capital forest turkeys

[yelp]

Well the truth of the matter is that right now the WDFW is losing positions has a shortfall in the budget and to be honest the WDFW biologists in those regions probably aren't focused on releasing more turkeys. Their focus anymore seems to be on elk, butterflies, steelhead and salmon..Native species.  I think the WDFW Lewis County Game farm will even get the ax from the sounds of it...so  no pheasants?..I would write them and voice your concerns.  I don't see the WDFW spending alot of time or effort on this issue..maybe a NWTF Chapter can work on them.  There also is the other side of the coin too...sometimes more isn't always better!  Good Luck.

[Wacenturion]

Haha.. I know every logger in this town and they DO NOT "see them all the time." It's true I don't see people miles behind lock gates in the spring. I also don't see any turkeys. I've seen sign several times but none in the last 4 years.

Sure there are easterns being killed. There probably always will be. But it won't be very many. My point exactly. The more turkeys the better.

As Yelp has stated.......more isn't always better.  Considering all the trouble getting easterns into the westside, I tend to count my blessings.  Huntable birds if someone wants to put in the effort.  Oh....and seeing and hearing them isn't what I count on.....I hunt the sign and believe.  Some hunts short...had one last 5 minutes, and others might be all day or several days.  Most of the time all I see is two dark stick feet coming in through the brush.....no sound.  Again...patience and believe the sign.

Consider easterns in western Washington to be unique in the turkey world......kinda like or compare to....Columbia Whitetail, Coues deer, or better yet Osceola and Goulds turkeys.  Not alot of them, but unique.....and available to hunt right here in our own state.

[coastalghost]

Haha.. I know every logger in this town and they DO NOT "see them all the time." It's true I don't see people miles behind lock gates in the spring. I also don't see any turkeys. I've seen sign several times but none in the last 4 years.

Sure there are easterns being killed. There probably always will be. But it won't be very many. My point exactly. The more turkeys the better.

As Yelp has stated.......more isn't always better.  Considering all the trouble getting easterns into the westside, I tend to count my blessings.  Huntable birds if someone wants to put in the effort.  Oh....and seeing and hearing them isn't what I count on.....I hunt the sign and believe.  Some hunts short...had one last 5 minutes, and others might be all day or several days.  Most of the time all I see is two dark stick feet coming in through the brush.....no sound.  Again...patience and believe the sign.

Consider easterns in western Washington to be unique in the turkey world......kinda like or compare to....Columbia Whitetail, Coues deer, or better yet Osceola and Goulds turkeys.  Not alot of them, but unique.....and available to hunt right here in our own state.

.

Once again, would love to see some field pics of the Easterns you fellas have taken.  Thanks

[bow4elk]

Like i said there is a huntable population when there is birds 10 to 20 miles back behind gates how many people are going to hunt them? I now of quit a few of those area's around here.

If you're 10-20 miles behind a locked gate, then you're only a mile or so from the next gated access  My point is with logging road networks, you can't get too far from a gate before you start getting closer to another gate.  I use fire protection maps to keep current on logging road construction/destruction.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

 I do find it hard to believe that 33 turkeys were killed in 2007 in GMU 501.
[/quote] I agree, I hunted 501 last spring and only saw (maybe) 5 parked vehicles at gates and no sign of anyone else hunting in the areas I was in (I started scouting in late Feb) and I drove EVERY road I could, and parked at gates and walked miles. The few vehicles I saw driving and the people I did talk to were not turkey hunting. I find it hard to believe there were 33 hunters let alone that many birds harvested.

[yelp]

April 15-May 31st....Apparently you were out everyday to make that argument.  33 birds within a 45 day period.  I think it is possible.  Do you think game wardens see all of the hunters in the woods?  Come on.

[yelp]

CoastalGhost here is my one and only eastern...22 lbs 11 3/8" beard 1 1/4" spurs.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

 I was unemployed so I WAS out a lot and no, I did not hunt every day but I WAS out at least 5 days a week and I live in unit and drove around checking gates out of curiosity on days I was unable to go. It is possible they only hunted one day apiece, but considering easterns difficulty that is highly unlikely. Also People tend to leave evidence that they were in there like bootprints in mud. Do you know anybody that hunted down here? I did not run into ANYONE not even one, that was hunting turkeys I am reffering to unit 501 only

[yelp]

What about private land do you hunt all of it too?

[yelp]

I will give you the GMU name is Lincoln and with Lincoln County being a popular turkey hunting area there maybe some false reporting.  However...GMU 501 is approx. 250 - 300 square miles and approx. 1/3 is managed by WADNR so that leaves 2/3 in private ownership which may have timber co. ground open for hunting too.  That is still a lot of ground to cover on a daily basis.

[Wacenturion]

Even if GMU 501 data is somewhat incorrect due to reporting of some Lincoln Co. birds, it's irrelevant.  The point is there are birds in pockets in all sorts of locations.  Some people may also report easterns taken in say Thurston to GMU 501, so as not to give away where they took a bird. I know that's been done before.

Just because you don't see vehicles parked somewhere does not mean the area isn't getting hunted.  One of my honey holes for years was on a main highway.  If we could not conceal our vehicle on some obscure secondary spot, we would have someone drop us off, so as not to advertise our area.  Took birds out of there for 4 years before they moved.

[coastalghost]

Thats an immaculate bird Yelp...congrats to you.  Mine was pretty beat up...missing some tail feathers etc.  Hoping I have the time this year to do some scouting.  Usually head down towards the klick for the opener.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

 I understand the argument but I was only stating the lack of hunters I encountered in 501, yes 2/3rds is private and it could swallow a lot of hunters, but if we went with a 20% success rate (not likely) that would mean that 165 hunters in the unit, almost all gates are closed and prvate land is mostly ajacent to main roads, I drove around a lot prior to season and parked at DNR gates during, I know that there HAD to be other hunter out there, but I did not encounter ANY, again do you know even one that did hunt this unit? I could use a partner. OR someone to teach me how to hunt these fricken birds because the only thing I saw less of than turkeys was hunters, (3 hens, 15 elk, 6 racoons,a ton of deer,a few grouse, and 4 coyote)

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

O.k. I looked at wdfw site and it says 33.7% success and 98 hunters in 501 with a note that report is inflated, Do you know ANYONE who hunted this unit? I am sorry about jacking this thread and will stop with this question.

[Turkeyman]

Eastern turkeys weastern washington.