is finding a turkey nest a good thing?

[Junorr500]

Was in Christina Lake turkey hunting for the first time ever with a buddy. We had a couple conversations with some gobblers but didnt see them. Whoever it was that came over the ridge and skylined themselves looking for the tom that we were talking to need to either get some cammo(blue jackets stand out prytty good) or learn how to crawl. Needless to say the tom shut right up and that was the end of that.

Prytty sure we made some rookie mistakes ourselves in our exitment but what a rush it was nevertheless. Man im hooked, all i want to do is drive down to the kootenays and hunt turkey every weekend, Unfortnatley im from westbank so with the price of fuel that isnt going to happen. Anyone want to tip me off as to where thay are in the okanagan valley?:wink:

Found this nest near where we called in some gobblers that im sure saw us and took off. Just wondering how good a sign it is that this nest is nearby.

There were some guys from prince george hunting the same area with bows but im not sure how they did.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Photo155.jpg

[huntwriter]

A toms getting close to a nest is pure incident. Male turkeys have nothing no business with brooding or the upbringing of the poults. Turkey hens that are nesting have no business with toms, they are bred. If hunters encounter a turkey nest they should immediately leave, especially if the nest is open. Turkeys do not sit on the nest over night but cover them with leaves to keep the temperature constant. The open nest suggests that the turkey hen was probably close by watching you and worry. If the nest is exposed for a little more then an hour in these weather conditions and shorter periods when it is cold the fetuses in the eggs could be permanently damaged.

[Junorr500]

Unfortunatly there had already been alot of hunting pressure in the area so if we didnt disturb the hen someone else might have already done so before we got there. Went by it the second day and nothing had changed. The Toms in the area seem to be fairly spooked to so im not sure if i will be hunitng that area again or not. Ill have to put in some more leg work to find a new area i think.

Thanks for the info Othmar.

ps If i hadnt had turkey fever so bad when we heard the toms i maight have been able to put some of the info from the seminar into play. Hindsight has been bugging me for the last couple days telling me i should have done more of what i had learned, maby then we would have gotten a shot at them. Oh well thats what being a newbie is all about i guess. LOL I dont think we would have done as well as we did if we hadent made the seminar though. Thanks Again for a informaitve day.

[Jagermeister]

FWIW, bird fetuses, and other egg laying creatures, exist outside the egg after hatching. Inside the egg, is referred to as an embryo. Elementary science.

[huntwriter]

@ Junorr500. Thanks for the kind words about my seminar. Christina Lake receives a lot of hunting pressure every spring and it quit possible that other hunters encountered the nest too and spooked the hen of it for good. This is the reason why many places only permit turkey hunting from dawn to noon. Don't despair you will get a turkey, just keep at it. :) Good luck.

@ Jagermeister. Of course it's an embryo, you're right. I made an error in the hurry of my reply. Feel free to gloat. :)