A little help..

[CWUhunter9]

I seem to be striking out everywhere I go.. I've been out off Reecer, Coleman Creek, Wilson Creek, and went out near Blewett Pass/Liberty this morning.  Can anyone give me some advice as to where I should head near the Ellensburg area?  I know there are birds out there, they just seem to not be wherever I'm going.  Any advice again would be helpful because clearly I have a lot to learn haha 

[BPturkeys]

Hello CW, maybe it's not so much where you're going but what you're doing after you get there. There is quite a learning curve for turkey killin' and you aren't the first or will you be the last to climb that hill. Just keep going and asking and scouting and by all means holding still, and before long you'll get that...oh holy day... first bird. 

[CWUhunter9]

thanks for the reply BP, my biggest question then would be what if we aren't locating or getting any gobbles? How will I know where to set up and sit around then, because wouldn't it be a waste to sit out at a spot hoping there's something in the area but not actually knowing? Or should I actually go back out to one of these spots, and set up?

[dawei]

thanks for the reply BP, my biggest question then would be what if we aren't locating or getting any gobbles? How will I know where to set up and sit around then, because wouldn't it be a waste to sit out at a spot hoping there's something in the area but not actually knowing? Or should I actually go back out to one of these spots, and set up?

Just because you don't hear gobbling doesn't mean that turkeys are not around. You need to be looking for SIGN such as: shed feathers, scat, scratchings, tracks, cone shaped drill holes, dusting areas, etc. Did you find any such sign in any of the ares you were hunting?

[CWUhunter9]

No we've only found a couple sets of tracks that led to nowhere up in the snow.  A lot of the places I've been looking though have been within a couple hundred yards of the road, so I think maybe I should branch out a little further than that.. but as far as signs, I haven't been running into those, which is disconcerning because it either means I'm way off, or just don't know how to look for them.

[Seatown5]

seeing as you live in the area, I would spend a lot of time in the woods from about half hour before dark untill about half hour after dark.  That hour at night can prove very productive to find those gobbling/roosted birds.  Sometimes even an hour after dark you can still locate them.  Then the same goes for the morning, start walking those roads for about an hour before dark, using your locators.  Its just roosting, but right now it is going to be your best bet for hearing birds. 
 

[BPturkeys]

See, there you go, both Seatown5 and  dawei  gave you some very sound advise. Quiet turkeys are almost becoming the norm now days and in many ways it makes turkey hunting a lot tougher. Don't for one minute think that you're not supposed to use your eyes as well. Learn to "see " turkeys just as you learned to "see" deer or other animals that you hunt. Back in the old days a guy could walk out on a ridge and give a couple yelps and if there was a turkey within a mile you'd hear him come back...not any more. Shock calling is almost a thing of the past. When I am locater calling now days I have found that a very quiet cluck or two is about all that will trigger a response. When you are in the woods, be varwe, varwe quiet, Mr. turkey can hear you fart at a hundred yards. You go tromping up a draw yelpin like a fool, you might as well be sitting in your front room, cause old Tom ain't going to answer.

[turkeydancer]

Get at least a quarter mile from the roads if not more .....

[BOWHUNTER45]

We are heading out on Thursday for the last leg of the season ...cant wait and hopefully it will be like every other year .. Try to forget about the morning and try hunting mid day or if you have a bird gobbling in the morning and do not kill him then try back their in the afternoon ....alot more patients required now !!!!