Post by: bearpaw on March 17, 2010, 02:54:32 PM
My first thought was that with so little snow the birds were not forced down, but the birds flock up in the fall on their wintering spots and they were there last fall. I will give a good report in early April that you can count on.
Very likely they are being overhunted in the fall, what other states can you shoot a half dozen birds each year? :dunno:
Post by: Phantom Gobbler on March 17, 2010, 07:07:07 PM
Post by: Special T on March 17, 2010, 10:27:26 PM
Post by: bearpaw on March 26, 2010, 06:19:46 PM
Post by: bearpaw on March 26, 2010, 06:24:18 PM
Post by: mulehunter on March 26, 2010, 06:24:31 PM
Mulehunter ;)
Post by: bearpaw on March 26, 2010, 06:26:57 PM
Post by: bearpaw on March 26, 2010, 06:28:40 PM
Post by: bearpaw on March 29, 2010, 12:15:51 PM
In spite of a good hatch from the surviving hens last summer, I believe the turkey population is still at 30% of what we have had in the past. I blame the failure of this lack of population increase on too many fall turkeys being harvested. To my knowledge no other state hunts as many fall turkey tags available as Washington.
There is no doubt, problems were caused by the high turkey population of 3 years ago and NE WA needed heavy hunting pressure to decrease turkey numbers in certain areas. However, at a 30% population, it is time to manage more conservatively so that we can find a balance where the population provides as much opportuity as possible but also maintains flock numbers.
There are programs that can be implemented to mitigate problem flocks without destoying them as we have done. One thing is certain, hunter success will continue to suffer until the proper balance is found.
I almost forgot to mention, I hunt a large number of prime turkey properties and live right in the middle of Stevens County the highest turkey population in the state, we keep track of the flocks year around, including the flocks that winter in barn yards and other wintering areas. The numbers just are not there like they used to be, (especially on public ground where many hunter must hunt) from what we have seen 30% is most likely a liberal number.
Post by: Machias on April 02, 2010, 12:36:30 PM
Post by: Turkeyman on April 02, 2010, 10:21:46 PM
Post by: turkey slayer on April 05, 2010, 08:46:00 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 06, 2010, 12:06:35 PM
We should have a really good fawn crop this spring as the deer are in good shape and there is already plenty of food growing this early. In two or three years, barring more bad winters and depending on wolf colonization and impact, we should see a marked increase in deer numbers. In about 3 years you will begin to see more mature bucks, but these recoveries do take a few years. :twocents:
Post by: bearpaw on April 08, 2010, 03:56:49 PM
A little while ago we had visitors in the front lawn, they made it to the driveway before I could get on them with a camera, but here are a few pictures, 10 hens.
Post by: bearpaw on April 12, 2010, 03:11:03 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 12, 2010, 03:13:03 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 12, 2010, 04:02:54 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 12, 2010, 04:05:24 PM
Post by: jackelope on April 12, 2010, 04:09:10 PM
wooohhooooo another hunting season is just about here.
Post by: bearpaw on April 14, 2010, 03:27:14 PM
Good luck to everyone.
Post by: bearpaw on April 15, 2010, 01:49:17 PM
Post by: Gringo31 on April 17, 2010, 11:10:07 AM
Where's the pics?
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 11:23:20 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 11:26:28 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 11:40:15 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 11:46:58 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 01:51:52 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 17, 2010, 02:25:48 PM
Post by: Gringo31 on April 17, 2010, 03:58:23 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 18, 2010, 06:52:37 AM
Birds are really moving and covering some ground now. Much easier to find birds than only a few days ago. Turkey numbers are definitely down, but there are enough birds that it's still great hunting. Our first group had more than 100% shot opportunity, with 5 hunters bagging two birds. A lady packing a 20 gauge is the only person leaving so far without a bird, but her husband got two, boy is he in deep $hit... :chuckle:
Post by: bearpaw on April 18, 2010, 10:15:53 AM
Post by: washingtonmuley on April 18, 2010, 10:17:50 AM
Thanks for the updates and photos.
Post by: bearpaw on April 18, 2010, 10:18:32 AM
Post by: bearpaw on April 18, 2010, 10:22:55 AM
Post by: Machias on April 18, 2010, 07:46:46 PM
Post by: mulehunter on April 18, 2010, 08:01:10 PM
Mulehunter
Post by: Craig on April 18, 2010, 08:40:01 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 01:29:49 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 01:32:02 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 19, 2010, 01:33:46 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 01:48:26 PM
Post by: Machias on April 19, 2010, 04:02:07 PM
This bird was 20.5 lbs, 9" beard, 1 1/8 spurs.
:) Hey I know that guy!!
5 misses? How in the H E double hockey sticks are guys missing birds? This isn't wing shooting? :bash: Are they jump shooting birds?
Post by: jackelope on April 19, 2010, 04:40:58 PM
5 misses? How in the H E double hockey sticks are guys missing birds? This isn't wing shooting? :bash: Are they jump shooting birds?
I was wondering the same thing...
:)
Post by: WDFW-SUX on April 19, 2010, 04:45:33 PM
;)
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 06:58:16 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 07:06:04 PM
$hit happens, you must remember, not all guys are as familiar with how there gun shoots as you more experienced hunters. For Example: Two really nice guys here right now, haven't done much hunting but are trying there best, have missed 4 birds (mostly from inside a blind) and killed 1 between themselves so far in 1 1/2 days of hunting, hopefully the other guy kills the next bird he shoots at, I told him the third time is a charm... ;)
It's not our job to judge hunters, our job is to do our best to help them get their game. Usually after a couple misses we have guys shoot to be sure their guns are on target. One guy swapped guns after he found out his favorite gun was shooting high, he never knew that all these years he has had it. Now he can get it corrected at the gunsmith.
A few years ago I had a well known hunting celeb who missed two birds, I finally talked him into patterning his Benelli, it was shooting 1 1/2 feet high at 30 yards. :yike:
That sort of thing is extremely common. ;)
Post by: Machias on April 19, 2010, 07:26:18 PM
Post by: ribka on April 19, 2010, 07:28:12 PM
Looks like a lot of satisfied clients
Yeh, a lot of experienced hunters do not know the importance of patterning his/her shotgun
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 07:30:43 PM
Quote
Dale,
Had a great time with you guys. I really appreciate your getting Ryan his bird Sunday morning. Hope all is going well for the rest of your guys. Attached are a few pics of my bird. You guys run a first class ship there, hope to return and see you guys soon.
By the way my taxidermist thought that was the best thing since sliced bread the way you guys helped us pack those birds. They got back without a blemish.
Thanks again!
Greg Muffler
Post by: bearpaw on April 19, 2010, 07:38:18 PM
If it's that common I think I'd have them pattern their guns for me before the hunt and then let them know, pull the trigger and that one cost you money whether you tag it or not. Five misses probably means 5 wounded birds. Clients or not that is unacceptable. :twocents:
Thanks for your concern Machias.
We have considered mandatory target shooting for all types of weapons for years. I have gone with other outfitters in other countries that required it and I agree it is a good thing to do. (especially after airline flights)
Because most flights originating in the eastern U.S. arrive in Spokane late in the day, and because many hunters drive after getting off work, they arrive at our place after dark. In addition, many hunters consider it an insult to be told they have to shoot.
So we have decided a few years ago to ask hunters if they have patterned their guns and ask them to shoot if they arrive early enough. But I have chose to not make it mandatory for the reasons mentioned.
Post by: bearpaw on April 21, 2010, 04:06:08 AM
Post by: Machias on April 21, 2010, 12:52:50 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 21, 2010, 01:12:03 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 21, 2010, 02:15:45 PM
Post by: jackelope on April 21, 2010, 02:17:37 PM
Post by: boneaddict on April 21, 2010, 02:24:52 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 21, 2010, 02:25:51 PM
When I get all the photos together I will post a photo of a guy that's I beleive 89 who got his bird on the 2nd day. Hope I can still go hunting when I am that old. :)
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 21, 2010, 02:54:49 PM
Post by: Machias on April 21, 2010, 09:25:32 PM
Post by: Gringo31 on April 21, 2010, 09:31:21 PM
I'm KNOW there is piles of BS a guy has to deal with in your profession. But, THAT is fantastic! Too cool!
Post by: Phantom Gobbler on April 22, 2010, 10:19:49 PM
Great thread of how the season is progressing in your areas. Looks like you are having some grand hunts!
I didn't hunt north Stevens County this year, but one of my buddy's did and he said the numbers of birds is still way down. He only had two gobblers to work with in two days of hunting. One came in behind him and he missed the shot. With the other bird, he ran into two other hunters and had to back off.
Keep up the great service by keeping all us us informed.
Post by: bearpaw on April 23, 2010, 01:08:57 PM
The main reason we get so many birds is because I lease a number of really good properties. Yesterday I had a hunter on his last day and he got a bird shortly after they came off the roost, sorry I didn't get a picture.
This morning we set up a different hunter on a bluff where we know the birds like to strut. He sat until about 11 AM when he heard a gobbler moving toward him sounding off. He finally spotted the bird a nice tom. The bird went out of sight in a low area on its way coming toward the strut area. Malcolm is shooting a reproduction muzzleloader shotgun with a flash pan and no choke, its a straightbore, so he really needs a 20 yard or closer bird. He saw another bird moving his way too from a little different angle so he was really ready. Pretty quick one of the birds head come into view as it was approaching, he saw that it definitely had a red head and fired. As it turns out the bird he got was a jake and the big tom flew off, but none-the-less he is very happy with his first turkey.
No kidding this gun is at least 5 feet long... :chuckle:
Almost forgot: This is a 20 guage straight bore that also shoots round balls, he said these guns were popular in the old days because it was a dual purpose gun. I thought that was interesting.
Post by: NWTFhunter on April 23, 2010, 01:32:58 PM
Great story Dale, hope to make it back over again and help.
Post by: Machias on April 23, 2010, 03:38:45 PM
Post by: Gringo31 on April 23, 2010, 07:54:43 PM
Post by: Phantom Gobbler on April 23, 2010, 08:28:57 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 24, 2010, 10:37:46 AM
What's amazing, the bird is moving around and feeding pretty much like normal. Probably a bummer navigating through brush or going to roost if that arrow hangs up on the way.
I'm out of hunters right now or I would try to get him today. :bash:
Hopefully the arrow falls out and he heals up, or maybe someone later in the season will take him. I hate to see him just die.
Post by: bearpaw on April 26, 2010, 03:13:30 PM
We will be checking on the "arrowed jake" again this evening.
Post by: Gringo31 on April 26, 2010, 08:26:16 PM
I have a buddy near kettle falls that had a hen walk onto his property with an arrow sticking out of her. She looked like she was hit going dead away and the broadhead came out of her just below where a beard would be. She carried it around for months and I gave him a hard time about "just kill her already". He said he could see it slide back and forth when she would eat. One day, he found the arrow.
I don't have the pics but I'll see if I can get them. He has sent some of them off and they were in a hunting mag about 10 years ago.
Post by: bearpaw on April 27, 2010, 07:40:26 AM
Will post more pics when I get them on my computer.
Birds are still talking much better here than they did on the opener. ;)
Post by: bearpaw on April 29, 2010, 12:30:55 AM
How many times does that happen. So Anthony took them over to another ranch about 1/2 mile from the "arrowed jake". Guess what, they are spotting and here he comes, arrow sideways, and bird otherwise healthy acting. Since he won't even think about calling they planned a stalk using a small brushy draw. As bad as she wanted to get that bird they couldn't get quite within range. So, the "arrowed jake" lives on.... :chuckle:
I'm out of hunters for a while so we will see how long the "arrowed jake" lives. :dunno:
Here's pics of the jake she got. Her husband is no longer in trouble for shooting two mature birds on the first two days they hunted. :chuckle:
I have to add, we had a lot of fun with these two people...LOL
Post by: bearpaw on May 02, 2010, 11:43:10 AM
We slipped in with the headlights off, stopping about 100 yards short, parking the trooper in the morning darkness, Jim loaded his shotgun, we put on our masks and gloves and started carefully working our way around the edge of the big field. Our destination was a favorite little hiding spot right where the birds hit the ground when they come off the roost on their way into the field. This is one of our all time classic turkey killing hotspots. The birds usually roost within 100 yards of the field, they feed in the evening before going to roost and again first thing in the morning when they come off the roost. Best of all, we had not hunted this ranch for a week, I knew it was gonna be good.
"Let's sit here" I whispered to Jim as we hunkered down at the bottom of a big ponderosa. The sky was beginning to lighten over the mountains to the east and the songbirds were starting their morning melodies. We sat there motionless waiting for a thunderous gobble to break the silence. Suddenly, a gobble, we both looked the direction it came from, but it was a mile away and off the property. We looked back toward our anticipated roost trees and waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. Finally 2 more gobbles, we looked that direction, but they sounded a half mile in the opposite direction from the 1 mile gobble. We slowly looked at each other and then gazed back toward our "silent" roost trees and we waited, we waited another minute, and then another minute, then I heard another gobble from the half mile bird. I leaned over to Jim and whispered "I don't know what happened with these birds, we better go after that bird over there."
We carefully slipped away from our hiding spot and picked up the pace as we left the area. In a few minutes we cut the distance in half, suddenly there was a gobble in the canyon down below us, I stopped and whispered to Jim, "Oh $hit, we better go this way". I veered off the old farm road into the wet brush angling between the two birds we had heard. I figured we could choose between the most vocal bird when we got closer. The halfmile bird let loose a couple more times so we angled back straight toward him. Now we were getting within a couple hundred yards, we slowed our pace to a sneak as we approached a familiar strutting area. Suddenly another gobble and only a hundred yards away over the edge from the strutting area. "We'll set up here", I whispered to Jim as I pointed where I thought he should sit. I started yelping and was immediately answered by a loud full gobble, now my blood was starting to move in my veins.
I earnestly yelped right back and the tom give me a loud course single yelp and then a double yelp. So I made a couple short yelps back at him and waited. A minute or two went by and he yelped again this time less than a hundred yards. I was right behind Jim and whispered in his ear, "he's coming, be ready, don't move at all until he's in view and then shoot him." That was probably the wriong thing to say, I could tell Jim was as excited as I was. I yelped again, and then again, the tom yelped back, but sounded like he was a little to our left...
sorry gotta run and pick up Jim for lunch, willl finish the story as soon as I get a chance...
Post by: LittleJohn on May 02, 2010, 11:49:07 AM
Post by: Austrian Hunter on May 02, 2010, 12:14:43 PM
Post by: bearpaw on May 03, 2010, 02:44:14 PM
We could tell he was circling around us, I quietly turned to the left and Jim did the same in an effort to be ready for the tom. I yelped again and the bird gobbled back loudly, I knew he was all but visible, suddenly I saw his head bobbing between the bushes at about 15 yards as he veered away from us through the brush. I pointed for Jim to see him and I yelped to try and stop him. The "half mile tom" was less than 20 yards from us and was going to get away, I whispered in Jim's ear, "Did you see him, he's headed away from us, if you jump up fast, and run toward him, I think you can get a shot, do it fast". Jim jumped up ran a half dozen steps and shot, unfortunately he missed and the "half mile tom" flew away.
As we looked toward each other simutaneously I said, "Man that was close" and Jim said "That was fun". I answered back "well let's go back after that other bird" and we headed down toward the "canyon bird" still whispering about the excitement that we both had just experienced. As we approached the area we had heard the earlier gobble I began yelping every 40 yards or so as we moved along. Pretty soon I heard a course yelp back, "there they are" I exclaimed as I started another series of yelps. Several birds answered back and they only sounded 150-200 yards away so we quickly sat down right at the base of a deer ladderstand we keep in position year around. I yelped again and this time when they answered back we both could tell they were much closer. Jim settled his shotty on his knee and readied for a shot. I yelped again and as they answered back I spotted 6 jakes trotting toward us. Remembering that Jim had said he wanted any bird that would cook, I whispered in his ear "They're all jakes, wait till they get between those two close trees and then take em."
Suddenly they all stopped right behind the tree and raised their heads looking for the hen that had been calling, so I give them another few yelps. Half of then started coming around each side of the tree, I was expecting a double whammy, hopefully not a triple...
Kaboom, the biggest jake on the right side drops and the flock flushed every direction, Jim shot again and we ran out and double checked, but he didn't get the second bird. We quietly high-fived notched the tag and started up toward the big field to go back to the trooper. We couldn't have been two hundred yards from where we killed the "canyon jake" and only 50 yards from the field when I spotted a big coyote out in the middle of the field. I pointed and whispered to Jim, let's get down I'll try to call him in, we both dropped down and Jim slipped a couple more cartridges in his shotgun. I give the yote my loudest hen yelp and all he did was casually gaze our way and went back to mousing. I yelped a number of times as the coyote slowly moused his way away from us, this is one of the first coyotes I had seen that could care less about a hen.
to be continued
Post by: NWTFhunter on May 04, 2010, 12:51:06 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 04, 2010, 09:05:03 AM
Post by: buckhorn2 on May 04, 2010, 09:22:27 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 04, 2010, 09:40:26 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 04, 2010, 11:04:31 AM
Frustrated that the coyote was not paying any attention to my hen yelping, I reached in my pocket and pulled out a shock call, never tried it on yotes, but what the hell. I pulled the loud megabox end off the call so wouldn’t be so loud and blew it deee, deee, deee, deee, deee. I can tell you this, I will try this call again because the coyote picked his head up, looked our way, and came on a loping run straight toward us.
I whispered to Jim, “Don’t move, when he gets close, shoot him in the head.” The coyote paused at the fence, I called again, he crawled under the wire and continued on a run toward us. He went out of sight behind a brush pile, I called again, Jim raised his gun, the coyote came around the brush pile and headed straight toward us again. Kaboom, Jim give him a face full of #6 Heavy Shot, flipped the coyote completely over backwards, the coyote was struggling but trying to get away, Jim hit him again, we went over and looked for him, but couldn’t find him right away and since he was pretty mangy looking anyway, we decided to continue on to the trooper, chatting ecstatically all the way about Jim’s first coyote and the amazing two hours of hunting we had just experienced. There’s no doubt the mangy coyote didn’t make it far and so we chalked it up as one chick and fawn killer eliminated.
We loaded our bird and headed off the hill. We needed to go to town and get more ammo, Jim only had one cartridge left. What’s that all about, you guessed it, I did give him a hard time about that … LOL. Well you won’t guess what happened next, we round the corner at the gate leaving the property and there was another dozen jakes standing there looking stupid. We did have one cartridge left, so Jim got out, loaded his shotty, the birds are still standing there, and, and, and, and they finally trotted away. “they are getting out of range, you better let them go” I said as Jim turned back to the trooper and then admitted he had forgot the safety. We had a few laughs about that on the way to town, we picked up a box of ammo and headed out to another property where I knew a "henned-up tom" was hanging out.
I put Jim in a blind for a few hours sitting quietly in the middle of a preferred feeding area as I knew any calling would cause the hens to run away with the tom following. That’s when I wrote the first part of the story. Anyway, I picked Jim up for lunch, he said the tom was gobbling off and on the whole time but never came within view. We discussed an evening plan and decided we needed to go for a trifecta, so first we went and shot a few ground squirrels and then I put Jim in a blind for an evening hunt where I knew turkeys like to feed before going to roost. Jim only saw hens that evening but we managed to locate a roost just at dark. We didn't kill #2 turkey that day, but what a great day of hunting that was, we both agreed all the stars must have lined up that day.
Next Day
We were up early as usual and carefully worked our way toward the roost in the darkness, suddenly there was a gobble halfway in so we had to be extra careful. We set up and waited for light, every now and then two birds would gobble, one right below us and one to our left. Finally I called but they didn’t want to answer me. They would gobble on their own but did not want to answer. They came off the roost and one bird even came toward us, but not within visibility. We talked for a couple hours and even though the birds were still in the area, we carefully backed out and went to the west side of the property to try something different. We drove up toward the squirrel patch and suddenly spotted a tom in an opening, but he had already seen the truck and split. We spotted another 8 or 10 jakes and managed to get a shot but missed. The second day was certainly turning out to be a much different story than the prior day.
We finally came in for lunch and discussed a new game plan. I decided to go back to try and call the “henned-up tom” so we went and called for an 1 1/2 hours with no results. Finally it was obvious this was not going to be productive, so we went to check a couple other ranches. The first place we went is not very big, in fact it’s the place with the “arrowed jake”, I called at several locations and we glassed everything and could not locate any birds, so we left for another property. I told Jim we would just drive around for a while on this place until I came up with a better evening hunt plan. Jim has hunted with us for 10 to 15 years and it’s more friends than serious hunting when we are together shooting the bull. As we drove around looking at various wildlife on the ranch we chatted about everything from New Zealand to Obama to Dirty Harry. We must have solved at least half the world’s problems.… LOL.
I think we were talking about famous movie quotes that we liked when we spotted a bird. I stopped the trooper, we jumped out and tried to get a look at what turned out to be several birds. I said “The one on the lefty has a beard”, but I didn’t realize Jim had a bead on a bird on the right that had a red head, and he was afraid to shoot when I was telling him to shoot the bird on the left which from his angle was not clear to shoot… LOL
Finally the birds moved around enough and got together, “they’re all jakes and toms” shoot any one of them” I exclaimed. Jim had told me that all he wanted was a cooker, he had all the birds mounted that he was going to mount, so I knew it didn’t make that much difference to him which one he got. The problem is that now they were all grouped together as they ran away, he didn’t dare pull the trigger. I finally said “they are starting to get out of range” when they split apart and Kaboom, Jim shot, the last jake dropped and started flopping down the hill toward us. If I had quickly turned the trooper I thing the jake would have flopped right into the truck, pretty soon he flopped down the hill and was at our feet. I picked him up and waited for him to finish flopping and then we took photos. The whole hunt wasn’t exactly traditional but we had a great time and Jim filled both his turkey tags, shot his first coyote, and bagged some squirrels, a spring trifecta...LOL.
I love it when a plan comes together. Jim will be back for the late buck hunt, can’t wait to finish talking about famous movie one liners, “Ostalavista Baby”.
Post by: NWTFhunter on May 04, 2010, 11:33:21 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 04, 2010, 01:22:10 PM
Post by: bearpaw on May 04, 2010, 01:26:29 PM