How was opening weekend for ya?

[Heartsblood]

Here's my report:

Had decent weather with really, the only hitch was a bit of wind on sunday out in the teanaway. But nothing to worry about. I had scouted (with a gun) friday afternoon and located plenty of sign - scat,feathers, tracks. I got into one of my favorite areas saturday morning. Heard two gobblers who were gobbling once every 10 minutes or so more about 40 minutes. I didn't call too much because of the human made ruckus all around me  - I felt that maybe if I tried to present a calm area where I was, birds might come thru considering:

I was surrounded by hunters. I heard much terrible calling - one who incessantly "hen" called with the cadence of a ruffed grouse, accelerating between "yelps" into warp drive.... Another "caller" used a crow call at near 530 am and got a shock gobble. I suspect that that call actually woke up the tom in question or at least kicked in some adrenaline for him, but he never responded to the crow call again. He had plenty of opportunity to do so as the "caller" stayed in the same spot and called all morning on that crow thingy.

They weren't particularly vocal and I didn't hear one hen all weekend. I never did see a bird - I suspect some birds saw me. I know they were there. I just wasn't quite in the zone yet. I heard one shot all weekend so I suspect at least one hunter filled a tag where I was hunting.

Dunno how many more times I'll get out there this year but, in my experience persistence pays off.

I still had a great time and as usual learned more about the landbase that I continue to hunt.

Hope y'all have better reports than me. And if not, keep at her.

Thanks.

[demontang]

only got out one day with no sign of turkey. I did have fun cause my son went out with me.

[Moose]

Went out near Goldendale with buddy and his son (HunterJim and FishermanJoe). My first turkey hunt last year didn't yield anything, but this year I filled tag #1 five minutes into the hunt. 25#'er, 8" beard. Day two I filled the second tag with a 26#'er, another 8" beard. Lotsa fun.

[lokidog]

I was out in Teanaway as well.  Took my 7 year old non-hunter along.  Was supposed to meet up with someone who ended up not being able to make it.  Lots of snow around, and hunters.  Opening morning saw a guy and his kid (figured they had seen us as well) we moved away as my original path was going to cut him off.  Sudenly, ahead of us, a turkey gobbled.  I answered, he answered a couple of times.  We were pretty much out in the open so we were moving to get to the edge of the heavier timber.  This guy starts running up behind us and starts calling at the tom I'm working.  The tom went dark on us as I think I hurried a bit too much to close the distance, and my little guy is not yet the quietest thing in the woods.

Saturday morning slept in a bit as the little guy was exhausted.  Got out in the woods about 7:45, hiked in to a spot and sat down to call (the decoy had a leak in it and wouldn't stay inflated and I forgot my face mask in the truck...).  A couple minutes after setting up a tom comes running up/by, I though he saw me and I panicked.  I jumped up to get a better angle on him when he came out from behind a few trees, swung, shot and missed.     Not even a feather where he was.  In hind sight, I think he was running in to find the yelping hen but because of the very windy conditions, missed where we were.  If I had CALMLY clucked at him when he went behind the trees, he probably would have stopped and come closer, oh well!

We hiked another couple of miles and saw people prints everywhere and did not see or hear any sign of turkeys.  All in all, we heard two gobble Friday morning and saw the one Saturday.  I thought I heard a hen yelp near us Friday afternoon but nothing came of it.  We did not see much turkey sign at all.  The hard part was that we stayed on DNR land even though what I thought was private had guys hunting all over it.

My boy got the crap just about startled out of him with his first experience having a grouse blow out of the bushes ten feet away.     And, we got to see some very fresh bear tracks which made him a bit nervous.  Called it a day Saturday afternoon as he was pretty worn out and I ws a bit frustrated with all the people and lack of turkey sign.

[MtnMuley]

Went out near Goldendale with buddy and his son (HunterJim and FishermanJoe). My first turkey hunt last year didn't yield anything, but this year I filled tag #1 five minutes into the hunt. 25#'er, 8" beard. Day two I filled the second tag with a 26#'er, another 8" beard. Lotsa fun.

Welcome Moose.  Those are some heavy birds!  Congrats.

[teanawayslayer]

made it on sunday because I had to work on saturday.  It was Cold lots of snow and not so many birds.  saw one hen.  heard one gobbler that wouldn't respond to calling.  Lots of hunters that you never see around here as usuall.  Can't wait for another 3 weeks when the newness of the first hunting season wears off.  congrats on a nice bird mtnmuley.

[turkeyfeather]

Not much luck for us either. Took my 9 yr. old out and did the calling for my wife. I'm really trying to get help her get her first bird, then I'll work on mine. Only heard a few gobbles, probably due to the area being overrun with hunters. Haven't had anyone in this area for 2 years (ugh). But we did have 3 nice does feeding in the field right in front of us, my son thought that was pretty cool. And I got to report some idiot 19-20 year old who decided to shoot at a turkey right in the middle of the road, and when he realized someone saw him he took off and never even took the bird.

[HunterJim]

Great weekend as MOOSE stated!  FISHERMANJOE and I had set up three well placed ground blinds 3-4 weeks earlier.  Placed them along travel routes between roosts and fields.  Started Friday afternoon off in the rain, happy to have the shelter of the blind.  Hadn't even reached the blind on our hike out when out popped MOOSE's first gobbler!  Shotguns unloaded!  MOOSE put in some shells and had his first ever tom.  An hour later I had my tom, a 26#er (yes, all of ours were weighed on scales).  Photo here shows both of ours on that wet day.

Saturday found MOOSE and FISHERMANJOE out in the same blind.  JOE called in a real nice gobbler and tried to pop him with his bow.  Unfortunately he got more of the blind than the window netting and shot low.  MOOSE got him with some heavy shot before he disappeared, his second turkey, a nice 26#er.

The rest of the weekend found JOE trying to entice a couple long beards strutting on private property and over to us where it would be legal.  Couldn't talk pretty enough I guess.  Great weekend!!

[Elkhound]

Made it up to the Trout Lake area on Saturday afternoon and started hunting at around 5:00 pm.  Was very windy...as usual...but was able to see 6 different birds and had one coming in at around 6:45 when I was too aggressive and he busted me and flew off.  Sunday morning was calm and COLD....frost everywhere to make walking oh so quiet!  At first light was startled by a loud gobble as I walked up a logging road....just kept sounding off over and over!  Worked within 15 yards of 2 mature toms, 1 jake, and two hens.....too greedy and passed on the jake because the bigger toms were just on the other side of a brush pile...bad move...was busted before I could get a shot!  When they flew off I then saw that there were many more hens all around me!  Was fun but stupid move on my part!  I was able to find another very vocal tom about 2 hours later...I think it was the same one that I spooked earlier in the morning....but thought there were other hunters working him so I moved out.  Came back to the area about an hour later and tried a woodpecker locator call and he gobbled VERY close to me.  I tried to setup and he busted me and ran off.  DAMN!  That was at 11:00 am and I decided to give the area I was hunting a rest and I left and had some lunch.  There was a lot of wind in the evening again......and no turkey sights or sounds.  I think I hunted it out for now.....because there was nothing talking this morning as well.  I will try that area later in the season.  By the way....saw no birds or sign above 2200 feet in elevation in that area.  Was fun however and I should have had at least one bird!!

[Heartsblood]

Congrats guys.

@Hunter Jim -

I like your signature quote - I just read "Sand County Almanac" for the first time this year. Excellent read.

[Bigtine96]

My dad myself and my grandfather all killed toms

[WAcoyotehunter]

I took three guys out and we killed a two yr old and a three yr old tom.  It was pretty slow and the weather was poor. We had three other shot opportunities that didn't pan out...

[rosscrazyelk]

I was in the teanaway as well and there were lots of hunters around. That is expected but I decided to put in some miles and get away from everyone.
I hiked in around 4 miles to a place I knew would have some clear south facing slopes. Knowing that noone would be as stupid as me to go in that far I would have the whole place to myself.
I brought my good friend who has been interested in hunting for awhile but now is finally starting to get into it. However he is not in the best of shape and really slowed me down. Due to this little setback I did not get to where I wanted to be before it got light . I was about 30 minutes behind schedule.
Right away I hard some gobbling, I got as close as I could without getting to close for them not to see me. I set up and started my soft calling.. I heard at first was one tom but then a couple more chimed in. I hear them fly down from the tree. after a couple moments of silence I see one. then two then four. They stopped at 85 yards out and stand there all puffed up. They stood there calling for around 15 minutes. I noticed a large group of hens moving around behind them after the hens were out of site the toms tucked tail and ran after them.. I tried getting on them again only to find out there were about 30 birds there and I got spotted and the gig was up.