Colville Turkey Advice?

[EasternWaArcher]

I have tried for turkey 3 years now in Tucannon and I'm throwing in the towel there. I have deer hunted Little Pend Oreille for many years now, but beyond there I am not familiar with the surrounding national forest. I can't say I have seen a lot of turkey on the little pend oreille, I do see them, but never in the woods. I see them on the roads, and in everybodies front yards. Where would a guy go to set up a pop up and decoys?

Thanks in advance

[Dan-o]

Lots of good state land around Colville.

Get out whatever ap or app you use and you will find good land near those roads and front yards you see those turkeys on.

They can't play on the side of the road all day.

Seriously.   You will find huntable turkeys that way.

[Sneaky]

the name of the game is to have a good sounding, loud turkey call, and cover as much ground as you can. Doesnt matter if you are hiking or driving. Stay in the woods sun up to sun down and just move until you get a response. Once you get an answer you will start to put together where the birds are and what type of habitat you should narrow in on. There are literally turkeys everywhere from the valley floor to the top of the mountain in varying densities.

I have tried owl hooters and crow calls but never consistently got a response until I started using a pot call to locate. They have the most realism/volume in my opinion. Its not too late to pick up a quality call and get good with it. The louder and more real your call sounds is like casting a wider net everywhere you go.

[CougHunter]

What's your strategy for covering ground by foot? Do you just hike in, call, wait awhile, and then hike further in and repeat?

[buckfvr]

Once you do locate birds and can put up a hunt for them, ditch the 300lb turkey routine and go to more subtle, quiet sounds that will actually get them to come in close looking for the source of the call.......

[Sneaky]

What's your strategy for covering ground by foot? Do you just hike in, call, wait awhile, and then hike further in and repeat?

Yep, don't wait too long though. Find a spot that will allow your sound to resonate, give it a series of loud yelps, and listen. If you don't hear anything, try again in the next area. here is a video that shows what a typical locating sequence might sound like:

[Sneaky]

Once you do locate birds and can put up a hunt for them, ditch the 300lb turkey routine and go to more subtle, quiet sounds that will actually get them to come in close looking for the source of the call.......

Yes! Its good to have more than one call! This year I am planning on doing most of my locating with crystal and aluminum calls (for the volume), then trying to get it done with green or gray slate surfaces because of their ability to get quiet but also be loud enough once a bird is found.

[PA BEN]

Cutting call is the best locater call you can use. 

[kevinlisa06]

I locate most birds using a Crystal or Aluminum Pot style call and a nice loud Box Call. Crow call works also but as the season goes on they get used to the Crow calls, IMO.


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[Call em in]

Sneaky,

Is that your call in the video? Sounds great 👍

[Fl0und3rz]

Tag.

[CaNINE]

Cutting call is the best locater call you can use. 

That’s a fact. A loud cut on a box call will yank it out of them. 

[Sneaky]

Sneaky,

Is that your call in the video? Sounds great 👍

Not me and not my call, but I own about 25 john Sinclair pot calls like the one featured in the video. Its easy to get addicted to trying new surface, soundboard, and wood combos! They are all different but they are all turkey!

[Call em in]

Sneaky,

Is that your call in the video? Sounds great 👍

Not me and not my call, but I own about 25 john Sinclair pot calls like the one featured in the video. Its easy to get addicted to trying new surface, soundboard, and wood combos! They are all different but they are all turkey!

I hear ya. I used to have a gallon zip lock packed full of pot calls and another one full of strikers. Over the years I have helped several buddies get started turkey hunting and let them pillage my extra gear. I enjoy introducing people to my addiction. Lol. Some people get bit by the turkey hunting bug and some people can care less...I never understood those people.

[EasternWaArcher]

Thank's everyone for the tips & insight! I do appreciate it, everything helps as I'm a novice at best when it comes to turkey. I've sat for days in my pop up calling away on the box call and the pot call with no luck. I think I will leave the pop up home this year and get hiking around until I get a bird to call back.

[sneakyjake]

Good luck.   Be safe and courteous.   Watch for other hunters and be aware of property lines.  Once you start moving, you’ll be bound to make mistakes and you will encounter other hunters doing the same.

[Call em in]

Thank's everyone for the tips & insight! I do appreciate it, everything helps as I'm a novice at best when it comes to turkey. I've sat for days in my pop up calling away on the box call and the pot call with no luck. I think I will leave the pop up home this year and get hiking around until I get a bird to call back.

Yeah dude unless you have the birds patterned ditch the pop up and cover ground and find a bird that wants to play. Pop ups are awesome if you have them patterned...or it’s raining lol. Good luck.

[Pegasus]

Thank's everyone for the tips & insight! I do appreciate it, everything helps as I'm a novice at best when it comes to turkey. I've sat for days in my pop up calling away on the box call and the pot call with no luck. I think I will leave the pop up home this year and get hiking around until I get a bird to call back.

Wander and use a box call and don't be afraid to produce as much noise out of the box as possible until you get a response. If you are moving into a location in the dark use the owl or crow calls. Later in the day a peacock call will sometimes set them off. Turkeys will often gobble at loud noises such as dogs barking and my favorite sound that I have heard turkeys gobble at are truck "jake" brakes. The first turkey I ever shot in this state was set off by a lightning strike. He started gobbling like crazy and moving fast. I was able to call him back in. That was about a hundred years ago when the total turkey kill was 100 birds state wide. Previous to that if I even got a turkey to respond to my calls I considered it a successful hunt. Good luck.