Turkeys

[LSTEPHENSON]

I'm heading for Colville Friday morning for my yearly spring Turkey hunt. I am very fortunate to have 600 private acres that I'm allowed to hunt on. I took a new hunter last year and he killed his first long beard and he's going back for another try this year. I'm also taking another new hunter along this year. I really enjoy introducing new people to the sport and calling in birds. Best of luck to all of you this season.
Regards,
Larry

[Itchy Dog]

How'd everyone do on opener? Where we hunted (near Davenport) the birds
didn't seem to be henned up quite yet (but probably will be very soon).
Saw a lot of birds and 3 guys filled three tags so it was a good harvest this year.
It's always a good time in the spring turkey woods.

Good luck to those who still have hunts planned.

[Brent Comer]

I went out with my dad and a friend south of Colville. I had an absolute blast!

Saturday, we scouted around the area. I got to see a bunch of turkeys. We spotted some hens and a couple of gobblers in the far corner of a field near a gully with some good cover.

Sunday morning, we set up at o'dark o'clock in what we thought was a place near where they might be roosting. We got situated and waited for the sun to come up. As the first light came up over the hills, I started to spot the dark shapes of the birds in the trees. Apparently the birds had also noticed us moving in. They started gobbling like they were agitated. I swear it was so loud my ears were ringing. My heart was pumping like crazy. A couple of jakes and a huge gobbler flew down from the trees and landed about 50 yards from me. Unfortunately, I was facing away from them at a 45 degree angle. I suddenly felt like I was exposed too much. They started fanning and strutting. Man were they pissed. One of them made a couple of rushes toward my position. I held totally still. At that point I thought one of them was going to strut right into my sights. However, as suddenly as all the racket had started and the birds had come down out of the trees, they were gone. Yep, they must have spotted something they didn't like. They bailed into the cover.

That afternoon, we tried to set up out of sight on another tom we could see strutting and fanning with a couple of hens. Unfortunately, we couldn't call him down to our position.

That evening, we went back to the field where we'd been schooled by the birds in the morning. I suggest we see if the birds would come back and roost in same area that night. This time we were on the opposite side of the field. My friend got out his slate and made a few yelps. Sure enough, we heard a couple of toms reply with gobbles somewhere a few fields away. My friend suggested we quickly set up on the other side of the field. We hustled over to the other side of the field and set up behind a pile of dead logs and twigs. He called a few more times. The toms were aproaching fast. All of the sudden a big tom closed the distance of a 75 yards right into our decoys. He came in on my friend's side of the stuff, so it made sense that he should take the shot. The bird was strutting, fanning, spitting, and showing us his stuff. I couldn't believe how big he was up close. 10 yards away. My friend fires. He misses. :( The bird takes off running like Roadrunner. I sat there thinking that was the coolest thing I've ever seen! What an experience. I was trying to console my friend about the shot. The bird was so close.

Anyway, I'm hooked on Turkey hunting. I think I understand why people enjoy it. I have a heck of a lot to learn about it. I hope to make it out again before the season is over.

How'd everyone do on opener?

[Josh Benjamin]

we got our azzes handed to us 3 days in a row:mad:
we were into birds every day, but they would not come to the calls. it was a blast anyway and we found some real nice moose sheds to boot.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j139/BAILEYDAD/normal_DSCN2200.jpg

[SightCast6X]

Great looking sheds! No turkey hunting for me this year:( . Baby on the way. Good luck guys! and gals.

[TheShadKing]

Quick report --

No turkeys for me yet. Saw two and heard several, but only from way too far away.

Did find a fairly large (middle toe > 3") set of prints, so I know where to go back to.

I've got a line on another spot that looks pretty good. But if that doesn't pan out then I may be knocking on people's doors. :p



Rolland

[Brent Comer]

I couldn't make it out last weekend. :(

My hunting partner got two toms on the east side of the state last weekend. I'll see if I can get his permission to post a picture.

Quick report --
No turkeys for me yet. Saw two and heard several, but only from way too far away.
Did find a fairly large (middle toe > 3") set of prints, so I know where to go back to.
I've got a line on another spot that looks pretty good. But if that doesn't pan out then I may be knocking on people's doors. :p
Rolland

[Gary Thompson]

Great stories and good job to the young Itchy dog.

[scottr]

Opener was cold and crowded. Saw one guy that took a jake. Spent the day trying avoid people and do more scouting. Hunted our spot in evening as everyone one else had packed it in but got skunked.

Next day got there early but our spot was already taken so we hunted so different land in the same parcel. Set up dekes and made a blind. As I am tending to the dekes a hen busts out of a tree over my head. Nothing all morning so we stalked/called looking for toms. We discovered some good terrain and saw some sign. We called and called and waited, nothing, take ten steps do the same. After some calling and a pee break we take a few steps and a big tom busts out of some trees. We continued to hunt some other new spots in the parcel and see a little sign. In the afternoon we are sitting at the truck shedding the long johns and I see a tom fly across the road down about 1500 ft. Two trucks drive by right after that and stop right where I saw the bird go. I thought for sure they saw the bird but then move on. We make a wide flank around the bird and set up on top of a hill. Start calling and he hammers back from far away. We call him in to within about 150 yards but he never crests the hill and then starts to move away from us until he was long gone.

I don't think the birds were quite on the rut onthe opener. The cold and rain seems to have delayed the birds henning up and alos the hatches on the rivers seem to be behind too.

Going to try and get out this week. Weekends suck.

[Matt Burke]

Spent the day trying to avoid people and do more scouting.

Frikin' crowds.

[TheShadKing]

Frikin' crowds.

Yeah, I've been prospecting and have two sets of birds in the bush. Got up before 5 am, was at my site by 5:15, and some knucklehead is already there.

Obviously, he probably wasn't actually a knucklehead cause he was calling out to the birds and they were answering him. I didn't know whether to be insanely annoyed that I didn't get up 15 minutes earlier, or happy that I'd actually managed to figure out where some birds were my first season. I didn't talk to him, just walked away.

And same birds, but the afternoon before, I managed to chase out of a little field because I didn't quite check it carefully enough before settling down. They just walked away chuckling to themselves. :beathead:


Rolland

[Itchy Dog]

Crowds are a thing of public land. Crowding at the area I've duck hunted for many years has me about retired from that game. It's gotten to be that we have to get up earlier and earlier just to get a spot for a blind, and I'm getting older and older and less tolerant. River fishing is nice in that at least you're always moving, leaving others behind. Until you come upon others downstream. Just have to enjoy the time as best you can and get up earlier next time out.

[Matt Burke]

get up earlier next time.

I think night vision would be a good tool. Gotta be a good way to see the sunrise...like on the river. I'm sure that in both hunting and fishing, any hike over a mile and it starts to thin out the comp.

[Josh Benjamin]

hike over a mile and it starts to thin out the comp

we saw nobody in the woods for 3 1/2 days on opening weekend hunting on very publicized public land.
gotta get away from the road...

[kodiaksalmon]

I can't make it this year. I've got a month-long pike trip coming up end of May, so all of my eggs are in that basket.

My dad has already shot three this year, two in one day in KS, one back home in IN last week.

[TheShadKing]

we saw nobody in the woods for 3 1/2 days on opening weekend hunting on very publicized public land. gotta get away from the road...

Yeah, reading my post it sounds to me like I was actually whining. The guy who snagged "my" spot was literally the only other person I've seen while out in the woods. I'd be truly lame if I was whining about that. :D

Finding public land that holds turkey near where I live is fairly easy (Sandpoint, ID.) Finding that land not next to a road is a lot harder. The turkeys I've found have been near clear cuts, and the clear cuts tend to be on a road. :rofl:

But those turkeys have moved on so yes, I'll be deeper in the woods next time.


Rolland

[Jmills81]

Man alive we had em close last weekend. In our spot by 5am, had the boss tom talking his head off till about 540. They just happened to fly away from us coming off the roost, but I did have a nice deer come about 5 feet away from me untill i waved at it....god that was funny

We proceeded down a skidder trail to the area the birds flew off to. i'm five steps ahead of my dad...and wham...there's the back of a hen. I dive off to the left in the first pine tree that's available. My dad was slightly exposed but moved back to avoid detection. 7 hens later move out in range and then the big ol boss tom comes out, about 65 yards away, about 15 too damn many out...., then we tried to reposition to head them off, but they sighted us and they were off to the air and GONE...fun stuff

[D3Smartie]

got my first one ever this weekend. a nice jake at about 20 feet :)
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/183/dsc00306cm6.th.jpg (http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00306cm6.jpg)

[TheShadKing]

got my first one ever this weekend.

Hey, congrats! I was out bright and early on Sunday, having roosted birds late the night before.

Roosted t'ain't roasted when it turns out there's a fence line in between you and they. It was too dark to see the fence line the night before.

Private property on the other side of the fence line, albeit belonging to a neighbor of the fellow I was with. He ran off to get permission, but by the time he got back the birds walked off down the hill the other way. Saw the brush moving a lot as one of the birds tried to get over to where we were.

Ahh, next time. It was a good setup and know we know the terrain tons better. There's a lot of terrain where we were so I don't mind the extra time exploring.


Rolland

[D3Smartie]

Rolland- its very tough when you dont know the terrain. we found that out sunday morning by locating a groub of toms at first light and trying to get close, but we ended up too close and bumped them off the roost and out of the area. :( had we known the terrain i am sure we could have had a good chance at those birds

[Matt Burke]

When is the spring hunt over?

[Josh Benjamin]

5/31
it was extended for 2 weeks longer than normal.

[Josh Benjamin]

Roosted t'ain't roasted when it turns out there's a fence line in between you and they. It was too dark to see the fence line the night before.

if the birds are fired up, and they want to come...you could try setting up 75-100 yards from the fence or creek or whatever. a lot of times they'll cross the fence if what they want to come to is a ways off. this especially works well if you use decoys and they are visible. if you're right on top of the fence, they won't come.
a whole group of toms jumped a fence one by one last year for us.
:eek:

[TheShadKing]

if the birds are fired up, and they want to come...you could try setting up 75-100 yards from the fence or creek or whatever. a lot of times they'll cross the fence if what they want to come to is a ways off.

Thanks, guys, for all the tips!

Current issue is that the birds have all gone quiet. I've been up in the woods four days over the last week, and not a peep. The birds are still there; there's enough sign and I and others have seen them, but not a gobble. It's not just me, I've talked to others who have had the same experience.

Is this a wait for them to come back again, or what?


Rolland

[ksherk]

I'll be turkey hunting for the first time "for all intensive purposes" this weekend on private property with "supposedley" a large number of birds, and I'm assuming the several 4 shot, steel, mag, 3" shells that I keep with me when I'm Pheasant hunting for special occasions should do the trick. Am I wrong? thougths? Word also is the easiest an least offensive first timer call call is the old slate scratcher used sparingly and trying to mimic a low a slow "purr" if you will... Geive me your feedback and knowledge please!!! Years ago, I was taught to use the slate call so I feel about 5% confident in my ability...

[TheShadKing]

I'll be turkey hunting for the first time "for all intensive purposes" this weekend on private property with "supposedley" a large number of birds, and I'm assuming the several 4 shot, steel, mag, 3" shells that I keep with me when I'm Pheasant hunting for special occasions should do the trick. Am I wrong? thougths? Word also is the easiest an least offensive first timer call call is the old slate scratcher used sparingly and trying to mimic a low a slow "purr" if you will... Geive me your feedback and knowledge please!!! Years ago, I was taught to use the slate call so I feel about 5% confident in my ability...

I'm not the guy to give you best feedback possible.

But yes, 4 shot steel 3" shells should be ok. Of course you're better off if you pattern the shells.

The purr you mention is very useful. You'll get rapid feedback on the quality of the purr if you're out in the morning because the gobblers will either respond or they won't. I've had good luck with crow calls as well.


Rolland

[Itchy Dog]

I'll be turkey hunting for the first time "for all intensive purposes" this weekend on private property with "supposedley" a large number of birds, and I'm assuming the several 4 shot, steel, mag, 3" shells that I keep with me when I'm Pheasant hunting for special occasions should do the trick. Am I wrong? thougths? Word also is the easiest an least offensive first timer call call is the old slate scratcher used sparingly and trying to mimic a low a slow "purr" if you will... Geive me your feedback and knowledge please!!! Years ago, I was taught to use the slate call so I feel about 5% confident in my ability...

So, how'd you do? For all intents and purposes, heavy 4 shot would work as long as you have a tight choke on your gun. Lead is preferred over steel, though, as gobblers are tough sons-a-guns.
If your range is within 35 yards and you have a full or extra full choke, and your shot is true to the proper target, you'll likely drop the bird. But buy a box of turkey loads. 10 shells will last you a long, long time. And the key is to not overcall...by giving a purr, you're not going to blow them away. Subtle yelping is good- just don't overdo it.

So, how'd you do?

[Wayne Jordan]

I went back to Maine last week to visit my family and had the opportunity to call in a bird for one of my father's friends on Saturday morning (the last day of the season in Maine). His son actually took the shot and bagged this 22 lb tom. It definitely felt good to see that big bird come strutting in so late in the season.
10" beard and 1.25" spurs!

[salt dog]

Sweet....nice bird Wayne.

[craigatkins]

Might take a shot out of my front window