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| Author: | Greyghost [ Fri Apr 28, 2017 7:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Poults |
Hope so as we need a very high poult success rate this year to make up for one of the poorest last year around here. Heard from 2 sources that one person in Fairfax county seen poults that he thought were about 2 weeks old the first week of the season (april 15). The second sighting was last Friday (april 21) in Stafford county the poults appeared at least 2 maybe 3 weeks old since all had ample feathering. Now most States plan the spring season hunting dates so that a lot of the breeding is completed by the start and the fact that we had some warmer weather earlier on, possible. But the breeding cycle is started through photo light in the hens eyes and longer day light , but given other variables I believe that a couple hens here and there could have been breed earlier on and have had an early hatch. Nothing would surprise me anymore concerning the wild turkey. I would love to see some poults appearing now, especially since the last cooler (45-50) weather and rain this last week, which is usually death to a poult. So I am looking hard every where now. Earl |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
While scouting in early march a few years ago l saw poults couple weeks old on the ground, meaning they had to have been born in february. That plus other odd late winer-early spring poult sightings sorta make me think he dang things can almost breed anytime with an older hen. |
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| Author: | Greyghost [ Tue May 02, 2017 2:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Had an actual sighting myself on the way back in to the Check Station. Hen crossing the road with 7 little ones in tow. Maybe 3 weeks old. Earl |
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| Author: | Greyghost [ Mon May 22, 2017 3:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Down the road from the house seen a hen with 4. Earl |
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| Author: | Bird Dog [ Mon May 22, 2017 5:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Friend cutting hay last week had busted 3 nests and cut around 2 others. He had 1 field left to cut. Same farm, he had seen poults early this season as well. It is an ongoing process. |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Tue May 23, 2017 9:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Varying reports this week as hay cutting hit full bore. Neitghbor with farm says they hit three nests in a five acre hay field. Ouch. Also says they saw two groups of 5-10 poults in another field. Very small. High hay makes a death trap for hen with the mowers. And this years rain has created a year of very high first cut hay. Source in middle tenn seeing month old poults groups of up to a dozen birds. this is the today report: l edited this to say i saw five different hens today, totally by themselves, standing in cut hay fields each several miles form other sightings. All in pouring down rain. Not good |
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| Author: | Greyghost [ Fri May 26, 2017 6:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Seen a hen with 6 crossing MCB-6 at the Q. But that was before these heavy rains this week. Although the temp is doing good all this rain has me a little worried. Earl |
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| Author: | Greyghost [ Sat May 27, 2017 10:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Today myself and the retired biologist at the Q were doing a fawn project and seen a hen with 6 in one training area. Then in an LZ that was just recently mowed in the front was 1 hen with 7 and in the back was 1 hen with 10. Other sightings are been noted as well by others this last week. Earl |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Sat May 27, 2017 12:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Great report GG. |
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| Author: | Greyghost [ Mon May 29, 2017 11:34 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
This morning after paying our respect at Quantico National Cemetery the wife and 3 grandkids drove through the hunting areas. What a great experience for the kids and wife. We first drove up on 2 hens with 7 poults. Then later came upon a hen with 8. Later seen 2 hens along the road and there were 15 poults. While driving up next to them the hens gave that cluck and all poults laid down in the grass. The kids had their heads out the window watching. After a short while a couple poults started to whistle. Then the 2 hens split up giving the cluck whine and yelp and all the poults followed. What was neat about that was 6 of the poults followed one hen and 9 followed the other. Well I don't go anywhere without my trumpet and I mimicked what the hens were saying and of course I was ignored. The poults being only a few days old it is amazing how fast they learn thier mothers voice and meaning of basic vocalization. Also seen longbeards one strutting with a hen 2 others that crossed the road so I pulled up to where they crossed and gave a cluck and yelps on the trumpet, one gobbled and came back to about 20 yards from the truck sturtting. Although seeing these poults is great they are young and hopefully they can or a majority can survive thier first month. Earl |
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| Author: | DBLGBL [ Tue May 30, 2017 10:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Anybody else seeing any? 2gbl |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Tue May 30, 2017 12:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Got a report form a guy who bales several thousand bales of hay annually and he says he's seen two hens with more than ten poults each this last few days . He's put up 1500 round bales. He says he has only hit one hen that he knows of. However, I cannot believe we will have good hatch due to rain..however, many many hay fields remain uncut due to the same rain so maybe there will be a bunch of un molested hens who can rear successfully from those uncut fields. I have no sources for mountain bird reports. I listened to a gobbler tear it up for two straight days on a river I fish. Ive also seen a bunch of lone hens scattered in pastures while Im driving to and from fishing |
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| Author: | WAGinVA [ Tue May 30, 2017 3:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
I have seen no poults or single hens in central VA the last two weeks. I have seen 2 gobblers with 5 hens daily in a bare field close to my house. Gobblers are strutting all day and the hens are together like it was the first of April. |
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| Author: | Vic [ Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
Saw a hen laying on the road. She had 11 poults under her. Was kind of cool to see. V |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Thu Jun 01, 2017 9:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Poults |
saw mower killed hen in a teddered hayfield day before yesterday. Couldn't find any nest around her remains though. |
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