Headed east to go turkey hunting tomorrow

[Linkslice]

My entire hunting party dropped out on me last minute though. I'm still ready and going. If anyone on the west side is headed east and wants to share the gas bill. I'll be headed out tomorrow and returning Sunday (maybe sooner depending on success). I'm headed to the Chewelah/Addy area.

[Jester052]

I went last weekend to Colville and there were a ton of birds. Some have already hatched with poults.

[tgomez]

Good luck, and wish you safe travels. Hope you get a good one, plenty of turkey in that area.

[WaltAlpine]

Do you have a report for us???
I spent two days in that area this year.

[Linkslice]

I just got back in last night and my report is that I should have stayed in camp and just drank. I had more chance of seeing a bird wander into camp as anywhere else. I was out 5 days and 4 nights and saw a grand total of 2 toms and 1 hen. All were on private property that I just happened to driving past either going to or from somewhere. I was camping on public land near Rice and unfortunately the cattle ranchers have them grazing on the public land right now and seems to have messed with the patterns a bit. The cows even wandered through camp one morning at around 5:30am. I got chased by a bull through the woods while out hiking, I almost got hit in a face by a grouse that apparently didn't hear me coming and almost stepped on a rattlesnake that couldn't have cared any less about me.

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready to pack it in a dirt biker came by that I had met the first day I was there and told me there was a huge tom that just crossed the street into his woods and gave me permission to get after it. I was creeping up his hill through the forest following a game trail and stopped at a fork maybe 50 yards up from the road. I gave a call and got a gobble response. My heart was pounding because I was about to get my bird. I stood up a little to peek around a tree and starlted a deer ~30-40 yards to my left who took off down the hill towards the road. At which point the property owner (who said he'd never hunted before) yells up the hill "WELL AT LEAST THERE'S A DEER DOWN HERE!" at which point the tom stopped responding to calls. 

[WaltAlpine]

What a bummer.
I was near there at one point this spring. I saw way more birds on the other side of 395 and heard that there were a lot of birds taken North and South of Colville on the East side of 395. I've had a few trips like that for sure.
There's always the Fall. My trip is booked already.
 

[JeffRaines]

I just got back in last night and my report is that I should have stayed in camp and just drank. I had more chance of seeing a bird wander into camp as anywhere else. I was out 5 days and 4 nights and saw a grand total of 2 toms and 1 hen. All were on private property that I just happened to driving past either going to or from somewhere. I was camping on public land near Rice and unfortunately the cattle ranchers have them grazing on the public land right now and seems to have messed with the patterns a bit. The cows even wandered through camp one morning at around 5:30am. I got chased by a bull through the woods while out hiking, I almost got hit in a face by a grouse that apparently didn't hear me coming and almost stepped on a rattlesnake that couldn't have cared any less about me.

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready to pack it in a dirt biker came by that I had met the first day I was there and told me there was a huge tom that just crossed the street into his woods and gave me permission to get after it. I was creeping up his hill through the forest following a game trail and stopped at a fork maybe 50 yards up from the road. I gave a call and got a gobble response. My heart was pounding because I was about to get my bird. I stood up a little to peek around a tree and starlted a deer ~30-40 yards to my left who took off down the hill towards the road. At which point the property owner (who said he'd never hunted before) yells up the hill "WELL AT LEAST THERE'S A DEER DOWN HERE!" at which point the tom stopped responding to calls. 

I spent some time up around Chewelah this weekend and while I struck out(like you), I seen a LOT of turkey(I seen 5 on a ~3/4 mile stretch of road alone). Only one that would respond to calling and he wouldn't budge. From what I gather, its a little late in the season to expect much. I'm going to try and hunt the first two weeks of season next year and see if I fare better.