How does it work?
My impression is:
- Before breeding the birds are in large groups.
- As the hens get ready to breed, there is some dominance established and birds break up into smaller groups.
- As breeding starts maybe a couple of toms in a group with multiple hens, and the dominant bird doing most of the breeding. Hens and toms stay together most of the day.
- As hens start to drop eggs, they no longer roost, but still breed with the toms for a bit in the morning, leaving them for the nest. (probably the best time period to kill a tom).
- After all the eggs are dropped the hens no longer meet the toms in the morning, and the toms slowly become less interested in breeding.
Someone correct me, and fill in the blanks... How long typically do the birds spend breeding, and how long are the toms actively looking for hens?
I would love a detailed explanation of this process...
My opinion and what I've witnessed and read. When you see those big flocks with hens early in the season is when most of the breeding occurs. After being bred the hens start looking for nesting areas and is what people refer to as the break up. She will lay an egg every day or so till she has a full clutch. She is still flying up to roost at this time. She may still go to the gobbler in the mornings but more than likely she's not breeding again. Hens can store the sperm up to 30 days. She will then head off mid morning to tend to her nest. Once she has her full clutch then she will sit for about 28 days only getting off it to eat and drink. The pecking order is always being worked out tho I believe a lot of it is sorted out when the gobblers are traveling together and start feeling frisky.
I am hunting a property that had probably somewhere between 75-100 birds on it during the winter... 600 acre property with ponds spread throughout in rolling foothills...
Come turkey season, I was aware of only three toms and about 20 hens... Never saw a jake... I am assuming that these bigger flocks spread out some during the season?
I was under the assumption that hens keep breeding until all the eggs are layed... And, once the hens have layed all the eggs, they stop breeding and mingling with toms.
This is an interesting topic. Speaking of "not roosting" this brings back a memory. It was the 23rd or May and I was sneaking in on a gobbler roosted at the end of an old run way. I snuck into to the woods and set up hoping to bring this late season bird in with very minimal calling. It just so happens that I sat down and started hearing some puts when it appeared WAY to early for fly down and I scan to my left and at 10 yards was a hen. Never heard her fly down....
She came in front of my at 10 yards and layed down and didnt move. I made one call when the gobbler hit the group he gobbled and 10 minutes later, came in with a hen and 2 jakes. He walked over to the hen the had been laying there for probably a half hour now and bred her right before my vary eyes and the only sound that came from my direction was me. He bred her and I shot him when he finished (best way to go in my opinion). It just amazed me that he didn't hesitate and almost knew she was going to be there waiting for him....