Post by: nwhuntinman on May 09, 2025, 12:54:37 PM
Post by: birddogdad on May 09, 2025, 01:05:43 PM
Post by: baldopepper on May 09, 2025, 02:31:09 PM
Post by: Dan-o on May 09, 2025, 09:10:06 PM
Birds were VERY quiet.
Saw a group of 5 Toms/Jakes in someone's field.
They were completely disinterested in any calls, and thy were silent.
My son went up to an area we know roosts some birds.
Birds came down pretty quiet, and then went silent on the ground.
He bumped a couple, but got no audible responses or other interest.
Post by: CaNINE on May 10, 2025, 06:49:08 AM
Post by: hunter399 on May 10, 2025, 11:53:59 AM
Tough year ,no vocals makes it a very hard hunt.
Kid still hasn't filled his tag.
Post by: nwwanderer on May 10, 2025, 01:37:14 PM
Post by: hughjorgan on May 10, 2025, 02:08:40 PM
Post by: mboyle0828 on May 10, 2025, 05:57:42 PM
I missed the shot with my bow and he ran off. It was late in the evening and the lighting was terrible.
Then went run-n-gun with the 12ga and got a smaller tom.
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on May 11, 2025, 09:13:16 AM
Post by: nwhuntinman on May 20, 2025, 11:51:09 AM
Thought this was going to be a cooking thread!! Tough here too, mighty quiet
Funny I guess I might have thought that too.
Post by: nwhuntinman on May 20, 2025, 12:08:28 PM
Definitely harder this year. 28 years of hunting them and not seeing as much. Curious where you have Easterns and Merriam's? I thought Easterns were only on the west side of the state and Merriam's over the crest? Or is there a mixing in the Klick? Been trying to get the slam after meeting a few that have done it.
I hunt the north central part of state. They are defiantly different. I have hunted the Easterns in Missouri and their colors are different as you can see on the tips. Here is the Merriam in this pic. The pic I put up at the start of this story is Eastern. Now I could be wrong because I have never asked, but there is no doubt these are different birds as far as color variations.
Post by: nwwanderer on May 20, 2025, 12:33:54 PM
Post by: baldopepper on May 20, 2025, 01:05:42 PM
Well we are half way done with Spring turkey. I've been after it since it opened (weekends) and it has been a little different this year. Not as verbal unless I get in there zone. I don't have any private to hunt so I hunt the national forest. So hike all day looking and listening.. I have killed my two birds as well as called in several in for buddies this year. Just wondering if I was the only one that had to work extra hard this year. There is a good even mix of Easterns and Miriam's where I hunt and I got all Easterns and buddies killed Miriam's.
Showed the pic to a hard core bird guy and he says first bird is a rio. I'm no expert, but he even knows the scientific name of all the birds he sees so I tend to believe him.(He's also an avid turkey hunter, goes all over chasing em)
Post by: brokentrail on May 20, 2025, 03:53:15 PM
Post by: nwhuntinman on May 20, 2025, 05:58:59 PM
Just back from a week over in the Northeast corner with my oldest son. We were able to fill two tags a piece but it definitely took a lot of time/work/effort to do so. Was still a great trip, even if we hadn't been successful, I just love to hear those birds gobble... If I found a pocket of birds on the west side, I wouldn't even hunt them, I would just go there to drink coffee in the morning and listen to them do their thing.
Ok well I'll show one more pic of another that we called Easterns. Tips are not white like other birds I brought over a buddy from Missouri that has killed them for 40 years and was convinced mine were easterns copared to the others we killed. This is why I brought it up tho. I want to be informed. Thanks for the input.
Post by: baldopepper on May 20, 2025, 06:41:52 PM
Post by: nwhuntinman on May 20, 2025, 08:15:56 PM
Nice bird what ever it is, but there are no easterns east of the Cascades. WDFW says there is no where in the state where easterns intermingle with Merriam's. No big deal, as I stated it's a nice bird regardless of species. Well done on your hunt!
That's great information. Appreciate that. Just tells me how much they differ in color variation. I'd assume age has a lot to do with it. Good to hear all the other stories and success. I love having something to hunt in the spring.
Post by: baldopepper on May 20, 2025, 08:35:27 PM
Nice bird what ever it is, but there are no easterns east of the Cascades. WDFW says there is no where in the state where easterns intermingle with Merriam's. No big deal, as I stated it's a nice bird regardless of species. Well done on your hunt!
That's great information. Appreciate that. Just tells me how much they differ in color variation. I'd assume age has a lot to do with it. Good to hear all the other stories and success. I love having something to hunt in the spring.
I think if you look online you'll see the various color differences. Eastern WA has a mix of Rios and Merriams and many appear to be a mix of the two. I think the further north you go the Merriam's are more common while the southern parts of the units feature more Rios. We've taken many birds that I'm pretty sure were mixed species. Unlike whitetails and mule deer, turkeys seem quite willing to inner breed. Your first bird really does look very characteristic of a true rio. All I know for sure is their calls all sound the same and they're fun to hunt in the spring!
Post by: brokentrail on May 21, 2025, 02:29:27 PM
I think your picture is of a Rio but no matter, every bird is a nice bird! Love me some turkeys!
Post by: ShedHead20 on May 21, 2025, 03:26:55 PM
Just back from a week over in the Northeast corner with my oldest son. We were able to fill two tags a piece but it definitely took a lot of time/work/effort to do so. Was still a great trip, even if we hadn't been successful, I just love to hear those birds gobble... If I found a pocket of birds on the west side, I wouldn't even hunt them, I would just go there to drink coffee in the morning and listen to them do their thing.
Ok well I'll show one more pic of another that we called Easterns. Tips are not white like other birds I brought over a buddy from Missouri that has killed them for 40 years and was convinced mine were easterns copared to the others we killed. This is why I brought it up tho. I want to be informed. Thanks for the input.
100% a rio or a Merriam/rio hybrid. No Easterns around North Central WA for 150 miles and high country in the middle of that. Easterns are dark. No white, no cream coloring at all. Just black and brown.
Post by: ZagHunter on May 21, 2025, 06:56:06 PM
Post by: baldopepper on May 21, 2025, 07:32:14 PM
Weren't there easterns released in Idaho near the Dworshak Reservoir years ago that made their way into WA? I read rumors of that on another forum.
It's my understanding that easterns were released in that Area in 2012 or 2013. Supposedly they didn't do well and there are no verified harvest reports on them for a number of years. I suspect they inner breed like Merriams and Rios and there are probably very few, if any at all, true easterns left. It seems to me every year we harvest fewer and fewer true Merriams or Rios with most being hybrids. Of the over 30 birds our group harvested last year only 4 or 5 appeared to be pure rio or merriam.The rio traits seem to be the dominant.
Post by: ZagHunter on May 21, 2025, 07:39:54 PM
Weren't there easterns released in Idaho near the Dworshak Reservoir years ago that made their way into WA? I read rumors of that on another forum.
It's my understanding that easterns were released in that Area in 2012 or 2013. Supposedly they didn't do well and there are no verified harvest reports on them for a number of years. I suspect they inner breed like Merriams and Rios and there are probably very few, if any at all, true easterns left. It seems to me every year we harvest fewer and fewer true Merriams or Rios with most being hybrids. Of the over 30 birds our group harvested last year only 4 or 5 appeared to be pure rio or merriam.The rio traits seem to be the dominant.
Interesting. I appreciate the context!