Anybody hunting Easterns?

[Elkpiss]

anybody getting action on the westside?  Had a one working this morning, I will get him this weekend!  ..

[Wacenturion]

Heard of one killed on opening day................er....oops........ forgot .......I think that one was taken by your buddy...lol

Thought we would let you could forget that easy ...ding, ding...reminder.

[Turkeyman]

I went out Friday no luck yet. Going out in the morning.

[PolarBear]

I have had some in my pastures this week.  This is the first time in years that they have showed up around here. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Had one in my back yard last year.  Couldn't believe it.   

[Tom Tamer]

Got my butt handed to me for four days straight, yesterday got whooped by a monster I've been chasing for three years....he needs to die just so he quits spreading that elusive gene to all the rest of them. This morning in route to set up on him I bumped into one of his off spring who didn't believe in 6'2" 240# hens....so he left. but I'll be back.

[one more]

My daughter and I spent Thursday and Friday trying to call a tom in, near LaBam.  He gobbled a total of 4 times each day.  The second of each pair of gobbles the first day was from farther away from us.  We figured he was with hens leading him away from this strange hen, so we stopped trying to call him.  We tried to get ahead of the birds.  Didn't see him, only one hen.  We thought we had put them to bed Thursday.  Friday we waited for him on the routes he had taken.  No tom, saw one hen.  Later I heard gobbles from across the road by a farm stream/woods - private property.  We had Home things to do and didn't go out yesterday or today.  I have to admit, getting up at 3:15 am and getting home to bed at 10:00 pm is tiresome.

Maybe we'll try for him later.

We sure could use a hunting area closer than over an hours' drive from home.  When my daughter and I go to the East side for Rios and Merriams, we take the camper and give the ranchers jars of our bees' honey or halibut (when she goes fishing in Alaska this summer) or necklaces for the wives. 

To the person who helps my daughter and me get Eastern birds, I have offered a large, commercially tanned beaver pelt that is hooped. 
Diane
 

[Wacenturion]

If you live in Rochester you are close to several good areas.  Capitol Forest.....all of it and closest to you, the Gate Area.  Lincoln Creek and Garrad Creek to the west and southwest.  West to Brooklyn on the back road...all pretty much timber company and DNR.  Birds are out there in all these areas...just have to put in the time to find sign.  Lots of walking behind gates looking for droppings. 

Why drive all the way down to LaBam....you have birds in your back yard.....spend that driving time hunting.

[one more]

Those are all good areas and during the past 10 + years my daughter and I have walked many miles on the roads in those areas, and many others around here.  This year I have also ridden my bike on some of the roads.  I've left the roads, also, have had a tom I was working shot by another hunter a mile from a road.  We have put in the time.  But this year I haven't found anything close that's promising and my knees are slowing down. I'm just asking for help and willing to give a thank you gift to our helper - either another hunter or a farmer/rancher with wild turkeys on their land.
Diane

[wabow]

Capitol forest is getting better. We dumped my little brother off at the peak tues evening. By opening day he found quite a few birds and arrowed two yotes. I went up saturday, weather was lousy but my brother arrowed his tom. I passed up two and decided to call it a weekend camp trip. I'll go back up in a week or two and get a shot at sticking mine. Saw one small bear and stuck one small yote.  I'd like to stretch the season out until its time to drown flys.

Don

[haus]

Well we heard one gobble for the first time ever at about 4pm Saturday. looked like a couple 5 year olds on Christmas I'm sure.  Then a horseback rider went right between us and off into the direction of the gobble     Sunday a.m. we heard more than one tom go off, but we have no perception of how loud a turkey gobble is so we couldn't tell if they were close or a mile away  least we have narrowed in on them a bit. We have yet to actually see one. hahah. Though twice yesterday we were close in on a hen, could hear her pecking along just couldnt see. Damn brush.

I didn't realize the lil' bishes were all going to be hinding in the think nasty. I figured to see them out on the edges of fields n clearcuts and such. The ones we're after are holding in some machete cover.

[Wacenturion]

Well we heard one gobble for the first time ever at about 4pm Saturday. looked like a couple 5 year olds on Christmas I'm sure.  Then a horseback rider went right between us and off into the direction of the gobble     Sunday a.m. we heard more than one tom go off, but we have no perception of how loud a turkey gobble is so we couldn't tell if they were close or a mile away  least we have narrowed in on them a bit. We have yet to actually see one. hahah. Though twice yesterday we were close in on a hen, could hear her pecking along just couldnt see. Damn brush.

I didn't realize the lil' bishes were all going to be hinding in the think nasty. I figured to see them out on the edges of fields n clearcuts and such. The ones we're after are holding in some machete cover.

Haus............unless you were up at a high point overlooking a 360 on a still clear morning or day, the birds you heard were close.  The vegetation eats up the sound  on the westside.  As an example my son and I years ago on relatively flat western Washington forested ground, blew every call we had as loud as we could, including trumpets, which are louder and lost hearing each other at about 250 yards.  That should tell you something.

It's one of those western Washington Eastern things you eventually figure out.....not like the open forested areas of eastern Washington where sounds can really carry.  Good luck...hope that helps.


Wabow...........congratulations....pictures please....that way everyone will know they do exist...lol.

[haus]

Haus............unless you were up at a high point overlooking a 360 on a still clear morning or day, the birds you heard were close.  The vegetation eats up the sound  on the westside.  As an example my son and I years ago on relatively flat western Washington forested ground, blew every call we had as loud as we could, including trumpets, which are louder and lost hearing each other at about 250 yards.  That should tell you something.

It's one of those western Washington Eastern things you eventually figure out.....not like the open forested areas of eastern Washington where sounds can really carry.  Good luck...hope that helps.

Eats up a turkey sound ya mean? Guess thats what I'm askin. How well can you hear a turkey gobble in comparison to a coyote howl, elk bugle, goose hookin, raven or crow squack, if they called from the same spot with the same terrain in between. I grew up huntin the west side, I've never heard a turkey gobble in the wild until saturday so I have no reference, know what I mean? Maybe couple when I was in the blue's once but that was 6years and a lotta beer ago 

[Wacenturion]

Yes..............turkey gobble was the sound I was referring to.  Probably alot less, especially in the case of birds like geese and crows/ravens which are in the air.  Those sounds travel well.  Also less distance than an elk or coyote.  Coyote is pretty high pitched and they can carry on pretty well.  Elk, also high pitched and obviously higher off the ground than a turkey.

A gobble is more of a low resonating gurgle, for lack of a better word.  They also usually don't gobble much, at least while you're scouting.  When opening day comes, I've had them go ballistic, and in my mind I'm saying..."shut up, I know you're here, don't want anyone else to hear ya".  We are indeed a funny, paranoid lot.

[haus]

Yes..............turkey gobble was the sound I was referring to.  Probably alot less, especially in the case of birds like geese and crows/ravens which are in the air.  Those sounds travel well.  Also less distance than an elk or coyote.  Coyote is pretty high pitched and they can carry on pretty well.  Elk, also high pitched and obviously higher off the ground than a turkey.

A gobble is more of a low resonating gurgle, for lack of a better word.  They also usually don't gobble much, at least while you're scouting.  When opening day comes, I've had them go ballistic, and in my mind I'm saying..."shut up, I know you're here, don't want anyone else to hear ya".  We are indeed a funny, paranoid lot.

We bout passed out when we heard first one lol. Was referencing the other birds calling from same elevation as the gobbler. Get what your saying though, so even if they're up in the roost it wont travel much because of the tone. hmm. and with a tone that low I assume if they project it away from you it'll sound much farther away?