Skookumchuck

[bobcat]

Thanks stiknstring. I guess I'm not the only one who ever thought about this!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I think about it a lot, something to do while hiking mile after mile looking for a few droppings, or a feather, or (rarely) hearing or seeing a Turkey.
Been attacked by a grouse defending its nest/hatchling though, pretty funny how brave they can be 
I still think the Racoons have quite an impact on nests though, in one of my areas I have seen 5 so far this year, not family groups either but lone 'coons, 2 of them were just walking down the same road along the creek. 
P.S.  I heard a lone gobble from the opposite side, but spooked him when I tried to cut back towards tree-line though clear-cut along firebreak road in bottom 
no sign of hens......

[Wacenturion]

Or according to WDFW, ..

Since wild turkeys are not native to Washington, questions arise about the impact that wild turkeys might have on native wildlife and plants. There have been many wild turkey studies completed across the United States (in both native and introduced range), and none of these studies have indicated that wild turkeys have negative population-level impacts on plants, animals, or other birds.

Pretty well sums it up.  The tree hugger types just keep bringing this and other issues up in a "sky is falling" assumption when discussing turkeys.  The American Wild Turkey has probably been studied almost as much as whitetail deer in this country, and there is nothing in the literature to suggest they pose a problem to native wildlife.  In fact there are many instances of actually being beneficial to other species in some respects.

Typical tree hugger argument....."I think, therefore prove me wrong".  How about "you think....you prove it to us....the burden is on you.  Would solve a whole lots of problems and save valuable time across the board resource wise.

By the way did any of you see on the news where groups are now organizing to hire legal representation for rocks, trees, streams?  What do these people crawl out from under.    

[bobcat]

Well it's good to know they've done the studies. But for now with the budget situation I sure don't see the DFW being able to do anything to increase turkey numbers on the westside. And if you think about it, with these "tree hugger types" being so numerous around here, I'd guess getting approval for something like this would not be easy. Can you imagine what these people will say about something like this? You can bet they will look at it as spending money just so the state can provide more targets for hunters.

[Wacenturion]

Well it's good to know they've done the studies. But for now with the budget situation I sure don't see the DFW being able to do anything to increase turkey numbers on the westside. And if you think about it, with these "tree hugger types" being so numerous around here, I'd guess getting approval for something like this would not be easy. Can you imagine what these people will say about something like this? You can bet they will look at it as spending money just so the state can provide more targets for hunters.

Exactly..............however even if WDFW was flush, it still would not register as something they would want to do as long as the current bunch of pseudo biologists run Wildlife Management.  They are in my opinion the worst thing that happened to WDFW in the past 30 years....not excluding the previous director which was the biggest single mistake.   

[huntlakewood]

I was down that way a couple of years ago and I used fish that area all the time. I dont hunt turkey I used to see them quite often on private property off of johnson creek road I believe it was the winnery property. but it been a couple of years

[SkookumHntr]

There arnt near as many as 5+ years ago. I havnt seen a single one in 3 years!

[mtnseth]

They're around.  You just have to know where to find them and be willing to burn the boot leather.

The first year I hunted easterns I never saw a bird in the spring.  The second year I saw a bunch of hens but never heard a gobble or saw a tom.  In 2009, I shot a tom in this unit on opening morning.  Last year I had my finger on the trigger, but the bird wouldn't come out in the open. 

This season, I helped my buddy finish out the slam after 15 years of trying by putting him on a new flock of easterns I discovered early in the spring.  So far this year, I've had two close calls, but things just didn't pan out.  (Trying to ambush henned up birds).

Don't be discouraged.  Get out earlier, walk farther, and eventually you'll at least improve your odds of seeing one.

[Turkeyman]

Easterns are doing fine. They move every couple years, depends on logging in your area. You need to work very hard to fine them. Alot of the problem is there are alot birds behind locked gates that never get hunted. Not many hunters willing to go 10+ miles on a bike or walk 10+ miles to kill a turkey.

[SkookumHntr]

-Hunting around the skookumchuck i would be surprised if anybody even sees a turkey turd let alone a turkey! There not around like they use too be!

[Turkeyman]

10% OF THE TURKEY HUNTERS KILL 90% OF THE EASTERNS. THEY ARE OUT THERE.

[NaturalSelection]

I see a few above the dam during deer season when I'm up that way.

[Wacenturion]

-Hunting around the skookumchuck i would be surprised if anybody even sees a turkey turd let alone a turkey! There not around like they use too be!

Oh they are there.  As Turkeyman pointed out....they move every few years....sometimes not too far, sometimes farther and there are birds that never get hunted.  You just have to be persistent and relocate them or find new bunches.  That's what makes them so much fun.  

[Turkeyman]

  it woulg be nice if we could get more birds but it will never happen. There are birds to hunt and i believe there will be for a long time. Just need to believe.

[kerrdog]

Yum.  Turkey.