Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: outdoorspapa on April 07, 2024, 03:01:33 PM
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Great forum! I've read through many helpful posts re:turkey hunting in NE Washington & just registered the site today. I typically hunt turkey in Nebraska and Kansas but will be taking my 2 grandsons hunting in NE Washington (Cheelah area) in a couple of weeks. I've never hunted in evergreen forests or mountain areas but suspect outside of some similar tactics locating birds in the those areas will be different. I've read about everything I can find and extensively researched area maps. Will be on public land but may ask for permission if things work out. Any suggestions or tips from you experienced hunters would be much appreciated. If interested I would be happy to share my NE/KS experience and area info.
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Welcome to the forum. Hopefully someone will chime in.
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Get to the snowline and listen. Owl hoots work well in the morning and crow calls or other obnoxious sounds work well for locating in the afternoon. Of course a good yelp always works during season.
What I have found is that birds are bit farther than you think compared to the midwest or south east. IN the midwest where its open the gobble gets lost in the openness. IN the southeast the gobble gets lost in the denseness. Here with the hills the gobble only has one way to travel and that is at you or you wont here it so they can be a long ways off but not always.
There is plenty of water every where in the NE so water is not a focus point for me. What I mean is a physical creek or river like in the midwest. Out there that generally means trees or more trees or big enough trees. Here we have trees and water everywhere generally speaking.
A number I am making up but 95% of the birds make it to private in the winter and I bet I'm close. So working around private towards snoline will pay dividends.
Last south and east facing slopes will produce sooner and have more roost trees. If there is now snow focus on that 50-80% of the way to the top for roost.
Its great you can get to a spot and hear birds a mile off easily.
Good luck
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If you have experience with turkeys in other states you should be fine here. Just have persistence and be willing to be out all day. Often times early in the season the toms will be henned up in the early morning. Coming back to an area that had an uncooperative bird after 10am could change things in your favor. Also be mindful of obstacles once you strike up a bird. Some birds will cross a deep ravine to get to a hen, others will sit and wait. Try to give them an easy path to you. I like to be parallel or above them on a hillside. Opening week and early season pressure can be heavy but it diminishes as the season goes on. Hope you get on some birds! Enjoy your season!
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Thanks a million for the great tips and advice!! Very helpful nuggets in these responses that I hadn't thought about. I've already shared them with my grandsons & they are more than excited to get hunting. Neither have been turkey hunting before so should be a hoot. The older boy asked if we should bring our fly rods saying his plan is to shoot our birds on the first day then use the extra days to fish! Hard to argue with that positivity!!
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Mountain boy went to school in the flat lands, said if you look re close you can see the back of your own head, bring the binos!!!
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Did you mean Chewelah or Chelan? If your going to Chewela then you are a little more wide open country even at higher elevation lots of birds. Chelan is the east side of the cascade also open area but you get up higher you get into a little more heavy forest. Mainly hunting merriams. Once the snow melts off they won't get much above 4000'. They like to stay around those private farms lots of food and water. Turkeys are turkeys they pretty much are the same to hunt except these might be a bit more vocal then what I assume was easterns you were hunting.
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Thanks Russ... great insights!! We will be hunting near Chewelah. Encouraging to hear they may be more vocal. Never hunted Merriams but as you say turkeys are turkeys. Our Nebraska hunts are in the southern part of the state. Mostly Rio Grande's with an occasional eastern but you can always count on the wind which at times adds to the challenge. I took up bow hunting for big game but have not yet tried for turkey. Will be using shotguns for this hunt with the grandsons.
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I have hunted the chewelah area the last 2 springs and it has been very slow. I hunted my butt off and have only heard 1 gobble in the area. however, I saw birds every day. mostly hens and a few jakes. also, I have only hunted turkeys for 2 springs. Maybe I just suck haha! Good luck. I hope you and your grandsons have an awesome time, if you want to pm me I can tell you where I was out there.
