Turkeys near lake kachess

[bowhunterforever]

I was coming home from the coast today and saw a flock of turkeys between lake kachess and lake easton, closer to kachess though. It was 4 hens but there could have been more. They were standing on the side of I-90 so i didn't get to look that long. Did any of you guys know that there were turkeys in that area and are the Rio's or meriam's?

[fishunt247]

Merriams, from the Teanaway plants in the late 90's probably, just the population expanded and some moved there I guess. Don't think there is many up that way, but who knows

[wackmaster]

They are always hanging around there

[yelp]

They have spread out there are more than just those..I have buddies that hunt elk and see turkeys all the time..

[Gobble]

That flock has spread a great deal since its introduction. Small flocks have even made their way over Snoqualmie Pass and down to North Bend

[yelp]

Are the turkeys in North Bend Merriams?

[Gobble]

I would imagine, I don't think there are many but I know a few people (my dad for one ) that have seen them from the top of the pass al the way to the bottom (westside)

[fishunt247]

I would imagine they are merriams too. My uncle saw a gobbler just east of north bend last year off of 90. How close are the closest eastern to North Bend?

[turkeydancer]

These birds are just heading west to hide with their eastern cousins during the season.   

[Tom Tamer]

From what we were told was they were Merriam' the school fo thought from the NWTF at one time was that the Merriam's would crest over and take over Western Wa. Grain of salt with that though? Wac, your thoughts on that one? that's just what I heard.....I saw a dead hen on I-90 at cabin creek two years ago opening weekend. Always hearing about them all around N.B. Last winter in Hobart I saw four hens, but one was white( Albino or farm bird?) anyway I thought they may be wild because they were preened so much better than any domestic I've seen....
 Another one I saw was across the street from the Black Diamond gas station, a lone hen standing in a guys yard. A feelow that helps at our Jakes event seen it too and stopped at the farm house and asked about it. They'd never seen her before she stayed for four days then left?? WIld or domestic hoping wild that would cut down my drive time from 2 hours to 2 minutes

[Wacenturion]

Probability is the expansion of birds from up on top...Merriams.  But then again it could be any number of things.....game farm releases by someone in that area, expansion of a pocket of easterns from Snohomish....Pierce...who knows. 

Best thing is observation by someone knowledgable enough who knows what they are looking at....or al least a educated guess and some pictures as far as subspecies.  The way the birds react.....standing around in someone's yard might lead me to believe that it was somewhat domesticated...game farm stock...perhaps.

I only am pointing out possibilities....anyone's guess at this point without a credible sighting of what they are subspecies wise.  I would not venture a guess without knowing more.  Any pictures from anyone....anyone actually pull off and watch for awhile...anything that could narrow it down?

As far as the NWTF saying that Merriam's would crest over and take over western Washington.....what crystal ball are they looking into....lol.  God I just love the unscientific reasoning that that statement reaks of.  If that were the case then ask yourself why SW Washington has not been "taken over" by Merriams expanding from Klickitat County.... probably because.....oh I know ........they have only had like 49 years to do so....lol. 
 
The reason is that when they expanded westward from Klickitat to say Carson...you know where one begins to sense you're back in western Washington because of all the green trees and green brush and green everything from all the rain......they stopped there because they don't like it....plain and simple....not Merriams habitat.

[turkeydancer]

Agree WaCent ... Merriam's are still a pine forest bird, and that type habitat peters out as you leave the crest heading west.

[Tom Tamer]

Wacent said...

As far as the NWTF saying that Merriam's would crest over and take over western Washington.....what crystal ball are they looking into....lol.  God I just love the unscientific reasoning that that statement reaks of.  If that were the case then ask yourself why SW Washington has not been "taken over" by Merriams expanding from Klickitat County.... probably because.....oh I know ........they have only had like 49 years to do so....lol. 

 I agree with that statement more.....the way it was said did sounded like just hypothetical to me also. I was told by NWTF RD at the time they had a picture of one in Issaquah that had the markings of a Merriam's but then why was that picture never publicized? The ones I mentioned seeing around other than the white phase  all had buff tails looked very much like Merriams but then again so do a lot of Domestics. If you look at the harvest report the 454 ( Issaquah) unit always has a kill report of around 10. But then again the question is Wild or Farm........yet to be determined. Should we all hold our breath for either WDFW or NWTF to make the call

[Ray]

I know there's turks over there in that region. Saw a photo of one a guy harvested with his longbow last year (a friend of a friend).

[Wacenturion]

If one looks at the recent turkey harvest reports for say 2004-2007, the breakdown for P40 NW, the largest portion of the harvest occurred in GMU 410 Island, and GMU 454 Issaquah, and GMU 407 Northsound

Issaquah....9 birds....2004
                4 birds....2007

Island........3 birds.... 2005
                1 bird......2006
                1 bird......2007

Northsound.6 birds.....2005
                3 birds.....2006


The Issaquah GMU runs from Everitt to Duvall, to Fall City  and south then back west the north to point of orgin.  A portion of Snohomish county is in 454.  Easterns were released near Arlington in the late 90's....one possibility.  Another...with all those people living in King County...I would tend to think that there may be one or two helpful types that may have released some game farm stock....happens quite frequently.  Last....Merriams from up above expanding and coming over and down.

All possibilities....oh...one more....expansion of easterns from Pierce...possible also...birds have had lots of years to do so and 20 years ago eastern escapees from NW Trek were reported outside the park......as well as expanding wild released Easterns in Thurston (near Pierce) from the mid 80's on. 


GMU 407 Northsound is Whatcom and Snohomish counties....part of which includes the Arlington area where a couple release of Easterns were made.

Gmu 410 Islands...is just that..San Juans.  Those birds have been there for years and years.  From Eastern turkeys raised years ago...50's-60's on WDFW..then Dept. of Game game farms and released on one or two of the islands.  There were also a few Merriam's that were caught in Klickitat and also released way back then.  For the most part...a nuisance problem....too tame.  For all intents and purposes they appear to have dominate eastern traits...coloration etc....unless that has changed. 


Although they count as an Eastern if harvested.....they are not even in the same class as our real easterns....lol.