Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Hangfire on April 01, 2014, 10:36:32 PM
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The opener is 2 weeks away and what do you expect in the NE corner? What I have seen in southern Stevens county is a continuing decline in birds. Most of what I am seeing are birds that are still in winter groups. When you do find birds there are a lot but not many groups. The hunters that find birds will do well. I hope I am wrong and last years hatch survived and started to turn things around. Most of the remarks on this forum have been optimistic. What concerns me is the Wild Turkey Spring Season 2014 pamphlet edition, only goes through the 2012 harvest. You have to go back to 2001 to find a lower harvest number. The land owners I have talked to have said there are fewer birds or at best the same as last year. I know that I saw fewer birds last spring 2013, than in 2012.
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Estimated Spring Turkey Harvests are just reported tags w/give or take numbers for those who didn't report. Gas prices went up in 2008 so less hunters in the woods. I know a lot of turkey hunters that don't hunt turkeys anymore because the price of everything went up. So yes, harvest #'s will go down.
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I think the hatch in the area was good last year and the winter survival rate was very good. With that being said, I believe the numbers are not back up to where they were 10-12 years ago, but still very huntable numbers. Like Pa Ben said, the number of hunters in Stevens county has declined considerably over the past few years. I think fuel prices are a big part of it, but turkeys have also spread around the state allowing hunters to not have to travel as far. Could'nt help but chuckle at your comment that hunters who find birds will do good, been my experience that hunters who don't find birds usually don't do very good. (just giving you a rough time). It's tough to get out and do a lot of scouting in the NE when you're from the westside, with gas prices it's easy to spend $150.00 or more to get over and move around much, and it's tough to just come over for the opening 2-3 days and do well with no scouting. I think many who do well in the NE also have access to private ground, it would be interesting to see harvest info on birds taken on private ground and birds taken on public ground. (hard to do, but would be interesting). I'll think anyone who knows the area and hunts hard with will get their birds.
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I think the hatch in the area was good last year and the winter survival rate was very good. With that being said, I believe the numbers are not back up to where they were 10-12 years ago, but still very huntable numbers. Like Pa Ben said, the number of hunters in Stevens county has declined considerably over the past few years. I think fuel prices are a big part of it, but turkeys have also spread around the state allowing hunters to not have to travel as far. Could'nt help but chuckle at your comment that hunters who find birds will do good, been my experience that hunters who don't find birds usually don't do very good. (just giving you a rough time). It's tough to get out and do a lot of scouting in the NE when you're from the westside, with gas prices it's easy to spend $150.00 or more to get over and move around much, and it's tough to just come over for the opening 2-3 days and do well with no scouting. I think many who do well in the NE also have access to private ground, it would be interesting to see harvest info on birds taken on private ground and birds taken on public ground. (hard to do, but would be interesting). I'll think anyone who knows the area and hunts hard with will get their birds.
Public land is just as good as private land. I have good access to private ground, but the public ground can be really good. Scouting is the biggest part for turkeys. I always take birds on public land, and they are usually my quickest hunts.
The population is still low, but rebounding. Last years hatch was good, but that won't help us a lot this year, since there will be lots of jakes and hens. A couple more good hatches and it will start to bounce back.
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What to expect in the NE corner...Dead turkeys in the back of my truck!! :tup:
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What to expect in the NE corner...Dead turkeys in the back of my truck!! :tup:
Took the words right out of my mouth!
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What to expect?
A lot of dead jakes :chuckle:
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I'm working 4-10's now so I had a chance to get out and look around this morning. The birds are diffidently broken up in breeding groups now. Last week the big toms would break strut and eat every so often, now the big boys are not breaking strut at all. The jakes are fighting and chastening hens and are stopping and having premature...... well for the lack of better words, they are acting like they are on top of a hen. Very funny to watch. The low land flocks are starting to head up to higher ground eating green shoots.
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8 miles north of deer park im seeing them still in large groups. Have not seen any strutters yet. I have heard a few gobbles tho
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From Lake Roosevelt to 3k ft, right now.......to me, less birds now each of the last 5 years, before that, way more. Last 3 springs were wet and cold here, but in the valleys it was way better. Same as along the lake.
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The birds are starting to break up into small groups. The large flock a few miles out of Deer Park is down from about 400 birds to 100. I am seeing little groups of 6-12 birds where I haven't seen turkeys since last fall. I still am hearing very little gobbling, but they should get a lot more active. There has been a lot of change in the last few days.
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Yup. Birds are breaking up over here by eloika too
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There were five toms, no jakes on my place last night. Picking the seeds out of my food plot :chuckle:
