not ready for turkey season!!!!

[loaderboy]

I just now got my corn feeder going and set up and my trail camera. Im a little late this year last year I had the feeder going since end of feb. oh well hope the animals find it. And I know hunting over bait for turkeys is illegal and I dont do that I just use the feeder to get them to my little 20  acre parcel. I saw clost to 100 turkeys still bunched together today I hope they break up soon. I also got my gun shooting great today I mounted some adjustable sights on my 870 and they work awesome, it sure is nice to be able to dial in the pattern right where I want it. Good luck everyone

[ICEMAN]

I just now got my corn feeder going and set up and my trail camera. Im a little late this year last year I had the feeder going since end of feb. oh well hope the animals find it. And I know hunting over bait for turkeys is illegal and I dont do that I just use the feeder to get them to my little 20  acre parcel. I saw clost to 100 turkeys still bunched together today I hope they break up soon. I also got my gun shooting great today I mounted some adjustable sights on my 870 and they work awesome, it sure is nice to be able to dial in the pattern right where I want it. Good luck everyone

Loaderboy, I am pretty sure you bait them in to 20 acres, and then hunt on that 20 acres, you are in violation of the law. Since you have baited, you would be best off hunting elsewhere now, off your 20 acres.....  Unless I read your post wrong... couldnt quite tell...

[C-Money]

Good luck Loaderboy, hope you get a bird. Nice to hear folks feeding to help the turkeys threw winter. Corn can get spendy!

[BPturkeys]

Loaderboy, I am pretty sure that you are baiting, weather you know it or not. I did a quick search on the net but couldn't find the exact law but I have read somewhere that you need to stop feeding for I think 2 weeks prior to the hunt. Even if you are within the limit of the law, you are clearly outside the spirit of the law. By your own admission you are setting out food to attract the birds to your property...and that is the spirit of the law. Take the feeder down and save the food for next winter when they really might need the help.

[Birdguy]

 

[KwackWacker]

sooooooooo tired of hearing about and seeing people baiting turkeys into their freakin yard and shooting em. I'm out there workin my ass off to kill one legit and dip*censored* are out there baiting birds into some little patch of ground behind their house and keeping all the birds on the little piece of land where no honest hunter can get at em

post your thread was a 

[loaderboy]

When I contacted the game dept they told me a corn feeder was legal to use all year long!!!!! A person is just not allowed to hunt over the bait in which I am NOT. These turkeys I am hunting are not in my backyard either they are in the mountains by chewelah. I also usually have a feeder going all year long but this year I was too busy to get up there and keep it filled. This feeder is not just for turkeys it is for all wildlife that comes in and I also enjoy keeping my trail camera going to get shots of everything that shows up. Sorry to offend anyone is what I am doing different than planting food plots for deer and if the turkeys show up to feed in the fields they are fair game?

[yelp]

Illegal..Here's the law.

WAC 232-12-26

Baiting of game birds — Unlawful.

  It is unlawful to hunt game birds by the aid of baiting, or in a baited area or area posted as an upland bird feeding site. As used in this section "baiting" or "baited area" means the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of corn, wheat or other grain, or feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure or attraction to, on or over areas where hunters are attempting to take them. Any such area will remain a baited area for ten days following the complete removal of all such grain or other feed. This shall not prohibit hunting of game birds, on or over standing crops, flooded crop lands, grain crops properly harvested on the field where grown or grains found scattered as the result of normal agricultural planting or harvesting.

[C-Money]

I think everyone needs to take a "chill pill"! There are lots of turkeys around up there, go kill one. Just cause Loaderboy has a few acers is no reason to roast him for having a feeder. I dont know, When is deer season???....people have been way to grouchy on here lately.

[loaderboy]

How big is a baited area so the feeder I found up on boise cascade land behind deer lake makes all the surrounding area illegal for hunting turkeys? I am not trying to break the law I was under the understanding that I was operating in a grey area and thought that as long as I was not hunting within close location of a feeder I was legal. I will contact the local game dept tomorrow and get this cleared up. Since turkey season is not open  I have not broken any laws as of yet.

[loaderboy]

And since biologic fields are not a harvested crop they are also illegal to shoot turkeys on I think there are a lot of people breaking this law.

[yelp]

I think everyone needs to take a "chill pill"! There are lots of turkeys around up there, go kill one. Just cause Loaderboy has a few acers is no reason to roast him for having a feeder. I dont know, When is deer season???....people have been way to grouchy on here lately.

C-Money ..not focused at you.  But more at your comment because I have heard that from lots of people regarding this issue..My two cents..I personally haven't said anything to Loaderboy on this topic..I just presented facts..

Wild turkeys already get a bad rap for nuisance issues especially in the Colville/Chewelah area.  As stated previously Loader boy (in previous years) loads up his feeder everytime he is up there (which means its empty and the turkeys/deer are eating the bait) and then goes home.  Wild turkeys are then attracted to a bait (non-native food source) which intends to domestic them over time..Then they go down the street to the next place/ranch and look for the next hand out, etc...  

Many of the nuisance issues start from people baiting/feeding turkeys.  The intent of Loaderboy is to attract them to his property to hunt them..technically not over bait but that is what he is doing and the law states that even that is illegal.

Also he states someone from the game dept said he could do it..I suggest he discusses it with a F&W officer and he will get a better answer.  I can get him the contact info so he can get the best current information..just PM me.

Baiting and feeding for deer is legal currently in WA.  Turkeys are game birds and it is not legal.  Habitat enhancement is the best way to attract wild turkeys, baiting is the easy way.  

[yelp]

And since biologic fields are not a harvested crop they are also illegal to shoot turkeys on I think there are a lot of people breaking this law.

Last time I checked Biologic is a food plot planting making it an agriculturally planted habitat which according to the WAC is legal to hunt over.

[yelp]

How big is a baited area so the feeder I found up on boise cascade land behind deer lake makes all the surrounding area illegal for hunting turkeys? I am not trying to break the law I was under the understanding that I was operating in a grey area and thought that as long as I was not hunting within close location of a feeder I was legal. I will contact the local game dept tomorrow and get this cleared up. Since turkey season is not open  I have not broken any laws as of yet.

That feeder is illegal if it is filled during turkey season...and hunters are hunting within a distance (that is up to the interpretation of the F&W officer)  I would report it personally.  

LOaderboy you haven't broke any laws and you asked someone and apparently got bogus info..I hope you understand I am not trying to burn you here just stating some facts and trying to help you.  

[NWTFhunter]

Loaderboy, I think your in a very grey area as you stated. I would tell you to stop, as its not a real ethical way to hunt turkeys.  That is just my opinion.  If you want to feed game, do so by planting crops.

[loaderboy]

Thanks yelp for the info, and to clarify the game dept never said I could bait turkeys as long as I did not hunt over the bait the only thing I asked them is if I could run a feeder all year long. I  try to follow the hunting/fishing laws and I would not knowingly break the law. Seems odd that you can plant a non harvested food source and still hunt turkeys over that site seems like the same thing to me. If the game dept. says I am not following the law the feeder will still be in use I will just hunt on another property.  

[yelp]

How many turkeys are you feeding?  If you are going to continue feeding them anyways.... what then is the purpose?  They are not starving. 
Personally it sounds like you want to attract wild turkeys to your property to just feed them?, I suggest talking with some of the conservation districts about habitat plantings it would cost you less in the long run.   

[loaderboy]

Yelp, like in earlier post I love to get pics on my trail camera of different animals not just turkeys. I have pics of deer, elk, moose, bear, bobcat, coyote, and numerous small game. The feeder only feeds 1lb of food every 24hrs so its not like im feeding a ton of wildlife. The highest number of turkeys that have been to my feeder at one time have only been 9. If no current laws are being broken to each their own. Thanks again for all the legal info you have provided.

[loaderboy]

For all who care I just got off the phone with the game dept. and hunting on property where a corn feeder is in use is LEGAL as long as I do not hunt over the bait or set up in the main pathway the turkeys are using to and from the feeder. If it is a matter of ethics for some of you I also fish with bait guess I am double damned. ;)Good luck to all you guys.

[yelp]

who did you talk too ?can i have contact info? i want clarification.

[loaderboy]

I didnt get the guys name the first lady that answered the phone didnt know the answer so she transfered me the this other gentlemen. Sounds like a big grey area and at the discretion of the warden. To be on the safe side I am staying far away from the feeder. Im not trying to say told you so I am just trying to stay legal and have a good time bowhunting for some turkeys.