What elevation for public land turkeys?

[Wanttohuntmore]

I hate to admit my turkey virginity.  I feel like the 40 yr old virgin.  It's not that I haven't had chances, I just wasn't ready when the bird showed itself.  I've probably got 45 days under my belt chasing these on public land, with no tail feathers to validate my efforts.  This year I'll be taking my young son along to try and get him a bird, most likely before I get one, it'll make his day.  Since I hunt public land all over the state, is there a general rule of what elevation you should concentrate on?  It seems early in the season they are always in the private pastures.  I always wonder if I'm wasting time chasing them up high.  The ones I have seen on private land were always later in the

Any advice will do!  Itchin' to be out and after em!. 

[benhuntin]

They will follow the snow line.

[Bango skank]

You say you see them on private land, why not ask permission?  Turkey permission is a lot easier to get than deer permission

[rtspring]

I get away from people!  Just started two years ago and both years I connected with. My bow ( just took up that hobby two years ago).  I hunt at around 2500-4000 feet in elevation.   Scout scout scout and hunt birds that are not harrassed by others.

I do best just below the snowline

[benhuntin]

Its gonna be a good year.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Benhuntin, you sure that turkey porn is allowed on here 

[WaltAlpine]

Ben. Wad that pic taken in the north  part of the state or the south?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[benhuntin]

Pic was taken last weekend in Idaho while steelhead fishin. They are also callin and struttin in NE Washington. No breeding happening yet though.

[Henrydog]

They follow the snow line. The year of Snowapocalypse my kid shot a big Rio on the opening of the youth season right on the snow line.  There was a lot of birds talking in the roost but there was no fanning or strutting.  It has been really warm lately, that gets them talkin

[jasnt]

Ya I Been seeing them just above snow line and below.  April 15th I see most my birds 2000-4000

[benhuntin]

Ya I Been seeing them just above snow line and below.  April 15th I see most my birds 2000-4000

If it keeps up this warm there won't be any snow.

[3dvapor]

My best advice is after you find them try using a Dave smith strutter for a decoy.   I've shot several big Tom's with my bow using this decoy.   It's crazy how good it works compared to the others I've wasted money on over the years.  I've attached a pulley system to mine that turns in a 360 degree rotation.   

[jasnt]

Ya I Been seeing them just above snow line and below.  April 15th I see most my birds 2000-4000

If it keeps up this warm there won't be any snow.

it been disappearing quickly!

[baldopepper]

Turkeys are motivated by food and sex (hmm-sound familiar?).  They move from their winter groups when they break off into their mating groups and when things start to green up.  I've seen years when there was very little snow and they still stayed down around the feed lots simply because the higher elevations didn't green up and many groups really never stray far from their wintering areas anyway.  Once they do start moving out, they can cover a lot of ground in just a few days.  In the area I hunt it really doesn't do a lot of good to start scouting much before mid march and some years they haven't really spread out until a week or two before the opening day. I've found even heavy hunting pressure really doesn't make them move all that much, they just get a lot smarter and usually more quiet. Simply put, get out a couple of weeks before your hunt and find 2-3 groups you can chase.  Elevation doesn't have a lot to do with it in my opinion, look for areas that are greening up and look like an area you'd be in if you were a turkey (no pun intended).

[turkeydancer]

 
Spot on !  Look for the areas that are greening up .... those areas will usually hold the insects and other food sources they need especially when coming out of their winter mode.   As they start breeding and nesting they will start dispersing and can be found from the valley bottoms to the hill tops as they follow the snow line.  I've taken birds in a foot of snow to no snow, and from the valley floor to the top of the hills.   Scouting is the best thing you can do .... as said, start in mid-March and go as often as you can, especially as you get closer to the actual hunt.