2025 Gobble Report

[cjjcb]

Not the NE but central WA east cascade foothills opening day below 3,000ft on public...

Roost gobbling started around 5:45, not a lot. Couldn't get them to shock gobble before then as I suspected they were there...

Once they hit the ground (6:15ish) it was quiet with only a gobble or two for the next hour. They didn't seem responsive to my calls (diaphragm and pot calling). Set up off a logging road where recon told me they like to walk.

Had two jakes come by after 7 so I let one have it so I could get on the board. Had turkey sloppy joes last night!!

Going to Stevens Co in a few weeks with my boys so I'll target a tom then...

Good Luck Everyone!!

[Ghost Hunter]

Late this year, I'm headed over to Kettle Falls early in the morning too.  Have to detour through Tonasket, might be late rolling into camp.  How long does it take to unload and move a tavern pool table into a house?  Might take a day or two to get into the turkeys.  Get to check all the cameras too.

[trophyhunt]

Seen a nice Tom strutting in someone’s yard this AM, in a blind now w deeks out.  Been real quiet today and windy as heck.  Just north of Springdale

[hunter399]

Drive the kid around after school. Seen a few hunters,turkey camps.
Seen a few toms on private as well . So windy yesterday calling wasn't working for us.
That wind was killing our hunt. Down trees and not letting the call carry very far.

[trophyhunt]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared. 

[Dan-o]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared.

Same. 

[trophyhunt]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared.

Same.

I have only turkey hunted a few times, but why do they go quiet? Last year it seemed we could hunt/talk with them all day?  My buddy is much farther east of me and his tom came in silent, he’s not hearing much at all either.

[Karl Blanchard]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared.

Same.

I have only turkey hunted a few times, but why do they go quiet? Last year it seemed we could hunt/talk with them all day?  My buddy is much farther east of me and his tom came in silent, he’s not hearing much at all either.

Hens. Until those hens break off to sit their clutches there's no need for those toms to walk away from live birds to go to some random hen yapping off in the distance. 

[cjjcb]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared.

Same.

I have only turkey hunted a few times, but why do they go quiet? Last year it seemed we could hunt/talk with them all day?  My buddy is much farther east of me and his tom came in silent, he’s not hearing much at all either.

Hens. Until those hens break off to sit their clutches there's no need for those toms to walk away from live birds to go to some random hen yapping off in the distance.

Got to be a real sweet talker to get the Tom-in-Charge off live hens...

[birddogdad]

Late this year, I'm headed over to Kettle Falls early in the morning too.  Have to detour through Tonasket, might be late rolling into camp.  How long does it take to unload and move a tavern pool table into a house?  Might take a day or two to get into the turkeys.  Get to check all the cameras too.

there are no turkeys in Kettle Falls...

[Karl Blanchard]

Much better day today, zero wind!!  The birds were pretty talkative till about 6:15, then, nothing!! Couple gobblers right by our camp, disappeared.

Same.

I have only turkey hunted a few times, but why do they go quiet? Last year it seemed we could hunt/talk with them all day?  My buddy is much farther east of me and his tom came in silent, he’s not hearing much at all either.

Hens. Until those hens break off to sit their clutches there's no need for those toms to walk away from live birds to go to some random hen yapping off in the distance.

Got to be a real sweet talker to get the Tom-in-Charge off live hens...

or piss of the hens enough for them to come in, dragging the tom with.

[baldopepper]

Well. I gotta say that "sweet talking" turkeys in is quite over stated.  I've seen em come in to cheap box calls that sounded scretcjy horrible to loud obnoxious over calledd scratches and everything in between.  If you listen to em much you realize they're like a church choir- some with great voices and some with terrible voices.  The real key is finding one that's willing to come have a look. I've seen that occasional one that fairly quickly left his hens and came running and also that lone one that would gobble back like crazy but never move. I've had lots of luck with those that only gobble back once or twice, go quiet and then suddenly appear in front of you ( or behind ya)  I've also had em  just show up without once respomding. If I'm calling I usually stop and wait at least 10 minutes because of those quiet ones. Calling is important, but you don't have to sound like a classically trained opera singer to get em to come in


 
 

[cjjcb]

Well. I gotta say that "sweet talking" turkeys in is quite over stated.  I've seen em come in to cheap box calls that sounded scretcjy horrible to loud obnoxious over calledd scratches and everything in between.  If you listen to em much you realize they're like a church choir- some with great voices and some with terrible voices.  The real key is finding one that's willing to come have a look. I've seen that occasional one that fairly quickly left his hens and came running and also that lone one that would gobble back like crazy but never move. I've had lots of luck with those that only gobble back once or twice, go quiet and then suddenly appear in front of you ( or behind ya)  I've also had em  just show up without once respomding. If I'm calling I usually stop and wait at least 10 minutes because of those quiet ones. Calling is important, but you don't have to sound like a classically trained opera singer to get em to come in


 

I completely agree with you. When I said "sweet talking" I was referring to somehow getting into the tom's mind and giving him exactly what he want to hear. Almost impossible with a live couple hens in front of him...And by the way, I'm a "horrible" caller. 

[Mfowl]

My 2025 Central Wa bird. It was gobbling fury last night as they went to roost. Almost called one  in late in the day but a brushy ravine stopped him. This AM I got on the other side of that brushy ravine and though it took a couple repositionings and a bumped jake I was able to call in a pair of toms. They were vocal on the roost this AM but definitely went quiet after flydown. About 8AM they ramped back up. The pair that came in gobbled quite a bit and the one I didn't shoot was still gobbling as I left the mountain with his buddy. It was a fun morning and this is my first notched tag in a number of years. Good luck out there all!

[nwwanderer]

Mighty small head to get into, more about hormones.  The last one I killed with a 410, kinda standing on my head left handed, followed a hen in and made a fatal mistake.  Mostly luck I suppose