Done Breeding Already??

[cornfedkiller]

I read an article from Dr. Williams the other day that pretty much said no matter how early of a spring it is, hens do not come into "heat" early, and that it is all determined by the amount of daylight (photoperiod), since mother nature is not "dumb" enough to rely on the weather for determining when turkeys (and deer) should breed.  He said that the early spring and warm weather will get the gobblers all fired up and gobbling earlier, but the hens will not be bred any earlier.

I have a friend that was just hunting down in texas and he said the hunting was really tough.  He said that the birds were all bred already and the toms showed no interest in any decoys, calls, etc..

What say you guys?  Have some (or all) hens been bred already?

I am heading to Kansas in two and a half weeks, and Im a little worried about what its gonna be like if what my friend said is the case..

[Trevor2]

A few of the hens have been bred but were still in full force here.

[1iagobblergetter]

Just remember a bad day of hunting is better than a good day at work.

[jakebird]

Ive already had phenomenal hunting while a few miles away my buddies were getting whipped. No gobbling, turkeys not interested, henned up in one place, but not another. Interestingly, the whitetail rut is the same. One guy says theyre rocking where he hunts, the next guy claims five miles away the rut never even happened. Its all in location and timing, and prob some factors we dont entirely understand. If u cant try a diff area, u just have to be persistent. Ive seen the dead sea turn into a crazy jungle room in 24 hrs, and ive seen it do the opposite. I believe dr williams. The timing rarely fluctuates more than a week or two any direction. Pa had the same warm, early spring. A buddy just observed a hen laying her first egg. Right on cue, april 2nd right about where they should be, puts her sitting nest about may 1st, just like most every year in PA. Poults should hatch around memorial day or first wk of june.

[gunnerj]

Yes some hens have been mounted. I've never seen where they have just been done. Sometimes the toms may take a little time off, may not hit it as hard, but never just up and done. Iowa's 4th season is completely after breeding in May, and probably the best/easiest time to call toms. Have fun and GOOD LUCK in Kansas, Cornfed!

[larry9988]

photopriod is the key. hens on average are beginning to lay now. some have already layed some will begin in a few days. april 6 is our median date for egg laying to begin.

[cornfedkiller]

Good info guys..thanks.

I was unaware that some hens were typically bred by this time on "normal" years anyways..

[mrclif]

This season proves that photo period crap ain't true, these guys that get thier education in a classroom and not in tha woods can say what they want but here in bama were 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Hens have left the gobs and are nesting. Better killem while u can it's getting close to being done here.
They are gobbling good most places here and none I've worked or harvested this year have had hens with em.

[contagious]

Set up on a bird in Linden al. last Sat. morning.9 hens flew down with the tom being last at 7.20am.Don't think they are through yet.!! 

[bushwhacker]

Right on schedule in southern missouri. Gobblers gobbling on the roost and shutting up when they hit the ground, gobblers loaded with hens all are typical of the first week of april. I believe it has more to do with the daylight hours than the weather. Just like the whitetail rut, it might vary by a week or so from year to year but not much more than that.

[cornfedkiller]

Right on schedule in southern missouri. Gobblers gobbling on the roost and shutting up when they hit the ground, gobblers loaded with hens all are typical of the first week of april. I believe it has more to do with the daylight hours than the weather. Just like the whitetail rut, it might vary by a week or so from year to year but not much more than that.

Thats what I like to hear 

[Spring_Woods]

I think we are pretty much right on schedule here in WV. The turkeys are still really bunched up and every single gobbler is with hens right now from the roost in the morning on, and while some hens are being bread some havent yet, just like the whitetail rut some are early some are late just depends. By the time season comes most hens will be on the nest and gobblers will be lonely and looking.

The first couple weeks of the season are going to be epic this year.

[bbcoach]

This season proves that photo period crap ain't true, these guys that get thier education in a classroom and not in tha woods can say what they want but here in bama were 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Hens have left the gobs and are nesting. Better killem while u can it's getting close to being done here.
They are gobbling good most places here and none I've worked or harvested this year have had hens with em.

I'm not saying crap to photo period but I believe we are three to four weeks ahead of schedule here in Eastern NC as well.  I've been scouting for two weeks prior to Saturday's Youth Day 4/7 and have heard a total of two gobbles early in the morning.  We are seeing birds but it's Gobblers by themselves and alot of single hens feeding by themselves first thing in the mornings.  Haven't seen the Gobblers and hens together at all.  Got on one Gobbler Saturday, had him gobble once, strutted once worked him to 60 yards but he wouldn't commit and walked away.  I'm also hearing some of guys say they have seen hens with poults already also.  I haven't though.  The Weather Channel website said that March was the warmest March on record ever.  Still looking forward to chasing the birds but I believe we'll have to work very hard for birds this year.  That's why we call it Hunting instead of Killing.  Good Luck to Everyone and Be Safe.

[Bclarke]

I've had this discussion many times and it's hard to tell.  The daylight is the same in Florida and Alabama vs. Va, but they have been gobbling and breeding for two months there.  I know here in Va. I watch for the dogwoods to bloom and that's the peek usually.  It happened around March 15, which is about 7 to 10 days early.  Youth day this past Saturday we had numerous birds gobbling well after fly down .   A couple of long beards had hens with them yelping back.  I think the hunting Will be just fine well into May here!

[sugarray]

This season proves that photo period crap ain't true, these guys that get thier education in a classroom and not in tha woods can say what they want but here in bama were 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Hens have left the gobs and are nesting. Better killem while u can it's getting close to being done here.
They are gobbling good most places here and none I've worked or harvested this year have had hens with em.

Nice, guess this is what you say when you don't like what your doctor tells you too.  Sorry to piss on this thread, but when someone dumps on education b/c it doesn't jive with what they believe just really sticks in my craw.