Future forecasting

[zelmo1]

My observations have given me a glimpse of my turkey numbers here locally. Almost all of my hunting areas have the fields hayed recently, so we have been out a lot. Saw quite a few jakes, more than average, in some different places. Saw , we think, the same bunch of 4 hens and 14 poults all 3 days, which is great. But we only saw 1 other hen with a single poult in 160 miles of driving. We covered pretty much all of my hunting spots plus a bit more. We saw 9 hens with no poults in our core area and zero poults in the adjacent areas. Not 1 poult outside of the 15, plenty of dry hens, but no poults. We have similar reports from our outdoor activity friends, it is starting to feel a little panicky. We will do our thing and try to keep the predator and nest raider numbers down. But the thing that scares me is that the breeding season never really happened like it usually does. All the dry hens prove it. I wish I could understand why it was so different. Losing a nest is one thing, but never breeding seems like an anomaly that I have never seen before. Anybody else see this same situation? If so, where are you geographically, no exact locations, I'm not trying to steal your spots, lol. I am pretty much in the east central portion of New England. Locally it is a similar story. Just trying to figure it out, it hurts my last 3 brain cells. Z

[Bowguy]

I don't think the hens didn't breed. No reason they wouldn't. Think the poults died w the rainy weather all spring. At least here it's that way

[deerhunt1988]

You mention seeing a lot of jakes. There should be near equal amounts of juvenile hens which nest at much lower rates and have lower nest success when they do nest. On years with lots of jakes, you'll often see small groups of "barren" hens running together which very well could be the jennies.

That being said, the weather was NOT conducive for a good hatch in many parts of the eastern US this year.

[zelmo1]

I'm hoping that it was just a lot of Jennie's. But we usually see way more breeding activity. 🙏🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 Z

[Tom007]

Have seen some poults, none during late season. Can't wait to get the average brood stats from Fish & Game. That usually gives us a clue.....

[WV Flopper]

I literally seen my first poults yesterday. Outlook in my area is bleak! At best.

[WV Flopper]

The rain here has been amazing. I don't really remember having this much rain in such a short condensed period since end of May ever.

Planted enough San Morzonos for 3-4 bushels of tomatoes. I will be lucky to get 1 bushel. Way to much water and disease!

[Greg Massey]

In my area, I have been seeing lots of deer fawns and turkeys. 5 Jakes the other day, within 5 yards of the hunting cabin back door...

[NCL]

Coming home I counted 16 poults, about half grown, and three hens. There were more a short distance further but could not get a count. It was kind of crazy the poults were in the middle of the road running every direction.

[zelmo1]

Scouted while on vacation, 60 miles north of my house, and it was the same. I saw hens and mostly jakes , but only a handful of poults. I think I will be travelling in 2027, or shooting jakes, lol. Z