The odds were against her. After all, at the very least she had to survive nesting on the ground and grow to maturity roaming the fields and forest under constant threat. If that was not enough, she had to outsmart fall hunters, survive the rigors of winter, and then begin the process again.
My eyes were fortunate to locate her in mid-May. And now the hen turkey is gone.
It was during spring gobbler season in the latter part of the second week of the season when the bird was spotted. The foliage had not sprouted up around her nest; however, that would soon change, and the growing vegetation would conceal her and the clutch of eggs she was keeping warm.
The nest was located not more than 30 feet from the edge of a well-traveled improved dirt road. Most of my finds in the past were well within forested areas. Not this one. This nesting turkey found a nesting site where you’d least expect her to be.
Over the course of spring gobbler season the bird was checked on. From the first observation to the last, caution was taken not to disturb her. Each time the nest was approached she remained motionless. Her cloak of dull brown feathers provided the camouflage needed allowing her to blend in with her surroundings. As the foliage began to develop, with each visit she became increasingly more difficult to see.
It was a learning experience to observe the nest. Turkeys nest on the ground and lay one egg per day until their clutch is complete. Incubation does not start until the hen has laid all her eggs. The number of eggs laid varies, however the average clutch size is between eight and 15 eggs, with the average clutch size of 12. What is amazing is that incubation will not begin until she lays her last egg.
The incubation period for turkeys is 28 days. This information was helpful when determining the approximate time frame when she began to lay eggs and eventually set on her nest to begin the incubation process.
My last visit to the nest was made at the close of gobbler season. She had vacated the nest. Found within the depression of the nest were the portions of eight hatched eggs and one whole egg. By all indications this hen began laying eggs approximately at the end of April or the beginning of May. And in her case the nesting process took at least 37 days.
It is amazing that in some areas turkeys with poults were seen in the latter part of May. And yet in some cases it is possible to observe newly hatched birds in July. Reasons vary from disturbed nesting to predation.
To re-nest once the hen mated with the gobbler she does not have to breed again. A hen can store the gobblers sperm in her oviduct, then if needed it can be used enabling the hen to re-nest. This process can have turkeys nesting well into July. This is the reason why extremely young birds can sometimes be seen during the fall hunting season.
As the hen and her poults leave the nest site, they will be in constant search for high protein sources of food. Open fields offer a variety of insects such as crickets and larvae, along with tender green vegetation and fruits.
Within two weeks the young birds will be able to roost in trees. Until then the young birds and their mother spend their nights on the ground. However turkeys develop quickly and after six weeks the young birds are strong flyers.
Consider this. Birds hatched at end of May and into June grow quickly. Often birds hatched this spring can range in size from seven or eight and up ten to twelve pounds live weight. But it is a long time from spring to fall when turkeys become self-sufficient. Times can be tough, and it takes its toll on young turkeys.
The survival rate for young turkeys is amazingly low. In the book The Wild Turkey and Its Management, it says the nesting success of turkeys is 35-40 percent. After hatching, 20-25 percent of all poults perish between June and September. On average hunters harvest between 13 and 33 percent of the fall population whereas in PA, either sex turkey hunting is permitted. It is astounding that the annual mortality from all causes is 60 to 76 percent. What is even more amazing is that the life expectancy of an individual wild turkey at birth is from 1.3 to 1.6 years.
All things considered, the odds are stacked against the wild turkey. However the same is true for all wildlife. We just don’t see it and place those odds in the form of our everyday life. However when you do, there is a greater appreciation for all forms wildlife and how it is managed.
Charlie Burchfield is an active member and past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, an active member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers. Gateway Outdoors e-mail is GWOutdoors@comcast.net