Need help to finally find an Eastern tom

[one more]

It's been 16 years hunting turkeys here in WA and I can't get an Eastern tom.   My daughter and I have taken Mirriams and Rios and have seen Eastern hens, but only heard the gobbles of a couple E. toms.  Other people shot birds I thought might have been coming to me.  In the past 16 years I have worn out hiking boots  and spent many, many hours sitting.  I have put in more than time and effort.   

I am also a trapper and sew fur.  I would gratefully give a gift to someone who could help me get an Eastern tom and maybe help my daughter get one when she comes to visit in May.  I have a large, commercially tanned beaver hide that is hooped, for a person who can help us.  If we get birds, we will not hunt in your areas again. 

Thank you for any help,  Diane

[RadSav]

You started about two years too late   I have been on very few eastern toms since 97/98.  I still see quite a few, but seldom see them anymore in spring on public land.  I'm really glad I got my easterns early to mid 90's when I could darn near guarantee a bird in one or two days.  Today I'm not sure I could guarantee another eastern if I hunted every day on public land.  It's really tough anymore.

Sorry I'm unable to be any help.  Just wanted to wish you and the young lady good luck.

[one more]

Thanks for the public and private messages.  I need all the help you can give.
Diane

[rosscrazyelk]

The eastern has been my nemesis ever since I started hunting them and I wont tell you how long that is..
Best of luck to you.

[villageidiot]

The turkeys in the Methow are Easterns.  A local brought them from Missouri about 20 yrs. ago and hatched and started with 35. There are likely over 700 in the valley now.  Although WDFWdont recognize them as Easterns because they are not on the west side of the Cascades.  But they certainly are Easterns.  If you go to the Methow to hunt them PM me and I'll tell you which private land to contact.one lady has 25 toms and 75 hens she fed all winter and is willing to let bow hunters shoot a few toms.
  I can send some pictures of them if you'd like to see.

[turkeydancer]

If he is trying to finish his Wa Slam, then this wouldn't count since the state/WDFW classify the birds by county of harvest.  And then you can read past threads about whether these birds are really wild or a feral domestic .... 

[one more]

I'm not trying to hide, I am a she not a he and long past being a kid and yes, I would like to get a slam ...  some day.   Maybe starting tomorrow.  I'll let you all know. 

Good Luck to all tomorrow!!!  Be careful out there!
Diane

P. S. Was anyone else  able to get on this board yesterday?

[jackelope]

The turkeys in the Methow are Easterns.  A local brought them from Missouri about 20 yrs. ago and hatched and started with 35. There are likely over 700 in the valley now.  Although WDFWdont recognize them as Easterns because they are not on the west side of the Cascades.  But they certainly are Easterns.  If you go to the Methow to hunt them PM me and I'll tell you which private land to contact.one lady has 25 toms and 75 hens she fed all winter and is willing to let bow hunters shoot a few toms.
  I can send some pictures of them if you'd like to see.

Was that the Whites that did that?

[villageidiot]

I suspect over the years the Methow Easterns have mingled with turkeys over on the Okanogan side and have diluted the Eastern strain.  They are definitely not domestic because they can fly extremely well.  One thing about it is WDFW makes a few thousand bucks every year selling tags to people hunting in the Methow.  They couldn't survive in the Methow without humans feeding them due to the deep snow.  A large group spends the winter in the orchard behind Hanks market eating old apples left on the trees.

[Wacenturion]

The turkeys in the Methow are Easterns.  A local brought them from Missouri about 20 yrs. ago and hatched and started with 35. There are likely over 700 in the valley now.  Although WDFWdont recognize them as Easterns because they are not on the west side of the Cascades.  But they certainly are Easterns.  If you go to the Methow to hunt them PM me and I'll tell you which private land to contact.one lady has 25 toms and 75 hens she fed all winter and is willing to let bow hunters shoot a few toms.
  I can send some pictures of them if you'd like to see.

Wrong...........  WDFW initially released Rios to begin with on the Sinlahekin years ago.  Since then WDFW has made numerous smaller releases in the Okanogan with Merriams over the past 25 years or so.    There may be some local pocket of questional game farm stock someone tried to raise and release, however they are not wild birds nor would they even begin to fulfill the requirement for the Washington Slam.

[Wacenturion]

I suspect over the years the Methow Easterns have mingled with turkeys over on the Okanogan side and have diluted the Eastern strain.  They are definitely not domestic because they can fly extremely well.  One thing about it is WDFW makes a few thousand bucks every year selling tags to people hunting in the Methow.  They couldn't survive in the Methow without humans feeding them due to the deep snow.  A large group spends the winter in the orchard behind Hanks market eating old apples left on the trees.

They are definitely not wild either....sorry.  People buy turkey tags to hunt turkeys in the Okanogan and not to hunt those so called easterns, as there are good numbers of Merriams there if one takes the time to figure it out.

[one more]

Thanks Guys for your help so far. You've given me the encouragement to again check out areas we had hunted a long time ago.  So far I've seen deer, a coyote, (I made up my mind to shoot it if it came to my turkey calling, but it didn't), turkey--vultures and heard two dawn gobblers.  One was on the other side of a ragging creek I couldn't cross and a few days later, when I returned, there were no more gobbles.  The second tom I heard in another area, sounded like he came toward me for a few minutes and then went away.  I waited hours for him to come back or another one to check out my quiet calls, but nothing.  The next morning I returned to that area, again before first light, and sat closer to where he had walked.  Didn't hear a cluck.
There's another area you have told me about that I haven't explored enough yet.  I haven't given up and want to go out again tomorrow morning.  Also, my daughter is coming here at the end of May to hunt.  She's much faster climbing the hills and can cover more ground.   
My hubby, home, garden and dog need some attention today. 
Good luck in the field.
Diane

[Spurdaddy]

Hey One More.....just wondering how you faired the rest of the season looking for an Eastern tom. I met you out in the Skookumchuck area. Hoping you were able to connect on a bird. I hunted the area a couple more times this season but no results. Take care. Hope to see you out and about chasing that Tom......Spurdaddy

[one more]

Hi Spurdaddy,
I hunted that area again, too, and also saw nothing.  I went to the South East corner of the state and saw a lot of turkeys, but couldn't connect.  It was nice to watch them.   Oh well, maby next year...
Diane 

[Spurdaddy]

[/i][/b]
I also went down to the southeast corner. I have hunted that area a lot and had some pretty good success there. My last outing was with my grandson. We set up several times but I think the Tom's were just "Called Out"....Colby(my grandson) did smoke a coyote that came running into our deeks. Won't be eating any more turkeys, quail, pheasant, or anything from now on!