I made a post the other day about seeing 7 hens and 6 had poults. This spring towards the end of season several other hens with poults. Yesterday I watched 5 adult hens stay in a field close to my house almost all day without poults and no gobblers around. So either these hens all had a nest failure or never got bred due to gobbler in the area? It seems they would either be sitting or have poults. There was a gobbler the middle of March using this field but got killed on youth hunt. I never saw a Tom here from youth hunt til now.

Did you hear any gobbling within hearing distance after gobbler was killed?

Didn’t get bred IMO, this led to no nesting success.

You killed the dominant gobbler too early. Those hens will now have to conduct interviews to find one that’s fit to breed them. This is a very detailed process and could take a couple seasons.

I've seen some hens hanging out with a gobbler and couple jakes for the last week in the field where they usually like to do their thing...... I think a couple of them may be having a do over.

There is a lot of research indicating some hens don't nest, especially juveniles, even in the presence of gobblers. If a hen wants to find a gobbler I suspect she will. There is very little research showing infertile eggs.

This isn’t a place I hunt but before season saw a gobbler with the hens in early March. I ride by this field multiple times all season and never saw a another gobbler after he was killed. I’m leaning towards there wasn’t another Tom to breed them.

So at what point will they stop trying to nest if they arent successful?? If they lose their poults after they've hatched will they breed again?

I would listen to the guy who knows and doesn't have a job that prevents him from telling the truth.

I've seen flocks of hens like that and always thought it was a flock of young hens who had likely been together since they were hatched. It's never been unusual where I live to see a flock of hens at any point during or after the season. I saw a flock with 6 or 7 the first week of May, then twice had hens with poults in my yard the second week of May. The hens with poults couldn't have been in that first group. Haven't seen them since, so hopefully they are setting now. If they aren't, it's not for lack of a gobbler.

I think if there was no gobbler around they’d walk across the mountain and look for one but who knows. Hopefully it’s just a wad of jennies

That’s what I think as well Mr. Steve

Had a couple gobblers strutting out back Sunday in light rain. Stayed out about an hour. Never saw a hen.