Charlie Elk

pseudonym of a man

  • News
  • Think Pieces / Opinion
  • Turkey Hunting
    • Fall Turkey
    • Spring Turkey
    • turkey hunting tips
    • Stories
  • Humor
  • Deer Hunting
  • Willow Ridge Custom Turkey Calls

Turkeys are Hatching in West Central Wisconsin

June 12, 2016 by Charlie 5 Comments

Turkeys are hatching in West Central Wisconsin

Turkeys are hatching in West Central Wisconsin

3 egg nest

This photo was taken one day before the next one which shows four eggs.

In spite of wet, chilly weather wild turkeys are hatching all across West Central Wisconsin. Ground temperatures are more important than the air temperature in determining the timing of laying, setting and hatching.   Recently hatched poults are being reported near their nests with the brood hen nearby watching over them.

Recently hatched wild turkey poults in West Central Wisconsin. June 11, 2016

Recently hatched wild turkey poults in West Central Wisconsin. June 11, 2016

Turkeys lay eggs one at a time, one per day in open woodlands or along the edges of fields.

Turkeys lay eggs one at a time, one per day in open woodlands or along the edges of fields.

 

 

 

 

Other broods that consist of fully feathered poults with limited flying skills have been seen along roadsides and in ditches feeding on insects.   Insects are the most important first food items for the newly hatched turkeys. These poults are roosting in trees at night; this provides them much more safety than huddling on the ground with their brood hen.

When poults are a few days old and flightless they remain frozen in place as their primary defense.

When poults are a few days old and flightless, they remain frozen in place as their primary defense.

Poults can be very hard to see in all the lush springtime growth. More than likely poults have been hatching since early May when ground temperatures rose to 50 degrees.

turkey poults 3

Three wild turkey poults in this picture. Notice how well they blend into their surroundings.

If a brood or nest is destroyed, hens will re-nest until late August to early September, and this is why hunters sometimes see grouse sized poults in October.

 

 

Hens store sperm for about 90 days to make re-nesting possible.  Gobblers can continue to breed hens through July; occasionally strutters will be spotted in fields during July with hens present.

Courtesy of D Gordon Robertson

Brood hen with poults. Courtesy of D Gordon Robertson

If you like what you see, I urge you to get out and see what is going on in your area and then let us know here in the comment section.  I really enjoy being out at all times of the year.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Featured Story, News, Spring Turkey Tagged With: Wild Turkey

Comments

  1. FirstBubba says

    June 16, 2016 at 9:01 am

    AWESOME!
    I really wanted to get out and do some photography but between the rains and other issues, I haven’t been able to get away!
    Hopefully next year!

    Reply
    • Charlie says

      June 17, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Bummer, I feel your pain in not being able to get out. Fortunately, I’m in a very rural setting which makes it easy for me to go for a walk whenever the mood strikes just to see what I can see. Too bad my good camera’s battery was dead so I had to use my cellphone camera. All of in motion pictures turned out too blurry to use.

      Reply
  2. WRC says

    June 29, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    I had a hen cross the road in front of me yesterday afternoon on my way home from town. She had 13 poults with her, they crossed the road and went into a cut hayfield to feed, the poults were about the size of a crow. That’s the first big brood I’ve seen this year, most of the hens I’ve seen will have 3 to 5 poults with them.

    Reply
    • Charlie says

      June 29, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      That’s an unusually large brood. Perhaps a brood hen died and her survivors were adopted?

      Reply
      • WRC says

        June 30, 2016 at 1:22 pm

        Was wondering the same thing, but very one of the poults were the same size. Who knows?

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No other email will be sent to you.

comments

  • Justin on Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
  • Kathy Eldred on Beavers Eat and Store Corn
  • Toney Jacob on Hunting Deer From the Ground in Wisconsin
  • Anthony Lumbard on Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
  • Bryan Ash on Wild Turkeys See In Color; But Will Pink Spook Them?
  • Jim Sinquefield on How to Legally Bait Wild Turkeys

Top Posts

  • How to Legally Bait Wild Turkeys
    How to Legally Bait Wild Turkeys
  • Best Coyote Call - - Turkey Yelps
    Best Coyote Call - - Turkey Yelps
  • Patterning Board Surprise!
    Patterning Board Surprise!
  • Does Wild Venison Tastes Best when Procured in September or Early October?
    Does Wild Venison Tastes Best when Procured in September or Early October?
  • What do Wild Turkeys Eat?  Crops tell the story
    What do Wild Turkeys Eat? Crops tell the story
  • Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
    Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
  • When Do Turkeys Nest in Wisconsin?
    When Do Turkeys Nest in Wisconsin?

Recent Posts

  • Kirkland Warbler, Wild Turkey use Audio Bait
  • A Little more Frigid or Warm; What is better for Wildlife?
  • West Nile Virus detected in Wisconsin Ruffed Grouse
  • When the Deer Season Ends
  • First Bubba Chili Pucks

Recent comments

  • Justin on Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
  • Kathy Eldred on Beavers Eat and Store Corn
  • Toney Jacob on Hunting Deer From the Ground in Wisconsin
  • Anthony Lumbard on Bulllet Head Stamp Gallery
  • Bryan Ash on Wild Turkeys See In Color; But Will Pink Spook Them?

Videos

Mosquitoes use six needles to suck our … [Read More...]

Have you ever had a whitetail deer standing real … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2023 charlie elk

 

Loading Comments...