[spur]

I was helping the neighbor with hay this weekend. Ran a hen with several real small little ones out of one field. Saw a hen with 2 quail sized poults in the same field later in the day. Next morning, he hit 2 hens sitting nest with the cutter. One nest had 8 eggs and the other 11. The nest were about 250 yds apart. This was in Tx county.

 

[Gamegetter]

This time of year its a roll of the dice. Sometimes good results, sometimes bad. You hope to hit it big, but in reality, you really hope to not lose too much.
With nests being only about 250 yards apart, I wonder how many nests you could get on 160 acres? :thinking:

 

[wiser1]

No sense trapping ,,,when you have mowers

 

[killmode]

disc mower?

 

[Hooks]

I have said it many times on here....hay cutters kill more turkeys in MO every year than all other methods combined. My buddy only got two hens on nests this year at one of the farms I hunt. Another farm got 6.

 

[Hawk]

This time of year its a roll of the dice. Sometimes good results, sometimes bad. You hope to hit it big, but in reality, you really hope to not lose too much.
With nests being only about 250 yards apart, I wonder how many nests you could get on 160 acres? :thinking:

13. But if you have 13 nests on 160 acres thats 52 hens per sq mile and 98 total turkeys per sq mile so you would have some of the highest turkey densities ever. Doesnt seem lik that would be point to a predator problem.

They said that hens AVERAGE 500m, but sometimes nest closer. Hitting 2 on that distance highlights the real problem which is lack of high quality nesting cover.

 

[henry]

I have said it many times on here....hay cutters kill more turkeys in MO every year than all other methods combined. My buddy only got two hens on nests this year at one of the farms I hunt. Another farm got 6.

I have not experienced that mowing hay for many years in north central missouri. I cant remember hitting but one maybe two nests mowing 100 + acres a year . Fawns are another story. I dont doubt the stories from you guys. I wonder if its more common in areas with large tracts of mature timber and less common in areas with more brush and understory?

 

[Lazarus]

I wonder how many nests you could get on 160 acres? :thinking:

Just one example of **** stirring that happens here constantly from a few select members.

And Hawk is the problem. SMH

 

[Hawk]

Just one example of **** stirring that happens here constantly from a few select members.

And Hawk is the problem. SMH

I may just post this from here on out. It kinda shuts em down....:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Real Clif Notes....

@henry : Nest predators were the issue on my farm. Ground nesting birds just cant be successful with all these predators.

Hawk: Work on habitat.

Henry : My habitat is perfect, its raccoons.

Hawk : Its habitat and weather.

Henry : Nope, its *****. See, here a quail study that says so. They trapped the same number of nest predators the first year as me and got more quail. Im winning!!!

Hawk : How many quail were there before they started trapping?

@birdman: Well actually they produced a lot of quail with trapping because they already had the most quail per sq mile of anywhere in the US.

Hawk : So youre telling me they removed the same number of predators per sq mile from their area the FIRST year of trapping as henry did, but they had the highest densities of quail anywhere even with all those predators?????

Birdman and Henry: But, but,but... BUT....

Hawk:

View attachment 139243

 

[20']

IF SOME ARE NESTING THIS LATE, WOULDN'T THAT MEAN SOME WERE ON NEST IN EARLY APRIL?

 

[Hawk]

IF SOME ARE NESTING THIS LATE, WOULDN'T THAT MEAN SOME WERE ON NEST IN EARLY APRIL?

Why would one impact the other?

 

[henry]

IF SOME ARE NESTING THIS LATE, WOULDN'T THAT MEAN SOME WERE ON NEST IN EARLY APRIL?

There are some on the nest in early April every year.

 

[20']

There are some on the nest in early April every year.

I thought that wasn't possible, read it on the internet, perhaps even this site

 

[Hawk]

There are some on the nest in early April every year.

I thought that wasn't possible, read it on the internet, perhaps even this site

If you have those early nests this is what poults look like the end of July.

 

[henry]

No. Turkey poults never look like robins and 11 week olds arent as big as adults.

 

[Hawk]

No. Turkey poults never look like robins and 11 week olds arent as big as adults.

Some in that picture could certainly be poults

 

[Gamegetter]

13. But if you have 13 nests on 160 acres thats 52 hens per sq mile and 98 total turkeys per sq mile so you would have some of the highest turkey densities ever. Doesnt seem lik that would be point to a predator problem.

They said that hens AVERAGE 500m, but sometimes nest closer. Hitting 2 on that distance highlights the real problem which is lack of high quality nesting cover.

Partially agree with you here. It makes sense they would nest closer together on high quality nesting cover, but further apart in not so good nesting cover/habitat. If the good nesting habitat is on your property and you can't do anything about the medium quality nesting habitat on the neighbor, doesn't it make sense to help control what you can control legally on your property to give nesting turkeys a better chance of successfully getting poults to the magical age of 15 days or more? :thinking:

 

[Hawk]

Partially agree with you here. It makes sense they would nest closer together on high quality nesting cover, but further apart in not so good nesting cover/habitat. If the good nesting habitat is on your property and you can't do anything about the medium quality nesting habitat on the neighbor, doesn't it make sense to help control what you can control legally on your property to give nesting turkeys a better chance of successfully getting poults to the magical age of 15 days or more? :thinking:

Yes, Which is why you should create more nesting cover

 

[Gamegetter]

Yes, Which is why you should create more nesting cover

Sounds like the nesting cover in this case was hay. Spur, was the hay field mostly clover, mostly fescue or what was the approximate makeup and height?

Hawk or anyone else with an opinion, if my 160 acre farm has:
20% Warm Season Grass,
15% cool season grass/food plots,
35% mature oak/hickory forest,
22.5% mixed timber, younger stand,
5% cedar grove
2.5% creeks/ponds

My E neighbor has 40 plus acres of row crops,
and my W neighbors have a mixture of all of the above.
What should I eliminate to plant more hay/nesting cover?

 

[Hawk]

Sounds like the nesting cover in this case was hay. Spur, was the hay field mostly clover, mostly fescue or what was the approximate makeup and height?

Hawk or anyone else with an opinion, if my 160 acre farm has:
20% Warm Season Grass,
15% cool season grass/food plots,
35% mature oak/hickory forest,
22.5% mixed timber, younger stand,
5% cedar grove
2.5% creeks/ponds

My E neighbor has 40 plus acres of row crops,
and my W neighbors have a mixture of all of the above.
What should I eliminate to plant more hay/nesting cover?

Aggressively thin your timber to make it woodland. Use prescribed fire. Eliminate most spring planted food plots or plant beans very late. Leave half the food plot idle each season at least.

Depending on what your cool season grass is and looks like Id likely try to eliminate it all together and do WSG.