WI2506 Posted June 2, 2010 Report Share Posted June 2, 2010 mowing hay in a field with turkeys nesting, now do I try to find the eggs or take the discbine and mow right over them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted June 2, 2010 Report Share Posted June 2, 2010 (edited) If you find the nests before mowing then you can go around them and leave a section of tall grass around them and the hen should come back to the nest. We usually ended up killing the hen with the mower because they just hunker down ontop the nest instead of running out when the tractor comes close. Good chance if you mow over the nest you will atleast destroy a few eggs, and I would think the hen would abandon it if you dont kill her with the mower in the first place. Edited June 2, 2010 by Ethan Givan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goinghuntin Posted June 2, 2010 Report Share Posted June 2, 2010 There's not really much you can do I don't think. I've never found a nest by looking for them, only by stumbling on them. Every June when the farmers cut the first crop of hay quite a few deer fawns and hen turkeys bite the dust :angel2: Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted June 2, 2010 Report Share Posted June 2, 2010 There's not really much you can do I don't think. I've never found a nest by looking for them, only by stumbling on them. Every June when the farmers cut the first crop of hay quite a few deer fawns and hen turkeys bite the dust :angel2: Nathan It is hard to find them but if you methodically walk through the field you will bump hens off the nest and find them that way. Ive done it before. It is alot of trouble though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted June 3, 2010 Report Share Posted June 3, 2010 You need the feed more than you need more turkeys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted June 3, 2010 Report Share Posted June 3, 2010 I was mowing an overgrown field a couple years ago on my buddy's property behind the house. I was on the last pass when a hen bolted from the front of the tractor... I was nearly on top of her. I left a patch of weeds around the nest, but within a couple days something got to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 3, 2010 Report Share Posted June 3, 2010 Seeing few day old poults here right now. Have not cut any of our pastures yet other than mowing a couple plots with our little tractor, need to find a new cutter. Last year I did run over a nest while cutting, but the eggs were left intact, she had them in a low spot. Hen came back, but think coons ended up finding the exposed eggs after a couple days. Ended up finding another nest in a different pasture, fortunately with that one the hen came out about two swaths of the 7 ft cutter before I got too the nest and I left about a 30 ft width section uncut. That hen came back and pretty sure those poults hatched out ok. If you have time to look for the nests that is great, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterbobb Posted June 3, 2010 Report Share Posted June 3, 2010 Those of you that are making the extra effort to try to preserve the wildlife should be commended. Those of you that aren't are part of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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