Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 02:52:58 PM

Title: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 02:52:58 PM: This will be my first WA Turkey hunt. I'm trying to decide between NE corner or Klickitat area. I live in Puyallup so they are both pretty far.

I've been researching, Google map searching, calling WDFW offices etc...I plan on scouting a day or two if possible then heading out for 3 days to hunt.

Anyone have any suggestion? NE or Klick? I Know NE has more birds but would think it may be harder to hunt, bigger space, harder terrain, but I'm just guessing.

Just curious what you guys think.

Thanks!!
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 03:16:58 PM: Ok awesome thanks!
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Skillet on February 06, 2013, 03:18:44 PM: Agree with Sundance. Turks are doing just fine up there. Just remember the easiest way is to find a good roost tree and shoot them out of it. :peep:

:chuckle:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: turkeyfeather on February 06, 2013, 03:24:40 PM: If you really want agood shot at getting a bird don't wste your time anywhere but the corner. :twocents:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 03:55:33 PM: My plan is to look at harvest reports, then find public land or private if possible. Then hopefully scout a couple days at the end of this month.

Is there a certain area that has more public land?
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: turkeyfeather on February 06, 2013, 03:59:53 PM: I will tell you what they will say. Go to the NE corner. They do every year. Go to your local BLM office they will have cheap maps that will tell you whats public and whats private.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 04:46:00 PM: Ok ill do that. Thanks
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 06, 2013, 06:44:44 PM: I guess ill research the Lttle Pend Oreiville area seems to have birds and camping.

Im also going to still research Goldendale area down in Klickitat a little as a backup plan. Its a little closer.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Big game archer on February 06, 2013, 08:42:32 PM: As said before, NE is your best bet... Lots of public land and from my experience more landowners allow turkey hunting permission than those that dont... however, there is a pretty good population in the klickitat area. I hunted there 4years ago aand was on turkeys evey day on public land. Find roost trees and sign and you will find birds. Good luck. :)
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: turkeydancer on February 07, 2013, 08:04:55 AM: Based on harvest reports NE corner is always the hot spot with 2/3's or better of the harvest. Lots of public land ... I've taken numerous birds off of state land, the L. P.O. refuge, and also private land. I always say even a blind man can find turkeys in the Turkey Capital of Wa.
:twocents:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Gobble Doc on February 07, 2013, 08:19:32 AM: :yeah:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on February 07, 2013, 08:57:03 AM: Hit the NE corner for the TOMS!!!! :tup:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: janttihunter on February 08, 2013, 10:35:22 PM: Awesome thanks guys!
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: elksnout on February 09, 2013, 06:40:49 PM: Quote from: Big game archer on February 06, 2013, 08:42:32 PM
As said before, NE is your best bet... Lots of public land and from my experience more landowners allow turkey hunting permission than those that dont... however, there is a pretty good population in the klickitat area. I hunted there 4years ago aand was on turkeys evey day on public land. Find roost trees and sign and you will find birds. Good luck. :)
Do the birds use the same tree(s) each night or move on? I'm assuming you know it's a roost tree by all the droppings? Sorry, still new to the turkey game.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: turkeyfeather on February 09, 2013, 06:54:24 PM: Quote from: elksnout on February 09, 2013, 06:40:49 PM
Quote from: Big game archer on February 06, 2013, 08:42:32 PM
As said before, NE is your best bet... Lots of public land and from my experience more landowners allow turkey hunting permission than those that dont... however, there is a pretty good population in the klickitat area. I hunted there 4years ago aand was on turkeys evey day on public land. Find roost trees and sign and you will find birds. Good luck. :)
Do the birds use the same tree(s) each night or move on? I'm assuming you know it's a roost tree by all the droppings? Sorry, still new to the turkey game.
It's been my experience that at that time of year they will use they same tree or one very close to it. But I have been fooled and had them move from where I thought they were. Hopefully Yelp or some others will chime in as there are some guys here that have more experience and knowledge than I.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on February 09, 2013, 07:39:38 PM: Seriously if you want to see birds and lots of them then head east ...to much fun to waste time anywhere else :tup:
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Limhangerslayer on February 09, 2013, 09:09:04 PM: You can't always expect them to use the same tree. I hunted birds that will make a loop that takes them more than one day to complete looking for hens. But this normally happens later in the season. Towards the beginning they normally do.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Big game archer on February 10, 2013, 02:17:34 PM: Elksnout- from my experience, turkeys will continue to use the same roosting trees unless they get too pressured... even if you scare the birds and they dont come back to same tree, they will normally roost within a couple hundreds yards of their original tree.. However, they could be gone for days if you scared them badly.. Yeah when you see a roosting tree you'll know it, should be droppings and feathers everywhere at the base of it.. Also, just go out early one morning and let out a crow call... most of the time they will gobble to that and then you can pinpoint their roost tree that way as well. And like already stated, later in the season they may have multiple roosting trees but it seems early in the season, they want to roost in the same spot every night.
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: elksnout on February 10, 2013, 08:24:56 PM: Thanks guys for your responses. Very green with only one season under my belt in the Klickitat area. When is a good time to start scouting before the season starts? Now, middle of March, week before the opener????
Title: Re: Turkey Hunting
Post by: Mfowl on February 12, 2013, 09:15:14 AM: The closer to the opener that you scout the better. Birds may move from where you find them in March due to snow melt, weather or
availability of food.