Baiting turkeys

[jk2paintworx]

Is it legal /ethical to feed turkeys to get them patterned to a area?  I am new to turkey hunting and I have heard several opinions on this. The reg book says it's illegal to bait game birds which seems pretty cut n dry. But I have been told that as long as the bait site has been dry for 10 days prior to hunting that it is legal. I am defiantly not wanting to break any laws or be unethical but at the same time, I will be hunting with my young kids so any advantage will help offset the difficulty that comes with hunting with kids. 

[MtnMuley]

Illegal.

[jackelope]

Illegal.

This.

There is no cut and dry time frame that I know of where your bait sight has to be free of bait however...
I wouldn't run the risk, especially with kids/new hunters in tow. Take them out and let them experience a true turkey hunt and call one in for them. It will be a memory made that will last forever....trust me...I was that kid once.

[Netminder01]

Pattern the birds without feed.

I've had my success (albeit limited) putting time in the woods and finding out where they roost for the night. If you're hunting on private land large enough to hold a few different groups, I bet the landowner knows a few spots. Try to find out where they roost and set up a decoy early in the morning with a few subtle calls being sure not to spook the birds on the way to set up.

Turkeys coming out of their roost in the morning is like a few jets doing low deck flyovers. :-)

Enjoy!

[CP]

Completely ethical, but illegal in this state.

[jasnt]

Completely legal to plant food plots. Turkey's love imperial whitetail clover!

[Jester052]

Illegal. Pattern birds with boot leather!

[jk2paintworx]

Thanks guys.  Will invest the time and do it the right way.

[Jingles]

I get a kick out of the fact that as hunters we can not bait turkeys but Property owners can go through the food on their property to keep the birds from going onto public land...

[BOWHUNTER45]

Couple more laws should be added to the list ...No blowing them off the limb and no drive by shooting ...Just my  Wish goes on way to much !

[benhuntin]

Couple more laws should be added to the list ...No blowing them off the limb and no drive by shooting ...Just my  Wish goes on way to much !

Once again one hunter thinking his morals should be the law.

[Dhoey07]

I get a kick out of the fact that as hunters we can not bait turkeys but Property owners can go through the food on their property to keep the birds from going onto public land...

99% of land owners hate turkeys

[Ridgeratt]

I get a kick out of the fact that as hunters we can not bait turkeys but Property owners can go through the food on their property to keep the birds from going onto public land...

99% of land owners hate turkeys

Turkeys are worse than Pigeons when it comes to the mess they make around farmers buildings. Roosting in the rafters of shed dropping on the cars. Have one friend who uses a push broom to haze them so they can get to the cars. Not to count the amount of feed they eat from their chickens and other birds they own.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Couple more laws should be added to the list ...No blowing them off the limb and no drive by shooting ...Just my  Wish goes on way to much !

Once again one hunter thinking his morals should be the law.

[jasnt]

I get a kick out of the fact that as hunters we can not bait turkeys but Property owners can go through the food on their property to keep the birds from going onto public land...

99% of land owners hate turkeys

Turkeys are worse than Pigeons when it comes to the mess they make around farmers buildings. Roosting in the rafters of shed dropping on the cars. Have one friend who uses a push broom to haze them so they can get to the cars. Not to count the amount of feed they eat from their chickens and other birds they own.

  late fall is a great time to knock on doors.  This is when land owners are about fedup with turkey's. 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I would think baiting turkeys with Bacon would be very apeeling at the dinner table ......

[CAMPMEAT]

I saw 12 turkeys today west of Republic, standing right on highway 20...........little rascals.

[Ridgeratt]

I saw 12 turkeys today west of Republic, standing right on highway 20...........little rascals.

Heck they trot up and down my Driveway!!  Dang grass clippers   

[jasnt]

Dogs keep them out of the yard but they are in my food plots 8months out of the year. Last year I had a hen nest under some blow down jack pines right on the edge of the clover plots.  I don't hunt them at home so they aren't shy

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Illegal. Pattern birds with boot leather!

     The problem I run into is running out of boot leather. Once I start patterning them then its game on. Supper sneak to about as close as I can then start running at them! They are real fast! I really need to learn to call them in? 

[police women of America]

its illegal to bait turkeys or use electronic turkey calls, decoys, or scopes.
"
• Hunters who harvested two birds in eastern
Washington during the spring CAN
participate in fall turkey seasons.
• Hunting hours for turkeys: one-half hour
before sunrise to sunset.
• It is illegal to hunt turkeys with anything other
than a shotgun (modern or muzzleloader), bow and
arrow, or falconry.
• Turkey hunters are required to report their hunting
activity for each tag purchased and for their special
permit if drawn for one (see page 17).
• It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls,
or electronic decoys to hunt turkey.
• Baiting game birds is illegal.
• Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g., #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey."

-WDFW hunting guide.

[police women of America]

Couple more laws should be added to the list ...No blowing them off the limb and no drive by shooting ...Just my  Wish goes on way to much !

Once again one hunter thinking his morals should be the law.

you cant do a turkey drive by its illegal to shoot from a vehicle or have a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

[Man Tracker]

Title 77 RCW (Fish and Wildlife Code) address loaded rifles/shotguns in MDV.
Title 9/9A RCW address the concealed/loaded carry of handguns. 
There are exceptions to everything, of course...

[jasnt]

its illegal to bait turkeys or use electronic turkey calls, decoys, or scopes.
"
• Hunters who harvested two birds in eastern
Washington during the spring CAN
participate in fall turkey seasons.
• Hunting hours for turkeys: one-half hour
before sunrise to sunset.
• It is illegal to hunt turkeys with anything other
than a shotgun (modern or muzzleloader), bow and
arrow, or falconry.
• Turkey hunters are required to report their hunting
activity for each tag purchased and for their special
permit if drawn for one (see page 17).
• It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls,
or electronic decoys to hunt turkey.
• Baiting game birds is illegal.
• Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g., #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey."

-WDFW hunting guide.

it is not illegal to use a scope

[police women of America]

its illegal to bait turkeys or use electronic turkey calls, decoys, or scopes.
"
• Hunters who harvested two birds in eastern
Washington during the spring CAN
participate in fall turkey seasons.
• Hunting hours for turkeys: one-half hour
before sunrise to sunset.
• It is illegal to hunt turkeys with anything other
than a shotgun (modern or muzzleloader), bow and
arrow, or falconry.
• Turkey hunters are required to report their hunting
activity for each tag purchased and for their special
permit if drawn for one (see page 17).
• It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls,
or electronic decoys to hunt turkey.
• Baiting game birds is illegal.
• Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g., #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey."

-WDFW hunting guide.

it is not illegal to use a scope

I meant electronic scopes

[jasnt]

its illegal to bait turkeys or use electronic turkey calls, decoys, or scopes.
"
• Hunters who harvested two birds in eastern
Washington during the spring CAN
participate in fall turkey seasons.
• Hunting hours for turkeys: one-half hour
before sunrise to sunset.
• It is illegal to hunt turkeys with anything other
than a shotgun (modern or muzzleloader), bow and
arrow, or falconry.
• Turkey hunters are required to report their hunting
activity for each tag purchased and for their special
permit if drawn for one (see page 17).
• It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls,
or electronic decoys to hunt turkey.
• Baiting game birds is illegal.
• Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g., #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey."

-WDFW hunting guide.

it is not illegal to use a scope

I meant electronic scopes

it says electric calls or decoys. Not no electronics

[police women of America]

its illegal to bait turkeys or use electronic turkey calls, decoys, or scopes.
"
• Hunters who harvested two birds in eastern
Washington during the spring CAN
participate in fall turkey seasons.
• Hunting hours for turkeys: one-half hour
before sunrise to sunset.
• It is illegal to hunt turkeys with anything other
than a shotgun (modern or muzzleloader), bow and
arrow, or falconry.
• Turkey hunters are required to report their hunting
activity for each tag purchased and for their special
permit if drawn for one (see page 17).
• It is unlawful to use dogs, electronic calls,
or electronic decoys to hunt turkey.
• Baiting game birds is illegal.
• Hunters must use #4 shot or smaller
(e.g., #6 shot is legal) to hunt turkey."

-WDFW hunting guide.

it is not illegal to use a scope

I meant electronic scopes

it says electric calls or decoys. Not no electronics

I know I saw something about electronic scopes somewhere. oh, I see it now its for archery.
"
Archery Regulations
1. Rules pertaining to all archery hunting
seasons:
a.   It is unlawful for any person to carry
or have in his possession any firearm
while in the field archery hunting, during
an archery season specified for that area,
except for modern handguns carried for
personal protection. Modern handguns
cannot be used to hunt big game or
dispatch wounded big game during an
archery, big game hunting season.
b.   It is unlawful to have any electrical
equipment or electric device(s) except for
illuminated nocks, attached to the bow
or arrow while hunting.
c.   It is unlawful to shoot a bow and
arrow from a vehicle or from, across or
along the maintained portion of a public
highway.
d.   It is unlawful to use any device secured
to or supported by the bow for the
purpose of maintaining the bow at full
draw or in a firing position.
e.   It is unlawful to hunt wildlife with
a crossbow except in firearm restriction
areas during modern firearm seasons." - WDFW

its B. also
"1. It is unlawful to hunt wildlife with
any bow equipped with a scope.
2.   Rules pertaining to long bow, recurve
bow: and compound bow archer" -WDFW

[h20hunter]

PWOA, I mean this as a positive. Good for you for being wrong. It shows that with the regs you can read one thing and just get it a little wrong, keep reading, then get it right. Keep working them over and eventually they will make sense ( kinda ) and you will be good to go, knocking down toms and chasing critters.

[jasnt]

PWOA, I mean this as a positive. Good for you for being wrong. It shows that with the regs you can read one thing and just get it a little wrong, keep reading, then get it right. Keep working them over and eventually they will make sense ( kinda ) and you will be good to go, knocking down toms and chasing critters.