Bird Activity Report for the NE Corner

[TriggerMike]

All,

I will be going over to Colville this Friday for my annual turkey hunt. This same weekend last year I killed two nice birds so I figured I would hunt it again. Now that the first few weeks of the season are out of the way, what's the hunting forecast for this weekend and the rest of May in the NE corner? Are the hens nested up or are the Toms still henned? Tom's done talking or still going crazy? What is everyone's outlook for the quality of hunting for the remainder of this season? Any other information or tips from those who have been hunting over there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[PA BEN]

Saw a hot tom this morning strutting for a few hens, he was gobbling his head off. Most of the hens are bread off.

[MerriamMagician]

The birds I saw up there last weekend were still henned up bigtime. Mediocre gobbling going on.

[baldopepper]

Birds around my place we're their usual noisy on the roost, but I did'n't really hear anything the rest of the day.  Pretty sure the hens are pretty well nested up around my house, but I know a lot of birds survived the opening rampage.  I think I'd be out early (birds were noisy from 5:00-5:30 am and dead quite by 5:45) to make sure they're in the area and then try to find a lonesome tom.  Everything is well leafed out so visibility is not what it was just 3 weeks ago. Ticks are pretty bad again,  spray down and I did see a couple of garter snakes out and about so I'm sure the rattles are also. Good luck!

[Wenatcheejay]

I saw birds this year up there but not in the numbers I've seen in past years. I'd venture it's slowed down since opening weekend.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Sounds like a good plan ! I like going after all the madness is over ...The later the better for me . not as many birds around like u see during the opener but when you find a hot one its game on ...Good luck 

[kevinlisa06]

Early morning is best for gobbling here in the NE at least in Addy and Chewelah the rest of the day it's quiet.Been here for a week and have had 2 Toms fire off at me,yes I shot the 2nd bird. I hear Colville is pretty hot right now with lonely Toms.

[tgomez]

Gobbling all day mostly in my area. As mentioned yes alot of hens, but when do they not have alot of hens??? I have my best luck between 10am-2pm, this seems to be the best time to get them when the hens have gone to check on their nest/eggs. Good luck and be patient.

[jasnt]

Birds around my place we're their usual noisy on the roost, but I did'n't really hear anything the rest of the day.  Pretty sure the hens are pretty well nested up around my house, but I know a lot of birds survived the opening rampage.  I think I'd be out early (birds were noisy from 5:00-5:30 am and dead quite by 5:45) to make sure they're in the area and then try to find a lonesome tom.  Everything is well leafed out so visibility is not what it was just 3 weeks ago. Ticks are pretty bad again,  spray down and I did see a couple of garter snakes out and about so I'm sure the rattles are also. Good luck!

   

This is exactly how it's been in my area

[PA BEN]

Last couple of days there has been a little gobbling from the roost and they will shock gobble. Not to long ago I couldn't get a shock gobble. I'm only seeing less than 5 hens with the Toms I've been watching. The flock had 60+, on the 2th I saw a big Tom strutting w/3 hens at 6:30 pm out in a field, yesterday he was by himself with the Jakes at 6:30pm not strutting. I shot the dominant tom on the 25th of April, wasn't long after that another big Tom took over I shot him on the 3rd of May, 2 days later another big Tom took over. I haven't seen more than 1 big Tom with this group since the opening week. I have game cameras up and only see one big Tom going up to roost when I did see 4 to 9. When I knocked off one another one will roost in that spot but only one.

[TriggerMike]

Thanks for the updates guys. Hopefully I'll have a success story to share come Sunday evening.

[kevinlisa06]

The one thing we have noticed the last few days is that when we had the full moon the birds were not as active and now that it has been a few days since the full moon more and more bird activity gobbling and wanting to play. Just an observation we have taken into consideration.

[TriggerMike]

Well I found some success this weekend. I called this guy in to just under 30 yds early Saturday afternoon. It was just a couple hundred yards from where I shot my two birds last year exactly one year to the day. The second weekend in May has been good to me. They were gobbling like crazy Friday evening and all day Saturday but were pretty quiet on Sunday morning. Gonna hunt Eburg/Cle Elum with my second tag  for the remainder of the season.

[one more]

    Congrats!!!

[kevinlisa06]

Nicely done congratulations!