Post by: trkykilr on February 19, 2015, 02:24:12 PM
We will be flying into Spokane and heading toward Colville. We have no specific plans, as of yet, outside of finding turkeys and trying our best to figure out how to kill them. We have found over the years that most birds are killed with legwork done before we ever leave SC, so any help you are willing to give is greatly appreciated. Also, if you ever decide to travel to hunt, we have access to tons of birds in bot SC and FL, and tons of info for public around the country. We also bring a cooler full of fresh SC shrimp, which are usually very appreciated.
Thanks for having me on the forum and I look forward to talking turkey with you boys.
Michael
Post by: Woodchuck on February 19, 2015, 02:30:12 PM
Post by: MtnMuley on February 19, 2015, 03:12:04 PM
Post by: Skillet on February 19, 2015, 03:18:36 PM
Find the birds in the evening and roost them. If you can get to them before shooting hours are over, blast them out of the tree. If you can't, be there before light and as soon as it is legal, blast them out of the tree.
KIDDING! :chuckle: There's lots of birds in the NE corner, most of them I've seen on private ground down low but the public land in the hills contain a good number of birds too.
Just curious, why travel cross country to kill a turkey? You specifically looking for a Merriam's or something?
Post by: Yelper Guy on February 19, 2015, 03:46:44 PM
Good luck!
Post by: trkykilr on February 19, 2015, 04:04:41 PM
Welcome, and thought I'd just let you know how we do it around here to increase your success.
Find the birds in the evening and roost them. If you can get to them before shooting hours are over, blast them out of the tree. If you can't, be there before light and as soon as it is legal, blast them out of the tree.
That's a good question. Some people travel to lay on a beach, some to snow ski. I prefer to see the country with a shotgun in my hand and a mouth call in my mouth. The pacific NW has always intrigued me and the turkey population is mighty inviting as well.
I have killed merriams, and to be honest, I'm tired of the subspecies talk. I like hunting gobbling turkeys in pretty places and Washington has both. I look forward to meeting some good people, seeing some pretty sunrises and sunsets, and a cold beer at the end of the day.
So far, y'all have been a very welcoming group, and I really appreciate that. We try to leave things better than we found them. We will not be with an outfitter but would like the map from bear paw to support a local guy. It would give us a starting point.
We certainly look forward to meeting some of you folks
KIDDING! :chuckle: There's lots of birds in the NE corner, most of them I've seen on private ground down low but the public land in the hills contain a good number of birds too.
Just curious, why travel cross country to kill a turkey? You specifically looking for a Merriam's or something?
Post by: Skillet on February 19, 2015, 04:11:20 PM
Good luck to you all, probably get lots of help on here. Good group of guys here.
Post by: trkykilr on February 19, 2015, 07:32:33 PM
Didn't realize we'd been talking subspecies enough for you to get tired of it already :chuckle:
Good luck to you all, probably get lots of help on here. Good group of guys here.
Oh no. I'm not referring to y'all talking subspecies. I have done a lot of hunting in NE, which leads to grown men standing over a dead turkey trying to figure out who had sex with who 3 generations prior. The bottom line is that a fun hunt is fun hunt. A full fanned adult gobble is just that. His ancestors origin means nothing to me.
I enjoy shooting mature gobbling turkeys, and will do so regardless of the colors of the tips of their feathers
Post by: Dan-o on February 19, 2015, 07:39:39 PM
Lots of the land is chopped up. There's plenty of public to hunt, and plenty of birds on the public land, but it sure helps to know EXACTLY where the borders are (and many are not marked.
You should have a blast.
Let us know how it goes.
Post by: Skillet on February 19, 2015, 07:47:52 PM
This is most excellent advice.
Post by: turkeydancer on February 20, 2015, 07:34:04 AM
Visit the WDFW hunting website ... they have a program where you can sign up with landowners willing to let people hunt (and it's free) ... the sooner the better as these do fill up. I always tell people that even a blind man can find turkeys in NE Washington, and the people (especially those away from the main roads) usually are pretty good about letting people hunt (I took a good buddy of mine out on his first turkey hunt, and we drove NE, SE, SW, & NW of town for an hour and I showed him approx 300 turkeys in that hour). Also the sponsor of this website (BearPaw Outfitters may be able to help you out and point you to some good public land. I have taken many a bird off both public and private land all over the area. I usually go earlier in the season than you plan, but the birds can still be had at that time.
Post by: trkykilr on February 20, 2015, 08:26:09 AM
A couple more questions, if I may?
1) There are tons of campgrounds with cabins in that area> Where would you focus or set up camp to have the most birds/access within an hour drive?
2) Would it be worth getting a bear permit and bringing a rifle? None of us have ever killed a bear before, and that prospect is mighty enticing.
Post by: Woodchuck on February 20, 2015, 08:46:25 AM
Post by: Ridgeratt on February 20, 2015, 04:42:43 PM
I want to thank you guys again for being so welcoming. As I have said, thorough prep work has served us incredibly well in the past. We got cocky because we had always been so successful, which led to a fairly poor trip to CO last year. That will not happen again.
A couple more questions, if I may?
1) There are tons of campgrounds with cabins in that area> Where would you focus or set up camp to have the most birds/access within an hour drive?
There are not many campgrounds with cabins, several campgrounds but it would be run what you brought.
There is this place but my guess is it fills up fast. https://www.google.com/gws_rd=ssl#q=blue+moose+cabins+kettle+falls (https://www.google.com/gws_rd=ssl#q=blue+moose+cabins+kettle+falls)
or several places in Kettle Falls or Colville.
For places to hunt the Little Pend Orielle game range is a place alot of folks hit, Also there is the Sherman Creek Wild life area. Lots of National Forest as well. A lot of the folks on here also seem to camp at the Fair Grounds in Colville as well.
Just a word of caution since you are from SC many turkey hunters here are more of ambush hunters and will try to stalk/sneek them.
2) Would it be worth getting a bear permit and bringing a rifle? None of us have ever killed a bear before, and that prospect is mighty enticing.
Post by: trophyhunt on February 20, 2015, 05:24:02 PM
Spring bear is by draw only in WA. I believe that window has closed.Spring bear deadline is the 28th of this month, you still have time. And yes, spring bear is worth it.
Post by: trkykilr on February 20, 2015, 06:05:30 PM
Post by: trophyhunt on February 20, 2015, 06:23:57 PM
Post by: Tom Tamer on February 21, 2015, 05:36:39 PM
Post by: Birdguy on February 22, 2015, 08:22:00 PM
Post by: turkeydancer on February 23, 2015, 10:03:50 AM
Post by: Seatown5 on February 24, 2015, 04:36:42 PM
Post by: kevinlisa06 on February 24, 2015, 09:04:25 PM
Post by: Elkpiss on March 25, 2015, 03:13:04 PM
Post by: trkykilr on April 21, 2015, 04:47:07 AM
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F04%2F21%2Fc4a9b4065751a73ec7370666225417ef.jpg&hash=88cfcae4532deb02284ca972ad489126656c2f3a)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F15%2F04%2F21%2F2e841d3e535739c54c61a98be91571e0.jpg&hash=b8af51141d0a355646fdb0018d6e51ca19937909)
Post by: Machias on April 21, 2015, 11:49:22 AM
Post by: oneshot12 on April 22, 2015, 12:36:12 PM
Post by: Yelper Guy on April 22, 2015, 01:43:05 PM
With the mild winter/ warm spring we've had here, the birds are ahead of the "Normal" schedule.
The hens are on nests & the gobblers are looking high for new girls.
The birds my brother & I hunt are true "Mountain Birds". Last week we spooked 3 cow elk going into an area, & got busted by a whitetail on one of our set-ups. The wind swirled & Mr. Whitey let the entire area know we were there. Get up off the beaten path a bit and you will be rewarded with a true mountain bird and good memories.
Good Luck!
Post by: GreyIC on April 22, 2015, 04:03:44 PM
Thanks!
Post by: Yelper Guy on April 22, 2015, 04:11:48 PM
When the hens aren't interested (nesting), the gobblers need something to keep them busy.
They roost lower, and climb as the day goes on. By late afternoon they start coming back down to the roost area. These aren't farm birds, they have all sorts of critters trying to eat them constantly.
Big old gobblers get old for a reason, and I'm amazed where some of them hang-out.
Post by: GreyIC on April 22, 2015, 05:59:58 PM
Thanks for the feedback!
Post by: Yelper Guy on April 23, 2015, 08:32:58 AM
I don't think it's a regional thing, but I've only hunted the NE.
Get away from the "lower" field edges and start climbing up to any clearings.
Those clearings surrounded by timber are potential strut zones, or places where bachelor birds can spend the day wishing the hens were still receptive.
Post by: GreyIC on April 23, 2015, 09:52:34 AM
Post by: trkykilr on May 11, 2015, 08:00:12 AM