[20']

Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a graph and ink show, but could the super wet and prolonged conditions actually help the hatch? I was driving up to Hannibal, then over to Mexico and back last week and it seemed like there was probably more fields and waterways and overall areas that were really overgrown probably due to the conditions and ground being too soft to mow and work.....now, sure I realize it could be offset by the hens that nest in river bottoms and don't realize that most normal Springs have a bunch of rain and creeks and rivers swell. So, basically, the question could the rain after rain after rain potentially help the hatch, rather than all doom and gloom?

 

[20']

PS that area up there looks amazing for wildlife! Also, did talk to a couple guys in Mexico hat shared Yotes sentiment that the turkey population isn't worth hunting in most of that area.

 

[Hawk]

Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a graph and ink show, but could the super wet and prolonged conditions actually help the hatch? I was driving up to Hannibal, then over to Mexico and back last week and it seemed like there was probably more fields and waterways and overall areas that were really overgrown probably due to the conditions and ground being too soft to mow and work.....now, sure I realize it could be offset by the hens that nest in river bottoms and don't realize that most normal Springs have a bunch of rain and creeks and rivers swell. So, basically, the question could the rain after rain after rain potentially help the hatch, rather than all doom and gloom?

Yes. There wqa a year not long ago when we had rain and didnt get crops in and there was a very good hatch. Research has shown that poult survival has been the biggest issue the last few years in MO. There are 1000s of extra acres of brooding habitat out there right now.

 

[20']

Yes. There wqa a year not long ago when we had rain and didnt get crops in and there was a very good hatch. Research has shown that poult survival has been the biggest issue the last few years in MO. There are 1000s of extra acres of brooding habitat out there right now.

yes in some areas 1000s more and some areas 1000's less (like none)!

 

[killmode]

no

 

[20']

no

are you thinking the gain is offset by the losses, which would make sense. Also, lots of critters displaced to dry gounds

 

[henry]

Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a graph and ink show, but could the super wet and prolonged conditions actually help the hatch? I was driving up to Hannibal, then over to Mexico and back last week and it seemed like there was probably more fields and waterways and overall areas that were really overgrown probably due to the conditions and ground being too soft to mow and work.....now, sure I realize it could be offset by the hens that nest in river bottoms and don't realize that most normal Springs have a bunch of rain and creeks and rivers swell. So, basically, the question could the rain after rain after rain potentially help the hatch, rather than all doom and gloom?

The cover will definitley help later brooding. Hatching and early brooding will be the problem. Renesting hens are just as susceptible to hay mowers as early nesting hens. The rain has been so long term , my expectations are not very high.

 

[20']

The cover will definitley help later brooding. Hatching and early brooding will be the problem. Renesting hens are just as susceptible to hay mowers as early nesting hens. The rain has been so long term , my expectations are not very high.

this makes sense as well. I could be wrong, but the evening and overall temps haven't been too cold to be a factor have they???

 

[Hawk]

yes in some areas 1000s more and some areas 1000's less (like none)!

Floating covers a very very small percent of the area where turkeys would nest or brood. Yes the ones that would have brooded and nested in that flood area are probably lost but it does benefit the rest of the state.

 

[henry]

this makes sense as well. I could be wrong, but the evening and overall temps haven't been too cold to be a factor have they???

It doesnt have to be real cold to kill wet poults. We had night time temps in the 40s memorial weekend and fairly cool june temps overall. I hope for the best but dont see anything to be optimistic about.

 

[Hawk]

this makes sense as well. I could be wrong, but the evening and overall temps haven't been too cold to be a factor have they???

For about the 1st 2 weeks of June we were extremely dry in North Missouri. And fact it was so dry that we didn't even disk R food plots at 1 point. And that is the exact time that most nets are hatching and when poulter susceptible to hypothermia. If we had had cold temperatures and rain combined through that period then I would be much more pessimistic.

 

[Fullfan]

Stinky hens make easy targets

 

[killmode]

Predation of nests and hens on the nest increases on wet days/nights. Just like a wet dog smells, wet hens emit more scent too. It's also harder for the hen to keep her chicks warm and dry if/when they do hatch but the wet hen is the bigger issue.

 

[Hawk]

Predation of nests and hens on the nest increases on wet days/nights. Just like a wet dog smells, wet hens emit more scent too. It's also harder for the hen to keep her chicks warm and dry if/when they do hatch but the wet hen is the bigger issue.

That's a theory that has not been proven. We know for a fact that Paul survival has been very low the last 2 years And that is most likely a function of lack of quality brood cover due to multiple things like weather and landscape changes inculding lack of brooding habitat due to early farm work.

 

[Fullfan]

That's a theory that has not been proven. We know for a fact that Paul survival has been very low the last 2 years And that is most likely a function of lack of quality brood cover due to multiple things like weather and landscape changes inculding lack of brooding habitat due to early farm work.

it doesn't need to be proven and documented in some study that nobody but you will ever read, it is common sense

 

[Hawk]

it doesn't need to be proven and documented in some study that nobody but you will ever read, it is common sense

There are lots of things that people considered common sense until they were actually scientifically studied.

 

[20']

I know a wet gobbler stinks a lot worse than a dry one when I kill them! Not sure if that translates to the sultry hens

 

[killmode]

it doesn't need to be proven and documented in some study that nobody but you will ever read, it is common sense

Why do you say that it doesn't need to be proven? I'm guessing our resident know it all idiot has chimed in saying it hasn't lol. It has been proven via radio transmitters on hens. Predation of hens increases in wet weather...

 

[Fullfan]

Why do you say that it doesn't need to be proven? I'm guessing our resident know it all idiot has chimed in saying it hasn't lol. It has been proven via radio transmitters on hens. Predation of hens increases in wet weather...

yes, I guess you have him on ignore

 

[killmode]

yes, I guess you have him on ignore

:cheers: