Easterns?

[Diehard0123]

Anyone got some good locations to hunt eaterns?  I have hunted the Scookumchuck area before but have not wandered to far from that area. 

[turkeydancer]

Capitol Forest ... Oakville south toward PeEll (Lincoln Creek, Bunker Creek,etc) ... either side of Hiway 6 between PeEll and Menlo, the upper Newaukim, the Wynochee, every creek drainage between the Coweman and Kalama Rivers, up the Toutle River, up the Lewis River ... need more ? 

[Diehard0123]

Thanks!

[Dustin07]

I've been scouting hard for the last three weeks in three different areas which are 'known' turkey areas. I've spent all the time up the Cowlitz around blue creek, peterman ridge, and hwy 508. Up and down 12 and 508 viewing along the river, private pastures, and of course the wilderness areas of Mossyrock. I've seen no turkeys, heard no turkeys and haven't even seen signs of turkeys. i was really hopeful that the mud and snow I find up there would at least reveal some of Tommy Three Toe's tracks, but I've seen none.

Yesterday in the Peterman Ridge area, a WDFW reported Turkey hotspot, I covered over 20 miles of terrain in the jeep, and also got out and walked miles upon miles with the GPS. I also found a couple forest/field edges and just parked myself for hours waiting, listening, and from time to time (gasp!) calling. (I know guys ask that you leave your calls at home preseason, but I haven't even been able to find turkeys to educate!)

Is it too early to get much action out of Easterns, or am I missing something?? 

I don't expect immediate success, obviously... but I practically trip over turkeys in Eastern Washington, but for the life of me can't find a single one on the West side. I feel like I"m on a 'wild goose' chase for Turkeys. LOL

Capitol Forest ... Oakville south toward PeEll (Lincoln Creek, Bunker Creek,etc) ... either side of Hiway 6 between PeEll and Menlo, the upper Newaukim, the Wynochee, every creek drainage between the Coweman and Kalama Rivers, up the Toutle River, up the Lewis River ... need more ? 

yes please 

[Wacenturion]

Obviously the biggest problem with Easterns over on the west side is finding them.  By nature of the subspecies they travel in smaller groups in the spring , usually about 7-8 birds or slightly larger in a given small area.  Kind of like finding a needle in a haystack.
Don't count on hearing one even using turkey calls unless the habitat is open, you're above it and there is no wind.  Otherwise the sound gets eaten up by the cover.  If you don't believe me take a friend and walk in opposite directions in typical western Washington woods and reprod and call loudly at intervals.  You will quickly find out depending on the amount of trees, brush etc, that you can't hear each other somewhere in the neighborhood of anywhere from 75-200 yards.  So unless you're right on top of them and they response with no wind etc...you probably won't hear them.
Droppings are your best friend.....find them and you will have found one of these spring groups in an area they perfer to be for nesting, breeding etc.  I know it's frustrating but you will with continued effort find some.  Then the other problem of having the patience to actually believe they are there to kill one, sets in.  If you are successful....you'll join an elite group and become a much better turkey hunter for it.
As an example there is one young man on this forum who started on these guys last year and found one or two spots....no luck.  This year he has at my last count that he posted has found seven areas with easterns.  What I'm saying it takes alot of effort, shoe leather and in turn you continually learn more about their habits.  Then you odds go way up in regards to harvesting one.  Hope this helps to ease the pain somewhat.  Where are you located?

[Dustin07]

Thanks for the reply. I'm located in Enumclaw, so I've been putting in 300+ miles each weekend heading down to mossyrock to explore. Unfortunately I won't be able to scout at all next weekend because we're probably headed to Copalis for the clam dig on Sat assuming it's open.

I was looking for this because of the fresh mud and snow, I thought for sure I'd see it, but didn't find any!



but I didn't notice any of this either:






I'm just venting I guess. I'll keep looking  I know wdfw reports the Peterman Ridge area as being one of the few that hold Turkeys, and its 7,000 acres, so I know there is plenty more ground for me to cover!

I did see some cool tracks I'll try to post later though!

[Wacenturion]

You might want to spend your time in the Capitol Forest, just west of Olympia, or anywhere around Johnson Creek east of Tenino...in fact anywhere on Weyerhauser/DNR lands east, southeast of Tenino.  These areas are alot closer to you.  More time scouting, less time driving.   

[Dustin07]

a quick check on Google indicates that either Tenino or Cap forest would save about 30min of driving, and I still get to go past cabelas. I was aware of Cap forest, the only reason I hadn't checked there yet was because I had already started looking down in Mossyrock and didn't want to quit until I found one. I figured my odds increased with every trip...

thanks for the tip I'll probably hit cap forest next. I've been wanting to check it out for a few months now.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I am the one with 7 spots to chase easterns, unfortunately one is supposition because it involves getting a ride behind the gates at Skookumchuck from a WH employee, 3 are spots I stumbled upon last year wearing out a pair of boots . One was a place the mechanic that did some work on my truck told me he saw some on his way home one night. One more was a spot a guy on this sight showed me, Another one was where a lady that worked at corner store told me about....you get my drift. You have to be persistant and then go investigate. They are active (gobbling) now but you have to get at least a mile and a half AWAY from active roads. Get behind gates and walk in at least a half hour before light (I dont mean sunrise either) If you can see your boots you are too late and you probably wont hear anything. If you are late, no big deal, but now it is look for sign ie. feathers, droppings, and scratchings. I have found some but if they are anything like last year they will move to Oregon as soon as season opens.

[Dustin07]

Thanks for the reply!

I have three spots then. One is the spot that a fisherman on the Cowlitz told me he sees them in when he's boating up the river. One is where a budy of mine actually saw one in a guys yard last year, right off his grandparents property on 508. They have a couple hundred acres between them and the rest of their family, and the last one is the one wdfw points you too, the P. Ridge. I've put a lot of foot time in on all three locations with no luck, but I will admit this, I typically get there right around sunrise (leaving Enumclaw around 4:30 arriving at 6:30+ ish) and I just naturally expected I'd catch birds de-roosting and heading out to feed. I did not realize that they were locked up in the woods and so quiet so early.

I'll definitely take your advice seriously. Since I'll probably be clamming this saturday, I'll aim to be out there again the first weekend of April once again, but at least an hour or two earlier. yikes, maybe I'll just forego sleep!

thanks again-
D

[Turkeyman]

Capital Forest

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I was surprised myself but the ones I have encountered gobbled for 1/2 hour to 45 min. while it was barely light enough to see (about time your leaving) and they flew down before the sun was up, gobbled once or twice from the ground and that was it. Other than that, one time this year was when my 6 year old daughter was yelling for echo at sunrise.

[Dustin07]

LOL. That's good information though. These guys are different from the Merriams and Rios, huh? I didn't realize they shut up so early in the morning.. If I had known that I would have been there earlier for sure. I guess next time I go I'll aim for a couple hours before sunrise. I REALLY want to hear them!

[turkeydancer]

Very quiet birds compared to Merriams and Rios. And as already said by SSB, as it first starts to lighten up they will become only just as vocal as they need to be and then the minute the tom flies down with his hens he will usually gobble once or twice and becomes quiet ... you almost have to be right on top of them to hear them). You might also be able to strike them up a bit at last light.  Wac is correct also that you need to get out of the vehicle and get back behind the closed gates or trails - using a mountain bike can save a little wear and tear, you can also cover a little more territory faster, but you can also go slow enough you won't miss sign. Try an owl call early and late ... or crow all day ... just a couple short loud bursts so you can hear if he shock gobbles.  If you must you the turkey calls, call very quiet every 100 - 200 yards, but if you're not finding sign you're just most likely just calling yourself ... and if you are finding sign there is no reason to call before the season.

[Dustin07]

Don't get me wrong, I got out of the jeep lots. I did cover about 20 miles in the one wdfw area, but I constantly got out to walk around, glass the hill sides, listen, follow and look for tracks, etc.

thanks for the tips. the idea of the mt bikes is a good one. There are lots of gates down there and I like the idea of parking the rig next to the gate and mtb'ing in.


so I need to go earlier, and just keep covering ground!

Now what about hunting the edges? Eastern Washington hunting advice usually seems to be to hunt the edge of the woods going into prairies/fields. Do the Eastern Turkeys stay in the woods?