Have to rant

[northwesthunter84]

I don’t normally complain but opener has be crazy. People road hunting DNR parcels for Turkey. Does that really work. Guys just about shot me decoys about 10 min ago. We were off a dirt two track but still close enough that from that direction people could have got shot. This year has been way worse than past years.

As a side note had a young man impress me by pulling up as we parked. Asked if we minded him hunting the area also and we shared plans so we wouldn’t butt heads. Don’t know if he is a member but that’s how it should be.

[salish]

I decided to stay home on the opener this season for these very reasons. I may miss a shot at a bird but I'll save me a ton of aggravation.

[Bigshooter]

Everyone likes to complain about road hunters.  But i'd rather have them driving around than out in the woods hunting.

[GWP]

Wife and I NEVER went on opening day just because of all the 'Yea Hoo's' out. Unless we were going remote, that whittles down the numbers as it requires walking!

[TriggerMike]

Never seen so many hunters in the turkey woods before. Been crazy the last few days. Cabin fever from Covid? Or Youtube/Onx Maps influenced and the new norm?

[jackelope]

Last year we were bickering because we couldn’t hunt. This year we’re bickering because there are too many people hunting.
Maybe we should make Turkey hunting by special permit only.

[bearpaw]

Lots of poaching on private property going on! 

[hunter399]

Yup,lots of folks out this weekend.
 

[HillHound]

That is frustrating bearpaw. I called one in for my wife on our place Thursday afternoon and gave it a break yesterday. I hope everyone else did.   
I’m taking my boy out this evening and hopefully have a repeat. It might happen If other people pay mind to the signs. We went riding this morning on public and it looked like opening weekend of elk season. Wall tents and 3-4 trailer camps all over.

[Pinetar]

Good to hear lots hunters are getting out of the big cities and going hunting and enjoying the outdoors with their friends and family. Best way to get away from road hunters is too hunt further from the road where you can't see them, then they are happy and you will be happy

Amazing to me that someone would poach and trespass for a bird. Turn them in so they get the hammer.

[TriggerMike]

Last year we were bickering because we couldn’t hunt. This year we’re bickering because there are too many people hunting.
Maybe we should make Turkey hunting by special permit only.

Well, ya. Haha.

[Meow]

I just shot my first bird on DNR land this morning. I didn't see anyone else today, despite being near a road. Though maybe I stumbled right past them in the dim woods without knowing it. I noticed in the vicinity of the LPO NWR it's pretty hard to get far from roads, assuming you count the closed ones.

Just for my edification, is walking roads (and then getting a short distance off of them to call when an area appears promising) frowned upon, or just driving around?

It seems especially crazy that people are poaching on private land when there are tons of birds on huge areas of public land.

I can see why people love turkey hunting. What a rush when the birds respond to your calls (even when you're worried you sound more like a dying walrus than a turkey--darn numb fingers and awkward positions), and especially when they get close.

[rtspring]

Always wondered how shooting turkeys from a road  was “fun”! But then again some guys don’t like women either.  To each their own I guess!!!!

[snake]

So many dang turkeys around I usually have to shoot a few just out of self defense.

[dilleytech]

There will be more hunters this year then any of us has seen before in all categories. I think people learned during the meat shortages last spring how important a freezer full of meat can be.

[Karl Blanchard]

Goldendale was VERY busy. Ive never seen even a fraction of that many people for an opening weekend.  The older I get the more and more I just sit back and let the hard chargers blow their wad and clear out before I get serious. It was good to see people out in the hills though. Lots of smiles and laughs around camps and nobody wearing masks   

[boneaddict]

It’s hard to get too worked up over a turkey.  Heck, just shoot one and pass it around and hold it for a photo op.  They all look the same. Lol
As much as I love my space in the outdoors,  it’s nice to see some normal people with smiles.

[Karl Blanchard]

It’s hard to get too worked up over a turkey.  Heck, just shoot one and pass it around and hold it for a photo op.  They all look the same. Lol
As much as I love my space in the outdoors,  it’s nice to see some normal people with smiles.

like I always say....turkey hunting is awesome right up till you shoot one 

[boneaddict]

 

[cbond3318]

You think it’s bad now, wait until Kifaru comes out with their turkey vest.

[KFhunter]

I enjoy taking kids turkey hunting, never buy a tag for myself but I'm thinking archery I might do.

[CJ1962]

Most people I have ever seen in our area too.  But everyone we bumped into or talked to were polite.  Funniest thing was of the few people we talked to, they all said they had been hunting in this area for 30 years.  I don't remember which year I started Turkey hunting but I have been deer hunting this area for 29 years and I had never seen any if these people before  .

[HAGEMANIAC]

Yeah, I don't get the road hunting crowd.  I'd rather save the gas and miles and just buy a juicy one from the store 

[danderson]

Turkey lives matter don't you know

[dilleytech]

It’s hard to get too worked up over a turkey.  Heck, just shoot one and pass it around and hold it for a photo op.  They all look the same. Lol
As much as I love my space in the outdoors,  it’s nice to see some normal people with smiles. 

Lol ya. Every turkey around here is either a Jake or a Tom. They all have 1/2”-3/4” Spurs and 8 1/2- 9 1/2” beards. Some make nicer fan mounts then others but who cares. I just love the meat as much as anything.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Lots of poaching on private property going on! 

I went out to my property the second half of last week. A full week after the opener. It was incredible to see the amount of trespassing on my property. I do have it posted extensively and still feel I need to put up more signs. Half the signs have my number on them so you can call and talk to me. Crazy how many people have been "hunting it for 20 years" when the previous owner had it posted as well with his number on it. Also incredible the amount of corner cutters. There is literally a road that will take you to where you are walking... two of them actually that I would take my wifes mini-van on. The best part is they are walking a few hundered yards across a corner on my property to then cut through another private property to then I hope hunt on timberland. I dont understand the urge to walk through and/or hunt my property when there are 1000's of drive-in accessible acres surrounding it. Shoot, I even drove in from one of the other roads because from a hunting stand point its a way better route.

[jrebel]

Lots of poaching on private property going on! 

Pretty sure we saw a couple young guys trolling private looking for birds.  Their tracks in the road clearly indicated they were not just passing by.  It was not my property and I couldn’t tell you if they had permission.....though I doubt it.  Just drove by and waived.  What’s a guy to do??   I would bet they were up to no good. 

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Lots of poaching on private property going on! 

I went out to my property the second half of last week. A full week after the opener. It was incredible to see the amount of trespassing on my property. I do have it posted extensively and still feel I need to put up more signs. Half the signs have my number on them so you can call and talk to me. Crazy how many people have been "hunting it for 20 years" when the previous owner had it posted as well with his number on it. Also incredible the amount of corner cutters. There is literally a road that will take you to where you are walking... two of them actually that I would take my wifes mini-van on. The best part is aside from walking all the way up my driveway that is repeatedly posted, they also are walking a few hundered yards across a corner on my property to then cut through another private property to then I hope hunt on timberland. I dont understand the urge to walk through and/or hunt my property when there are 1000's of drive-in accessible acres surrounding it. Shoot, I even drove in from one of the other roads because from a hunting stand point its a way better route.

[KFhunter]

If you aren't on it, it'll be abused.

Sucks, guy I know bought property near the 'Russians'....I tried to warn him...

Opening morning he found like 6 fresh gut piles, he'd been feeding deer hoping to hunt his property

[pickardjw]

Spotted a lone tom on Saturday in a field on private while on the way to a different spot. Decided to swing around to the public on the back side of the property to try to call him in. Got set up and got a few gobbles out of him. Felt like a good setup.

Then heard a diesel back on the main road pull up and stop followed by a couple shotgun blasts...convinced someone poached him off that property. Super frustrating when you're trying to do everything by the books.

[konradcountry]

Look at it this way which is that a lot of these small towns don't many spring visitors.

My friends and I rented a cabin and we wouldn't have done that without the turkeys.

[Guzman]

Where I hunted I would say it was 4x the normal for opener. To me it was frustrating to see such a jump as it was so extreme. I roosted a bird the night before opener. It was the only bird that gobbled the day before and on opener. So one gobbling bird and 5 trucks hunting that spot. If I would have know that many people when I went to bed at the spot I would have just gone home. I did notice more curtesy. The people were fine it was just too many.

My guess is it is a Covid thing.

One other thing I have noticed is the amount of side by sides out there is way up. And the number of them driving where they aren’t supposed to is bad. A lot of them tearing up hillsides and driving all over. I was hunting timber land in Idaho. I had a bird within 100 yards that I was working as side by side came rushing up and almost hit my decoy. They aren’t supposed to be driving on timber land per the rules. That was on a week day too.

[baldopepper]

Covid was the big driver of hunters this year. Kids were still on line educating and parents are still working from home.  Got asked twice at the local store where the best Mobil service was as they needed to use their phone hotspots to get online for their job or their kids school. Also RV sales have been thru the roof, lot of new rigs out there this year and turkey hunting was a good chance to break them in. Just wish that online schooling would teach them how to read "No Trespassing" Worst year I can remember for trespassers, way worse than the deer hunts.

[jrebel]

Covid was the big driver of hunters this year. Kids were still on line educating and parents are still working from home.  Got asked twice at the local store where the best Mobil service was as they needed to use their phone hotspots to get online for their job or their kids school. Also RV sales have been thru the roof, lot of new rigs out there this year and turkey hunting was a good chance to break them in. Just wish that online schooling would teach them how to read "No Trespassing" Worst year I can remember for trespassers, way worse than the deer hunts.

We were hunting my sisters property right down the road from you and watched the same rig drive by three times.  We passed them on our way to the property and they were definitely hunters all camo'd up.  No doubt they were trolling for a bird right off the road.      Good think the toms were not hanging out close to the hwy that day. 

[baldopepper]

Covid was the big driver of hunters this year. Kids were still on line educating and parents are still working from home.  Got asked twice at the local store where the best Mobil service was as they needed to use their phone hotspots to get online for their job or their kids school. Also RV sales have been thru the roof, lot of new rigs out there this year and turkey hunting was a good chance to break them in. Just wish that online schooling would teach them how to read "No Trespassing" Worst year I can remember for trespassers, way worse than the deer hunts.

We were hunting my sisters property right down the road from you and watched the same rig drive by three times.  We passed them on our way to the property and they were definitely hunters all camo'd up.  No doubt they were trolling for a bird right off the road.      Good think the toms were not hanging out close to the hwy that day.

That same old Tom has been below your sister's place all season. Could have shot him from the road 2 or 3 times. Hope he makes it thru the season.

[jrebel]

Covid was the big driver of hunters this year. Kids were still on line educating and parents are still working from home.  Got asked twice at the local store where the best Mobil service was as they needed to use their phone hotspots to get online for their job or their kids school. Also RV sales have been thru the roof, lot of new rigs out there this year and turkey hunting was a good chance to break them in. Just wish that online schooling would teach them how to read "No Trespassing" Worst year I can remember for trespassers, way worse than the deer hunts.

That’s the one I was trying to get my daughter on.  He took his hens and crossed the hwy!!!!  Lol.  I guess I need to work on my calling a bit.   

We were hunting my sisters property right down the road from you and watched the same rig drive by three times.  We passed them on our way to the property and they were definitely hunters all camo'd up.  No doubt they were trolling for a bird right off the road.      Good think the toms were not hanging out close to the hwy that day.

That same old Tom has been below your sister's place all season. Could have shot him from the road 2 or 3 times. Hope he makes it thru the season.