Post by: bigbeamhunter on May 10, 2013, 08:55:57 AM
I've shot them in the in sioxon unit just wondering g if there was a boundary
Thanks guys
Post by: turkeydancer on May 10, 2013, 10:06:31 AM
Note for turkey hunting purposes the Klickitat is considered Eastern Washington (Merriams were planted there).
Post by: bow4elk on May 10, 2013, 10:17:14 AM
There are some overlaps between the Rios and Merriams in NE WA. I shot a big bugger in 2011 that had more Rio coloration than Merriams. makes no difference to me - a loud mouth tom gets treated the same, regardless :chuckle:
Post by: bigbeamhunter on May 10, 2013, 10:29:13 AM
Years ago I met a older gentleman while putting gutters on his house and we started talking about turkeys and I told him that I had shot one one the east side of Yale reservoir and he them told me had something to so with the transplants of the birds there I think his name was Troy Kilgore does that ring a bell for anyone
Post by: mtnseth on May 10, 2013, 10:36:24 AM
I killed an "eastern" once in Little Pend Refuge that had really dark brown tail feathers that must have been part of a liberated, feral group that had joined his wild counterparts on the refuge. There were a couple gobblers that looked the same...no white to speak of. But according to the state, that's a Merriams.
Post by: bigbeamhunter on May 10, 2013, 10:43:20 AM
Post by: Wacenturion on May 10, 2013, 02:16:04 PM
So what are the birds in skamania county merriams or eastern.
Years ago I met a older gentleman while putting gutters on his house and we started talking about turkeys and I told him that I had shot one one the east side of Yale reservoir and he them told me had something to so with the transplants of the birds there I think his name was Troy Kilgore does that ring a bell for anyone
Troy was one of three senior voulunteer for the westside wild turkey monitoring program spending time in the field talking with landowners, recording sightings etc. He and the others spent years working with WDFW's wild turkey program staff beginning in the 90's, assisting on trap and transfer and releases as well. Great guy, put a lot of volunteer time and effort in for the cause.
There was expansion of birds from Klickitat after numerous reintroduction releases into that county during the 80's and 90's. If where you took the bird was drier and the habitat like that of Klickitat you can probably be 100% sure it was a Merriam's. Once one gets into western Skamania county the habitat becomes more western Washington like. There is that possiblity that some Eastern expansion might had gone that far east over the years, but not very likely.
Post by: turkeydancer on May 10, 2013, 02:33:21 PM
The original plant was at the east end of Lake Merwin (Speelyia Creek) and they have spread up to the Swift Creek Canal and north to Lake Merrill and above. You probably got an "Eastern", but WDFW still classifies the bird as a Merriam due to the county of kill. :sry:
I thought Yale Res was in Clark County if your on the south side of the lake and Cowlitz if on the north side ... if so it would be an Eastern ... Swift Creek Canal and Swift Creek Res is in Skamania .... but when I hunted and fished that area was 40+ years ago so I may be suffering from "old-timers". :dunno:
My dad worked for the USFS as a cat and grater man ... put in the Chelatchee Ranger Station, Swift Creek Ranger Station and Campground, maintained the roads up there, etc.
Yes, and I also know who Troy is ...
Post by: bigbeamhunter on May 12, 2013, 01:10:16 PM
Thanks for the answers guys