Post by: arintime on December 16, 2009, 02:27:38 AM
Post by: PA BEN on December 16, 2009, 05:39:45 AM
Post by: turkey slayer on December 16, 2009, 09:39:06 AM
Post by: yelp on December 16, 2009, 10:50:39 AM
When scouting wild turkeys..the other thing to think about is winter length. Longer the winter will delay breeding and therefore birds will be in traditional wintering areas. Winter length is also different in different parts of the state. Break up of flocks after breeding takes place in March/April may occur earlier or later depending on where you are and how long winter persists. I talk to lots of hunters who are successful killing birds during the transition. Birds are on winter patterns, pecking order is established, breeding is in full swing and it is easy to kill birds.
The down side to hunting winter sites prior to break up. Hunting pressure will limit the hunt to where birds will be forced to move out. Habitually they will stick around and guys will kill birds, but it will end soon and the birds will leave. The other downside is there are a lot of birds. lots of eyes, etc.. Most two year old birds are killed during this period due to the fact that the dominant toms have a pile of hens and it is hard to call him away from them.
Once these toms leave traditional wintering areas they will follow hens to nesting areas, some maybe within a 1/4 mile while others maybe 10 miles aways or up a drainage or a mountian, etc. So scouting too early may lead to where you think birds are and when April 15th rolls around you don't see that many.
The NE part of the state has Merriams and these birds are all over. You can find them down by the Lake or up in the mountains come April 15th. Rio grande birds in parts of the state same thing. The Republic area is notorious late starter. It seems to lose winter last. You can kill birds opening day, but I have better hunting later.
My favorite method is to drive and shock call locate birds. I can find birds away from lots of hunters by being the first one above birds in a particular drainage. It takes time to learn habits of certain flocks to. Some flocks have consistent travel patterns from year to year and that is nice to have knowledge of come opening week.
Also check out last years threads on here we discuss turkey stuff a lot.
Post by: turkey slayer on December 16, 2009, 11:32:46 AM
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on December 16, 2009, 05:59:11 PM
Turkey densities are extremely low on the "wet-side" and your largest challenge will be just locating them.
My best spot last year came about because a coyote/bobcat hunter saw them several times and told me....I found them in a different spot, in the same drainage, but still close to where he told me to go.
I am no expert, but If we dont have that rough a winter on this side "winter range" should not be an issue..
Shoot some coyotes and scout for turkeys! sounds like fun to me !
Post by: turkeydancer on December 17, 2009, 09:14:34 AM
It doesn't hurt to scout any time of the year as you can ... just remember that they can move with weather, pressure, etc. as Yelp said. I have been out there on a mountain bike in Dec/Jan snows. As the season gets closer, I'll scout a little more to pinpoint their location even to the point of putting them to "bed" the night before season opens.
:twocents:
Post by: arintime on December 17, 2009, 11:10:18 AM
Post by: yelp on December 17, 2009, 05:06:15 PM
I did go to the area I want to scout, although my main intention is to walk my dog looking for grouse with a side trip of looking for turkey sign, but we did not get out of the car. It was dumping heavy rain and I didn't have that kind of rain gear. The area I want to scout is Natl forest so permission is not an issue. My goal is to just locate birds and the area is behind elk closure gates so I am hoping there will be less chance of them being disturbed. I do not know if there are turkeys around, but I have been told there are turkey 4-5 miles away. I think it is worth looking into. Thanks for the great info.
Eastside or westside?
Post by: arintime on December 17, 2009, 06:27:49 PM
Post by: yelp on December 19, 2009, 09:09:44 AM
Post by: arintime on December 20, 2009, 11:46:33 AM
Post by: Bofire on December 27, 2009, 07:40:10 PM
Carl
Post by: arintime on December 27, 2009, 08:28:40 PM
Post by: Dustin07 on December 28, 2009, 10:41:22 AM
Westside, Olympic National Forest area. This is my second year hunting turkey, and my first year trying it on my own. Right now I am hoping to see some reasonably fresh prints/poop, not necessarily a turkey but I wouldn't mind if I did. Come Jan, Feb, Mar, I will scout with more stealth and leave the dog at home.
:)already, saw two big flocks in my area, with loads of younguns!
Carl
I don't know if there are turkey there, but it is within reason they could be. I did see what I thought were prints/poop last june. I guess I am hoping to find some. Any suggestions how to scout other than keeping my eyes open and being quiet?
Scouting on the Coast is totally different than the eastside. There are some similarities. One problem is nothing really dries out over there. So turkey turds look fresh all the time. Do you know if there are birds in the areas you are looking or are you just hoping to find some?
There are some in that there forest. There's a road that is even dedicated to them. I have spoke with locals who know the exact place the turkey's were originally unloaded. I have yet to see or hear a live one, but on 6 scouting missions last year the only place I found sign (scat) was that forest. I know of a couple other places where people have reported to me seeing them alive, or hearing them.
shoot me a PM if you're real serious about west side turkey's and we can share scouting reports. I've love to get a wet one next year and would be happy to swap info.
Post by: HoofsandWings on January 04, 2010, 09:37:40 AM
In 2009, the limiting factor was snow. I was surprised at the amount of unmelted snow in the foothills.
In 2008, in the Palouse, my usual places had 3 feet of snow.
Post by: Intruder on January 21, 2010, 08:46:05 AM
I'm a huge advocate of scouting and getting to know your hunting area but IMO you can spend a lot of time for little reward scouting turkeys too early in the year.
Post by: Dustin07 on January 21, 2010, 08:50:21 AM
Post by: Intruder on January 21, 2010, 08:55:37 AM
what are you guys seeing in the far eastern part of the state this year in terms of weather compared to last year? it is incredibly mild on the west side.
Same
Post by: Dustin07 on January 21, 2010, 09:01:21 AM
Post by: turkey slayer on January 21, 2010, 09:02:09 AM
Scouting is the key and learning the areas that you are going to hunt
Post by: Intruder on January 21, 2010, 09:17:44 AM
I never really scouted for turkeys, I just waited for the opener, found them, and shot em. It's really that easy.
Other than what Yelp described as far as scouting out getting permission.... I tend to agree w/ ya Miles. One of the things I see a lot of new hunters do early before the season is go out and call to make the birds gobble. Not a good thing to do....
Post by: Turkeyman on January 22, 2010, 07:49:25 AM
Post by: Wacenturion on January 22, 2010, 09:39:29 AM
Post by: bow4elk on January 22, 2010, 09:42:33 AM
You'll just be screwing yourself. :chuckle:
And everyone else!! There are more owls and crows per square mile in late March and April than any other time of year! Use your eyes and ears only, please!
Post by: Wacenturion on January 22, 2010, 03:59:41 PM
You'll just be screwing yourself. :chuckle:
And everyone else!! There are more owls and crows per square mile in late March and April than any other time of year! Use your eyes and ears only, please!
I tried to appeal to their inner self...lol. :chuckle:
Post by: arintime on January 23, 2010, 11:11:34 PM
Post by: Wacenturion on January 24, 2010, 11:55:12 AM
Other than keeping quiet, should I wear camo when scouting? I am planning on wearing neutrals like green and brown because I don't think I am actually trying to get close to them, but I don't want to "screw myself or others!" I have never scouted anything other than fish so, any info would be great! When work lets up a little, things are going to be better!
Camo is fine, as is regular clothing. If you run into birds you're just something in the woods......no big deal. When people use turkey calls in particular to get birds to respond they are just educating them as to what isn't a turkey. In some areas where people hammer them with calls from the road, gobblers probably wake up opening morning and say to themselves....oh...there's the guy in the red Toyota, and there's the guy in the blue Ford....you get my drift.
If you walking and scouting using turkey calls to get responses, then expect opening morning for the birds that may or may not have seen you but heard you and never saw the bird that was doing the calling, to be somewhat hesitant to play the game as intended. I personally don't think locator calls (crow/daytime...owl/before light as examples) used sparingly do much harm.
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on January 24, 2010, 01:13:30 PM
I had a miserable day a few years ago because I didn't do this and my dekes rubbed against my pack and made strange noises, and I had to stop every 20 steps to pull up my damn pants. :bash:
Post by: HoofsandWings on January 25, 2010, 07:25:43 PM
In the back of his truck were several dead turkeys. Apparently he was driving a back road when he came across some yahoos carrying these turkeys they shot with rifles.
Post by: Turkeyman on January 25, 2010, 09:57:48 PM
Post by: Wacenturion on January 25, 2010, 10:04:36 PM
Did they get a ticket?Do you know the game wardens name? Wish i would have seen this. :beatdeadhorse: :stup:
:bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:
Post by: HoofsandWings on January 26, 2010, 06:37:04 AM