# Spooked a hen off her nest.



## Hawken2222 (Apr 9, 2007)

Saturday morning, I was walking down a hard wood ridge when I noticed a turkey in a funny position under a blow down laying spread out flat to the ground. I had never seen a turkey in such a position before, you couldn't even see her head.   The first thing I thought was that it was a wounded turkey, then about the same instant I realized it was a hen on nest, she spooked.  It looked like she just flew up a tree about 30 yards away, but I'm not sure, the foilage was pretty thick.   She had eight eggs in her nest.  I left the area immediately.  I did not want to disturb her anymore. 
The expiereince left me with two questions.  The first and most important question, is will she come back to the nest, or will she abandon it?  I never got closer than six feet to the nest, and I never touched, or handled any of her eggs.  I just peeked over in her nest saw the eggs, and left.  The whole incident from start to finish was probably less than 90 seconds.  My second question is when hens are on nest like that, what do they do about roosting in the evenings.  Do they leave there nest, and roost near by, or do they stay with there nest all night?


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## tyler1 (Apr 9, 2007)

She will be back.  I found a nest 2 years ago by accident.  She scared me to death when she came off the nest.  I went by there several times and she was usually there.  Once they start sitting I think that they stay there all night.


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## ABAC33 (Apr 9, 2007)

From what I've been taught here at UGA, my teach said that if you spook a hen off her nest, then she won't come back.  I find that hard to believe.  Cause at one point in time, every hen or there abouts will get spooked off her nest durin that nesting period.  If so, then i don't see how the population can still be what it is.  If i was to guess i'd say she'd be back.


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## miller (Apr 9, 2007)

I spooked a hen off her nest, 3 years ago and she came back. 
My understandin is that once she starts sitting she is there for 28 day non-stop, except to feed a few minutes a day.


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## Hawken2222 (Apr 9, 2007)

Thanks guys for the reply's.  It's good to know, she won't abandon the nest.  I didn't think she would, I just wasn't sure.


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## Phillip Thurmond (Apr 9, 2007)

she will come back!  My experience is that they usually have around 13 eggs before they start sitting but maybe each hen is different.  She could have just been laying another one when you spooked her!  Oh and yes they do stay on the nest all night!


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## Gadget (Apr 9, 2007)

yeah she'll come back


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## BOSSOFTHEWOODS (Apr 9, 2007)

I did same thing 6 or 7 yrs ago, checked the nest couple more times, but never saw the hen again.She was still there somewhere though because about the 1st wk of May 15 of 17 eggs had hatched. Following year ,the forest service did a burn here mid season,& today I was at piedmont nwr , they burnt 2 areas this past fri. Guess they wanted fried eggs?


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## Gadget (Apr 9, 2007)

BOSSOFTHEWOODS said:


> I did same thing 6 or 7 yrs ago, checked the nest couple more times, but never saw the hen again.She was still there somewhere though because about the 1st wk of May 15 of 17 eggs had hatched. Following year ,the forest service did a burn here mid season,& today I was at piedmont nwr , they burnt 2 areas this past fri. Guess they wanted fried eggs?



they're burning piedmont during nesting season.......


bunch of fruit cakes running the show over there now, used to be a great place to hunt.


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## Handgunner (Apr 9, 2007)

Gadget said:
			
		

> they're burning piedmont during nesting season.......
> 
> bunch of fruit cakes running the show over there now, used to be a great place to hunt.




I don't know about WMA's but a ton of people around here are still burning fields off.


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## GobbleAndGrunt78 (Apr 9, 2007)

I'll never figure out why they would burn during nesting season. Ft Stewart does it too.  I think it is down right stupid. Maybe the people who are over prescribed burns never took that into account?


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## BOB_HARWELL (Apr 11, 2007)

Our turkey bio. said that most (80%) of the 1 yr. old hens will not return if spooked. Most mature hens will return, but if spooked 2 or 3 times they will start a new nest. About 60% of the nest are destroyed by other critters. Life ain't no picnic for an animal.

 BOB


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## Tombuster (Apr 11, 2007)

I need some wild turkey eggs to incubate (sp) and want to raise the birds. If you go back and she isn't there let me know.


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## BOSSOFTHEWOODS (Apr 11, 2007)

Talked to ranger ,he said they burn after leaf out because earlier doesn't kill out the sweetgum saplings. Also said the hens will nest again. IMO its all to grow pines (money). I've hunted piedmont off & on almost 30 yrs. It used to be a different place. I've never seen this much burning & logging on such a large scale there. Now the north end looks just like any other NF or timber co. land. Been there since Sunday , seen 2 deer ,4 turkey & only 1 squirrel . Doesn't appear to be a refuge anymore , Just another pine plantation.

 Wonder where my grandchildren will hunt & fish when they are grown?


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