Turkey

where is my best shot to get one of these birds in april? not lookin for zipps or anything just some general areas. i know stevens county is a good bet but thats quite a haul!
Thanks
Tyler

I am heading out for opener of the gobblers with a few friends. Only problem is locating a good area. To me its a toss up between pearygin and colville area. I know colville has allot more turks but where would you set up? Any thoughts on this matter would help.

I've never hunted turkeys before but I might this year. I deer and elk hunt near Naches and the last couple seasons I've started to see a few turkeys, WDFW planted some a few years back and it looks like there breeding O.K. I know it's not a turkey hotspot yet but I know the area like the back of my hand and it's a good excuse to do some reeeaaaly early scouting for next year.

I practically live in the teanaway manastash area, and over on the teanaway I have been seeing large groups of turkeys. So I am definitly going to check it out for possible mid season hunts. I don't think we will have to worry about much hunting pressure since no one out there would consider such a area. May not be scouting for big game but will pack the heavy barrel along for some coyote action thats for sure. Where abouts in the naches do you see your turkeys HBP not asking you for your seceret spot, maybe drop me a email and we can put our heads together to outsmart the gobblers this year.

we saw a herd or about 15 gobbes in teannaway when i went scouting for deer and grouse hunting with my buddy up on yellow hill (i think thats what it is)
Tyler

GameHunter, I've seen all the turkeys off of the 1701 Rd. which is also the Bald Mt. Rd. I've seen them from right off of 410 and all the way up to where the 1701 levels off which is called Teakettle Flats it's on any detailed Wa. map. The biggest flocks ( 12-15 ) I've seen were near Teakettle Flats, now there's not alot of them there by any means and it's not a secret honeyhole of turkeys either, but I don't need much reason to poke around over there anyway. I'm sure nobody thinks Naches when they think turkey, so I think it would be a decent spot to try for one without driving 5-6hrs east. I shoot a 3.5" 12ga. what loads would you start with? 4 or 6 shot, 3" or 3.5"?

I haven't been able to post for a long time. But I am heading out with #2 in my 3" 12ga. I don't think it really matters if your going for a head shot. If you are forced to take a body shot I wouldn't rely on the #6 but #4 are probably just fine. And I think at the end of march I am going to head out on the teanaway area and see if I can't find a spot to set up for opener. Happy hunting everyone.

Just my own two cents, but I would let those birds around Naches breed for a few more years. The project was funded by the NWTF to plant birds in three locations in Yakima Co and so far the State hasn't helped us by closing the area to hunting for a while. There are decent numbers of birds in the area, but the tom:hen ratio is not very balanced. About 90% of the birds released were hens. This means approx 40-50 toms were released. So with extraordinary breeding success and low predator damage there may still be an estimated 50-100 toms scattered throughout the area. Not quite what I consider huntable numbers. It amazes me that the state would support a project like that and then leave it as an open season. But it is an open season and people will hunt it, i just don't agree with them.

If you come to the NE corner of the state I would suggest a couple of things. Plan on coming the last two weeks of the season. There will be far less people top contend with. The gobblers will more then likely be without their hens as the hens will be nested by then. The snow will have melted in the surrounding hills which helps displace the birds from the lower private property on to alot of the national forest and other public lands. As to where? Anywhere along lake Rosevelt from FT. Spokane to Kettle falls, and the entire area basically from Deer Park North to Colville. That's alot of area but there are turkeys in most of it. Also over along the Pend Oreille river has plent of turkeys and recieves far less pressure. If you come for the opener, unless you are on private property expect company. Another good tip is to hunt in the late morning/afternoon. Most folks are in ther at sunrise and sleeping at camp by about 11am.