Northeast Washington

[hobbes]

If I can work it out, I'm going to try to pack the family out to NE Washington (Colville/Kettle Falls area)and try to get in some late season turkey hunting.  We've been hunting public land in NW Nebraska over the Memorial Day weekend for the last five years from Colorado since the CO season was done by then.  However, we moved to MT in 2011 and Nebraska is too far from Helena and way to far for my traditional Illinois (back home) Eastern hunt.  Anyway, I've got to try and get in more hunting a little closer to MT and just recently took note of the possibilities in WA.

I like hunting late season birds (all season really).  I find that they are usually gobbling a little less, but covering plenty of ground usually finds a bird or two that is hot.   From what I've read here a lot of you guys are done before late season.  For those of you that find yourself hunting into the late season, do you find my generalization above to be true on public land in that region?  Also, what kind of weather conditions does that part of the state have in late May?  Are they as variable as everywhere else, 30 to 90 and dry and rainy?

By the way..........its nice to find that there is a western state that harbors a fair share of turkey hunting fanatics.

[Hangfire]

The weather is eastern Washington can be any thing from hot to cold and rain or dry and usually wood ticks. I live in Stevens county and last year it frosted every month. Normally the weather is good and late season a little warm. I have had some of my best calling experiences the last week of the season.

Doen't Montana have turkeys. I have sean some driving back to Wyoming in the fall.  I know Idaho has good turkey hunting also.

[hobbes]

Yes, I'll be hunting Montana beginning on the 13th.  However, the region around Helena is a limited tag that I did not draw, so I'll be driving to the general tag area in Eastern MT (Miles City to Ashland region) that starts a little west of Billings.  I may try some general areas in Western MT also.  In the next few years I'm sure I'll hit SD and WY, but they are as far from me as Northeast Washington.
 
I like Helena, the elk hunting was good last year, but its smack in the middle of a very low turkey population and requires a lot of driving to get to birds.  I've not been in the state long enough to make private land contacts that may be available a little closer along some of the riverbottoms.

While in CO, I was going back home and visiting/hunting in IL every year, hunting the mountains in CO, and driving to the Pine Ridge in NE for the last four or five days of their season since they run to May 31st.  However, IL is too far now for two trips a year, NE is farther than WY, SD, ID, and WA.  Northeast WA and Northern ID are both options that I've been looking at, with WA appearing to provide more public land options.

Thanks for the info.

[bearpaw]

Sorry to hear you have to drive so far to hunt, that shows how important turkey hunting is to you. There is quite a bit of public access in NE WA and in northern Idaho. Either place would be a good option for you. It has been my experience that birds start getting tougher to locate the last week of May, try to get out before the last week if you can. 

[hobbes]

Its normal for me to research and buy maps of new state areas each season.  I'm usually trying to plan more than I can afford in dollars or time.  At the end of each season I find myself planning to cut back the following season when I see how much time and cash I've spent, but then the next season approaches and I'm back at it again.

One of the primary reasons to extend my turkey season has been my oldest son hunting with me.  Now my middle child (daughter) is ready to hunt and my youngest child (son) is able to hunt in some states.  With all of them coming on board, my wife is ready to start hunting them again, so I have my hands full trying to work out time to get them all into the woods.  The best part is youth tags are relatively inexpensive for even nonresidents in most states.

If I was to bring my kids over and buy the youth tags/licenses for them, am I required to have a lic./tag to lead them around if I'm not packing a gun?  What if my wife has tags/licenses, am I required to be licensed if I'm doing the calling?

Again.......Thanks for the info.

[turkeydancer]

Nope ...

There is a youth only season in Wa also for under 16's ... it is usually a weekend at least 7 days to 14 days before the general opener (this year April 6 & 7) ... our regular season runs April 15th thru May 31st.  We also have an early fall hunt and a llate fall hunt.

Good luck ...

[bearpaw]

No and no, but you might want to confirm with the Olympia WDFW office.

[hobbes]

Thanks for the info.  I'll make a call before I assume that its ok.  I usually end up buying my own tags anyway, but it sure is cheaper to just let the kids do the shooting.  I've read the turkey regs several times and even read them in the Washington Code, but haven't found where it clearly states it.

Has anyone stayed at the North Lake RV Park and Campground just northwest of Kettle Falls?  It appears to have new owners that have a better rating than the previous owners. 

If we stayed in that area I would expect to hunt the NW block of National Forest that is on the Collville NF map (already bought the map). Are the birds in the region evenly distributed across public land?  If they are, I don't think I'll have a hard time locating some.  Although, killing can be a different story sometimes.  I was thinking National Forest but it looks like there are a lot of state managed opportunities there also.