with the easterns what is their typical elevation and habitat they prefer? Do they stay lower like the birds east of the mountains earlier in the season? Or can they be anywhere all season? I know they are the hardest... Average size flock for them? Do they differ in what they eat from the others cause of the habitat?
Thanks guys, I know its a big wish for one season.
The easiest way to understand Washington's Eastern's is as follows......
The eastern wild turkey (M. g.silvestris) was named by L.J.P. Vieillot in 1817 using
the word silvestris, meaning “forest” turkey.
Of the three turkey subspecies in the state, the Eastern by nature prefers to stay inside the wood line. In their native hardwood forest areas of the Northeast, the hardwood mixed pine areas of the Southeast and the hardwood interspersed farmlands of the Midwest, this might not be as much of a problem hunting based on habitat type. Studies have shown that this subspecies spends as much as 70% of it's time inside the forest, with the remainder closely adjacent to that cover. However out here in northwest Washington, the typical forest and understory changes the game significantly.
Our lovely dense western Washington habitat makes it much less likely you'll see them with any regularity unless you are experienced at locating them. Second the vegetation eats up the outdoor sounds. Unless you are fairly close, depending on terrain, elevation, wind, etc., you probably will not hear one either, unless again, you have had experience locating and hunting these bird.
So, where does the average new Washington Eastern Turkey hunter begin? First try to focus your efforts on general areas where birds are known to exist from comments, harvest reports, sightings etc. Secondly plan on spending a great deal of time walking or riding a mountain bike behind gates scouting. You need to begin in earnest early in the year, like late January or early February and stick with it.
Since you'll will probably not see or hear any birds, you must focus on looking for sign, the easiest being droppings. Secondarily you might find tracks left in wet mud, scratchings, or even drag marks left by the wings of strutting gobblers sometimes present in the loose gravel of skidder roads. Once you locate sign and a fair amount, you are half way there. Stick with it and study the area in various ways. I can remember buying aerial photos 20 years ago to see what was around me on the ground. Now one has several resources like Google Earth, Flash Earth etc. You'll be amazed at the small openings in the woods or along trails that you'll find, many of which potentially could be gobbler strut zones or travel areas.
If you are fortunate enough to find an area with birds, you will become very paranoid and find yourself clearing every freaking dropping off the skidders in your area every time you go back in there, from fear of someone stumbling on it....believe me when I tell you this. It's a common symptom of "Ghost' hunters. Too much effort goes into finding a honey hole to not do that. The next piece of advice I cannot stress enough. Do not, I repeat, even begin to mention where you are hunting, as you will regret it. If you have a close friend as your hunting buddy, sign an oath in blood.
Now as far as hunting them. All I can say is PATIENCE. This is definitely a different turkey hunt than you will ever go on. You may get lucky and have scouted well enough to see birds and even get gobblers to go ballistic if close enough where you can hear them. Usually though as a beginner you'll be hunting droppings. Be quiet, call softly and every so often. Think like a contented hen turkey scratching and feeding and every so often calling, letting the others birds in the area know her presence. If you want to vary the tone and tempo, do so. I just find it deadly to act like a normal hen for the most part, not like a PMS one. However it depends on the gobbler and if you have one responding. What you'll likely see is a bird approaching along a skidder if you position yourself on the edge with a view either way, or a pair of two dark sticks (legs) approaching you at close quarters in the denser understory along an opening or trail.
The real rush with Eastern's is for the most part it point blank, in your face excitement. I have shot birds as close as three yards, not by choice, but as necessity as the only option I had. Generally shots will be out to about 15-30 yards max. Pattern your gun and be well familiar with how it shoots close. Again, patience is the key word. I can tell you that I have given advice to several folks that after finding and hunting these birds for several hours in one spot, have gotten up to leave or reposition only to find they had a gobbler coming in, who was close, scare the you know what out of them, when they went airborne. One thing to always remember....that gobbler or hen for that matter you may call in, knows to the exact square foot where that sound of your call is coming from...fact. I have had hens walk right up to me and look me in the eye. Fun stuff, but you'll screw yourself unless you are aware of that little tidbit. I'm sure Turkeyman has similar stories.
As far as your elevation question, you'll find them low or high depending on habitat preferences. Western Washington hills are hills, not the huge elevation difference one experiences in say the Northeast, let alone the difference in subspecies patterns. Easterns in western Washington will move after a period of time as the habitat base grows rapidly. The easiest way to put it is that their preferred area will outgrow them and they move looking to duplicate what they were in. They may not be far, but 360 in any distance can require burning shoe leather after your honey hole dries up. That's exactly why you will hear people say, "there used to be birds in this or that area, but not anymore". In many of those cases, they have just relocated. Obviously there are exceptions...i.e. Johnson Creek private ground where you see them year in and year out. However, the production ends up in adjacent areas as they spread away from those core areas.
If birds were no longer present and populations were on the decline, then harvest figures would not be increasing, which they are. The fact that people are taking more is evident of two things, population growth and the fact that people are becoming proficient at hunting these birds, which requires far more effort than normal.
Average flock size will be on the small side...from a handful to perhaps 15 or so. Hard to gauge as you don't get to see them all. The Johnson Creek area mentioned above perhaps upwards to 30 plus or minus, until spring break up, then half or so move into adjacent areas to set up their own strutting and nesting areas, avoiding competition.
Hope that helps somewhat. Might want to search this turkey forum for Eastern or Ghosts, as there has been a lot of good information from several folks posted over the years.
