Nest

[Sturg]

I took two boys hunting yesterday. Miserable conditions, all day with the cold wind. We had a hen show up in the decoys at 7:00 a.m. She hung around for about 10 min. I let the boys practice red dotting her in the 20 ga. She eventually walked off. We heard no gobbles at all yesterday. We hunted till 10:00 and took a break to warm up. We went back out at 2:00 to a different farm and set up on a hill in some heavy cedars. The boys had enough at 4:30 so we headed back to the truck. They were sure they had seen a hen as we approached the blind on the way in so they wanted to see where she went. A few minutes later they yelled for me to come over because they found a nest. Sure enough there were 22 eggs in the nest. They said the hen flew off the nest as they got close to it. I was surprised there was very little leaf litter or down in or around the nest. It was built on stop of dead sticks in a brushy fence line on the edge of the cedars. Makes me think maybe more than one hen was laying in it. I've been hunting turkeys for many years in MN and WI and this was the first nest I've ever seen. It topped the day off for the boys. They both said they had a great time seeing the hen in the morning and finding the nest in the afternoon.

[Hoyt4]

I also found a nest this weekend with 12 eggs. Only one hen will be using the nest. I saw the turkey on saturday morning a mile away walking back and forth feeding at 9am. Went back around 430 and saw her again. This happen to be on land I had permission to hunt. I was over were I saw the bird on Saturday. I figured it had to be a hen since it was staying around the same area. I get over on that hill and kicked her out by accident was not trying to she had nest in the brush. So things should start to get reall good for hunters.

[DonBo]

I've found several nests over the years, but dang, 22 eggs? That's gotta be some kind of record. 15 is the most I've ever seen.

[sticknstring]

Multiple hens will lay eggs in the same nest. Not sure how common but I know it happens. Maybe when a hen loses her nest to predation and continues to lay where it's safe? Who knows.