH THING AS A CULL TURKEY. I sincerely appreciate you asking instead of just assuming he was a dud and killing him.

That was my comment, and for the record it was a joke. I think the I idea of truly "culling" animals from wild populations, hoping to improve genetics or for almost any other reason, is laughable. But if the man has a tag available, a strutting turkey nearby, and the season is still open, I'm for hunting him and calling it whatever he wants.

 

[TheLBLman]

We've had a Tom with two hens hanging around for several days. They're roosting the same place tonight as last night.

My first question would be how many other turkeys, particularly long-bearded Toms are you currently seeing in the same or surrounding area?

Often, young Toms (jakes) are mistaken for hens due their beards not yet protruding, and/or being so short they're not noticed. Is it possible you have 3 male birds instead of a Tom & 2 hens?

Male turkeys are currently grouping back up into "bachelor" groups, something that happens annually soon after most hens have been bred.

Should the hens be nesting by now?

Most should have initiated a nest before now.
That doesn't mean they're all "sitting" yet.
Also, my "rule of thumb" is that about half the nests are going to be destroyed by predators and/or some common things like mowing fields & trails on one's property.

Most hens will attempt to establish a new nest after the 1st one is destroyed.
This could be the case with what you're seeing (assuming those two are hens).

Another issue is "young" hens (those born last year) tend to nest later than older hens. What you're seeing could simply be young hens (Jennies) preparing for their 1st nestings.

Is it possible this Tom isn't fertile and needs culled?

Very unlikely on the fertility.
Culling? Don't know what you're talking.
If it was the only Tom using my property, I certainly wouldn't kill him.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea to kill him.
But the choice is yours.

 

[Henry]

Had not considered the other two as possible Jakes. This is day 3 in the same spot so I'm hoping they're hens and found a place to eat and nest. The Tom basically stands there and goes in circles while they're out in the open eating. The other two just eat. We watch them from inside the house or on the front porch.
If they're late jennies then I might wait a few more days before doing anything, but we have some chickens we want to butcher so throwing a turkey in the mix would make things more worthwhile.

 

[Henry]

Okay, this morning, instead of the 3 that have been here for the last week+, we woke up to 5. So, I finally pulled the deer rifle out to use the scope and sure enough, not that this is 100% proof, but all of them have beards. After seeing one with his fan open a majority of the time the first several days, this is the first day there was no fan.

But, while sitting down in the little valley that we look over from the knoll our home/log cabin/lodge/hunting cabin (I don't know what to call it, but it's all those things) sets on, I had my first siting of fawn(s)!!!!!!!!! They came out of the trees and hung out with the turkey. Very cool!!! Very happy to be there and see it.

So, what has the rookie learned? They can all be male turkey this time of the season. Mow one time early in the spring and don't mow again and you get to see a ton of turkey and deer because this is what they want right now! (Don't worry, I still mow 3 hours around the house, garden, each side of the lane, the path around the pond, and a path in the valley and the area on the other side of the garden so we can still take walks and keep the dog happy and encourage the snakes to go elsewhere.)

 

[Henry]

I think I had mentioned that their was a single turkey on the opposite side of the little valley the above video was taken at when I got up to leave Sunday. Just now noticed a single turkey again so got out the scope. NO beard. Hopefully it's a hen with eggs and we'll get lucky and see some babies wandering around soon. Fingers crossed.