We would get dump nests as well, but they never tried to set on them. It is mostly first year hens not knowing what quite to do. Then they figured it out and secured a nest site and raised a brood. With all our data, it was older hens the first to secure nest sites and the first to start egg initiation. I did something I really was not suppose to do, but when you are trying to study these birds you get crazy ideas. I had a dump nest of 30+ eggs. I put them in my incubator at home and got 8 to hatch and banded and released. The next year pulled a hen that was nesting to band her and it had a band already and low and behold it was one I raised and released. The hen was in the box that I had released them all under. Which I thought was pretty cool and valuable info. Hens will bring back Drakes in the Spring from their Wintering grounds. So if a drake from Texas meets a hen from North Dakota, the drake will come up with her to North Dakota to breed. Hard to get the same bloodlines that way I guess. I miss it, but just a little to much work climbing trees and such at my age.
